If you’re in a position to pursue a rewarding career bursting with opportunities, right now is the ideal time to delve into the oil and gas industry. Working hard towards your goals, seizing every occasion, and getting prepared are arguably the most important steps here.
Following the correct educational path, obtaining the relevant degree, and enhancing your experience in the field will present you with bigger and better opportunities if you’re just starting in the oil and gas sector.
Whether you’re aiming to become a project manager one day or hoping to pave your way on a different renewable energy path, there are numerous enticing, fulfilling, and well-paid energy jobs for you to consider.
With this in mind, here are some considerations and tips regarding the best degrees for the oil and gas industry so you can kick-start the preparation process sooner rather than later.
We’ll cover everything from basic requirements to recommended certificates, so keep reading to learn more about what the top employers are looking for from prospective candidates in oil and gas.
How to Start a Successful Career in Oil and Gas
When it comes to beginning your career in the oil and gas industry, you can take several different paths before it takes off. Everyone has to start somewhere, so getting the foundations in place is essential before you aim for management roles and senior positions.
Eventually, you may even look for top colleges for an MBA in oil and gas, but let’s begin with some of the basic requirements first and foremost:
5 Steps to Oil and Gas Career Success:
1. Go Back to Basics – Which Are The Best Degrees For Oil And Gas Industry?
The first step to consider in your journey to starting your career is the basic requirements you need. Before you begin applying for any positions, you should research online to discover what local companies expect from their candidates.
Usually, employers within the oil and gas industry expect their employees to be at least eighteen years old due to the stringent health and safety guidelines within the gas and oil industry.
Next, you will probably be required to have your high school diploma, GED, or the equivalent of this qualification. Focusing on specialist classes such as mathematics and science will also give you an advantage when it comes to applying for competitive roles.
Getting a degree or diploma in oil and gas may also be a relevant requirement for you to consider. Focusing on further education will help you to specialize in an area you truly want to work with. Here are some examples whereby a focused undergraduate degree may help you advance in your oil and gas career:
- An environmental science degree could help you work towards a career in geoscience or environmental science.
- A chemical engineering degree would lead you towards roles such as petroleum engineer, chemical engineer or mechanical engineer.
These are just a couple of examples to consider. If you change your mind, or switch your specialty during your career, you will still have an abundance of knowledge to transfer into your new role.
Gaining qualifications, diplomas, MBA in oil and gas management, and other additional degrees in specialist areas will always help you to become the most competitive candidate in the oil and gas industry.
2. Hone in On Your Interests
Getting guidance from potential employers or people you trust is OK, but only if you know your true personal interests.
If you invest time and money into a career, you want to follow a path that you know will be fulfilling and exciting to you.
In many cases, jobs in the oil and gas sector are highly related to equipment operation, manual labor, or logistics. However, plenty of other impressive careers related to this industry have contributed to oil and gas production.
Whether you’re interested in working in IT departments, accounting, development, marketing, or human resources, you can specialize in any area that feels aligned with your interests. During your education, you may find that certain angles of the oil and gas industry are more fascinating than others, so follow your instincts.
“You may also want to keep an eye open for graduate programs and internships, which offer excellent job opportunities.”
You should also consider where your real skill sets lie. If you’re an excellent problem-solver, a career in the logistics side of the industry would feel like a no-brainer. Here are some of the main categories you could start your career in:
Transportation and Logistics
If you want to be part of packing, transporting, and delivering oil and gas most efficiently, a job in logistics and transportation would be the ideal place to begin.
Health and Safety
The proper health and safety officers in place ensure that team members in the field follow the relevant safety procedures. This is an important role when it comes to risk assessment and management.
Industrial Technology
Employees in industrial technology work alongside industry-standard equipment such as drilling machinery, pumps, and much more to help refine and extract natural resources.
Human Resources
Working in HR with any department is all about handling the well-being of employees and supporting them with any challenges they may face during their careers.
Finance and Accounting
Staying across finances and accounting is extremely important in the oil and gas sector, as it reduces costs and increases revenue for the company.
Environmental Science
Within environmental science, you will study geological and environmental conditions to inform the industry on effective preservation strategies.
Engineering
Engineers will use their skills and knowledge in maths and science to design and work on tools and systems to help oil and gas extraction.
3. Get an Internship in a Relevant Field
Internships and apprenticeships are extremely useful opportunities for those looking to break into the oil and gas industry. Keeping your eye out for relevant posts as an intern or apprentice in a field you truly enjoy could be the opening of the very first door for you.
Not only do internships and apprenticeships provide you with the opportunity to meet new people in the field, but it’s also the ideal chance to get hands-on experience in the sector you want to progress your career in.
Building your resume as an intern, asking questions to highly experienced professionals, enhancing your practical skills will be extremely appealing traits when you apply for permanent job roles in the future.
You may also want to keep an eye open for graduate programs, which offer excellent job opportunities at the end of it. There are specific fields that offer associate programs and bachelor’s degree programs such as energy providers, equipment producers, oil drilling companies and pipeline operators.
4. Work Your Way Up and Gain Experience
Building upon your experience is a key part of starting your career in the oil and gas sector. With so many educational paths to consider, you also need to aim towards entry level experience to ensure you can start building your network and gaining practical skills.
“Some industry certifications may be necessary to obtain for legal reasons whilst working in the field.”
First jobs in the oil and gas sector could include technician roles or assistant roles. Take time out to work alongside more experienced professionals too, so that you can learn from them about what they do and how they got to where they are today.
By gaining experience, you will gradually be able to work your way up to management roles in the oil and gas industry, but you have to be prepared to put in the extra time to learn on the job, and build good working relationships.
5. Continue to Earn Your Certifications
At any available opportunity, you should always be looking to earn industry certifications. This will widen your job prospects and help to impress potential employees in the future. If you want to reach the level of MBA oil and gas management salary, you should consider getting the relevant qualifications, alongside gaining hands-on experience in the field.
Some industry certifications may be necessary to obtain for legal reasons whilst working in the field. When applying for jobs make sure you read carefully what the employers requirements are, so that you can fulfill the criteria
Examples of additional certifications include, health and safety management for construction, pressure vessel inspector certifications, drilling well control. There are plenty of other further certificates you can achieve, so stay across what your potential employers could be looking for.
Final Thoughts: Success in Oil and Gas
As you can see, there are numerous effective methods that can help you to prepare for a career in the oil and gas industry. If you are hoping to increase your chances of success, make sure you check out the requirements for the specific job role you want to apply for.
Speak to other experienced employees in this sector, and learn more about how they prepare for their career and progress up the ladder to find their ideal role in the oil and gas sector.
There’s no denying that your preparation now will pay off in years to come. All of the knowledge you obtain, and the skills that you learn will be put to great use as soon as you land your first role in the oil and gas industry. Soon enough you will work your way up to management and be passing down your expertise to the future generation!
Hopefully, this clear and succinct guide will provide you with the motivation to achieve your goals, and carve out a truly successful career in oil and gas. Check out the wide range of jobs available today, and continue to aim high for your future!
