re: Career in the Petroleum Industry

BR

Nola
North shore
Houston

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Or, if you have a family member at Exxon, have them pull strings for you. Those Exxon boys love hiring people with existing family members that are working/have worked there for 75 years.

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This is not the case anymore. The good ole boy network at the bigger plants died ten years ago. They rely strictly on HR and your interview answers now. ExxonMobil goes by a point system, in which answers in the interview and other things about you give you so many points. Highest point totals at the end of the hiring process get you in.

If it was still the good ole boy at Exxon, I would be an operator there bc I had a great connection.

They told you wrong then.

If you're serious about working in the plant as a process operator, I would suggest getting a PTEC degree at either BRCC, RPCC, or ITI. You don't really need a degree, but if you're completely green (like I was) you'll need it not only to get in, but to help you out with the basics. I'm not about to say that a Bachelor's Degree means nothing. It will, when you get your foot in the door and want to get promoted down the road. It's also a little something in the hiring process as well. It tells them that you are willing to make sacrifices to get educated and are teachable.

But it's not like you're gonna stroll your way in with a bachelor's degree and they're going to be completely impressed and give you a job right away because you have a degree and Joe Blow doesn't. I thought that in the beginning and boy was I wrong.

Of course, you don't really need to go the PTEC route either. I have a buddy that got real lucky and was hired because he gelled with the guys interviewing him. I let him know all the time how lucky he was (and I don't think he really believes it).

That's my advice to you. Keep sending in your resume. Get some interview experience. Interviews at the plant are a trip. They're very hard, and you have to answer the questions they ask you perfectly (not long winded, the situation, what you did in detail, and the end result). Also, they can sniff through bullshite stories right away. And if you don't stress safety and being a team player, you will not do well in the interview either. But it's good to get the experience even if you don't get the job.

That's my advice.

Not sure about downstream, but in upstream, you start from the bottom no matter what degree you have (except engineering). We have managers and project leaders who have business degrees, political science degrees, history degrees, and even no degrees. They all had to go through working long hours in the field. Even engineers spend time in the field, they just get out a lot faster. You are not going to show up at our facility and get a desk job without experience with us or another company. You're going to be doing manual labor for few years.

My best friend got on at Exxon 2 months ago because of a good ol boy connection

By field time what do you mean? Roughneck type stuff?

I'm guessing managerial/executive experience in another industry won't transfer?

What if I have a connection to the industry? Like as in a wildcatter is a personal friend?

I'm asking because I really have no idea how to approach the situation. My next move is to talk to my friend, but I want to at least have an idea of what to talk to him about without looking like a fool.

Got ya. Appreciate it.

Yeah, I know it's very hard to get on with one of the big guys. I was thinking of trying to go the independent route.

What's a typical timeframe from field to office for one of these guys?

You change professions, buddy?

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It takes a little education to qualify as a welder or pipefitter. Not just anybody of the street can do those jobs.

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I've been a CWI for quite a few years now. I have a GED.