OIL AND GAS RECRUITMENT 101

Disclaimer• Any views or opinions presented in this presentation are

solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathmatics, or the University of Houston.

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• Overview of recruiting companies at UH (2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A

Petroleum industry structure

• Upstream – exploration and production sector: collecting data and drilling wells

• Midstream- transportation of raw petroleum to refineries, typically by pipeline, rail, barge, tanker, truck, etc..

• Downstream – the refining, processing, marketing, and distribution of refined petroleum products

Source: API

Service company vs. Operator

Service companies: companies which provide technical services to operating companies, but do not own the hydrocarbons that are

produced

• Examples: Baker Hughes, Cameron, CGG, Core Lab, Fugro, Halliburton, ION Geophysical, National Oilwell Varco, PGS, Schlumberger, Spectrum, Technip, Transocean, Weatherford, etc.

• Examples: BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Anadarko, Apache, Devon, Hess, Occidental Petroleum, Noble Energy, Marathon, Southwestern, EOG, etc..

Operators (exploration and production companies):

companies that decide where and how to drill for hydrocarbons, and own the

rights once produced

Types of service companies • Diversified: Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford,

Baker Hughes

• Equipment: National Oilwell Varco, Cameron

• Seismic acquisition: ION, CGG, Spectrum, TGS, PGS

• Drilling rigs: Transocean, Noble Corporation, Hercules Offshore, Nabors Industries

Types of exploration and production companies

• Integrated/Supermajors (upstream and downstream): BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total

• Exploration and Production/Independents (just upstream): ConocoPhillips, Anadarko, Apache, Noble Energy, EOG Resources, Marathon Oil, Hess Corporation, etc..

• National Oil Companies (NOC): Ecopetrol, Gazprom, PEMEX, Petrobras, Petronas, PDVSA, Rosneft, Sinopec, Sonangol

Very-generalized exploration and production workflow

E&P company interprets data and determines a location to drill (geologists and geophysicists:

MS, PhD)

Service companies drill the well and record technical

data (engineers, geologists, geophysicists: BS, MS, PhD)

If large enough reserves are proven, field development begins

(engineers, geologists, geophysicists: MS, PhD)

Production facilities, pipelines, storage facilities, and

transportation are installed (Engineers)

E&P company leases land from the government

(landmen)

Seismic acquisition company records seismic data over area of interest (geophysicists: MS, PhD)

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry

based on degree• Overview of recruiting companies at (UH 2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Q&A

Types of jobs: BS (Geology or Geophysics)

• Mud logging/ wellsite geology (service companies)• Software support (service companies)• Geotechnical support staff (operators)

• Typically hired by service companies• Starting salary range: $30k-60k

Types of jobs: MS (Geology or Geophysics)

• Entry level geologist or geophysicist (operators or service)

• MS degree is REQUIRED for entry level positions by almost 100% of operators

• Starting salary range: $100k-$115k• Typical signing bonus: $5-15k

Types of jobs: PhD (Geology or Geophysics)

• Entry level geologist or geophysicist at operator• Experienced hire as a specialist in a research/technology

group within a service or operating company• Consultant/research role in a service or operating

company

• Starting salary range: $100k-$130k• Typical signing bonus: $5-25k

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• Overview of recruiting companies at UH (2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A

Overview of recruiting companies at UH

• Chevron, ExxonMobil: “Supermajors,” integrated oil companies, global footprints, 60,000-80,000 employees

• EOG, Hess, Marathon Oil, Noble Energy, Southwestern Energy : “Independents,” global footprints, 2,000 – 4,000 employees

For a full description of each company please refer to the company website or attend the info session

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• Overview of recruiting companies at UH (2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A

Formatting• One page for undergrads • Two pages for grad students• Do NOT submit a resume longer than two pages for on-

campus recruiting for an oil or gas company• Font: should be a reasonable size and theme (Arial,

Times New Roman, 11-12pt)• Margins: (0.5”-1.0”)• Should be neat and balanced

• NO wrap up sentences• NO periods ANYWHERE• NO clipart • Use bullets wisely

Resume template

Parts of a resume• Contact information• Objective statement• Education (degree, including GPA if above 3.0)• Relevant Coursework• Work/research experience• List of skills• Professional and/or student organizations• Awards/honors/activities• Abstracts/Publications

Contact information• Address• Phone number• Professional and current e-mail address

• (sk8rboi@aol.com is NOT an example of a professional e-mail address)

Objective statement:• Needs to answer the following questions:

1. What type of position am I looking for? (full-time vs internship)

2. What type of role am I looking for? (geologist, geophysicist, petrophysicist, operations geologist, exploration geophysicist, mudlogging geologist, wellsite geologist, processing geophysicist, etc.).

• Can include a start date (ex: Summer 2015 internship)• Does not need to be longer than one sentence• Ex: A full-time position as an exploration geologist in the oil and

gas industry• Ex: An internship as a geophysicist in the petroleum exploration

industry for Summer 2015• Ex: A full-time position as an exploration geophysicist in the oil

and gas industry starting December 2014

Education• Degree, major

• Bachelor of Science, Geology• Master of Science, Geophysics • Doctor of Philosophy, Geology

• Expected graduation date• Month and year

• University/college and department attended• University of Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric

Sciences

• GPA (if above 3.0); thesis title; advisor’s name

Skills (formatted in a list)• Technical or specialty software you know• Language skills (proficiency, conversational, or native

language)• Skills need to be applicable to the job in which you are

applying (i.e. don’t include that you are an awesome babysitter or waiter)

• Ex: Petrel, SMT Kingdom, Echos, VISTA, Petromod, ArcGIS, Microsoft Office suite, Linux, Proficient in Spanish

Experience (in reverse chronological order*)

• Work, research, or volunteer• Job title, name of employer, dates of employment, location• Don’t include non-geoscience related positions (ex: waiter, golf

caddy, sales rep, cashier, retail positions, etc..)• DO include military service (if applicable)• Use action verbs to describe your tasks, responsibilities,

accomplishments, and results in a bulleted list• Examples of action verbs:

• I conducted lab experiments….• I provided software support to…• I aided senior geologists in…• I loaded 2D seismic data…• I built a velocity model…• I interpreted 3D seismic data…• I processed seismic data…

*reverse chronological order: newest first, oldest last

Examples of action verbs

http://lyndacwatts.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/resume-buzz-words-words-that-win/

Examples of action verbs

http://lyndacwatts.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/resume-buzz-words-words-that-win/

Activities, Honors, or Awards • Scholarships, grants, honors (do not list dollar amounts)• By semester or year in reverse chronological order• List activities/honors/awards relevant to geosciences

before any other areas• Also can include short courses or technical software

training courses attended• Do not include high school activities/honors• Can include: Eagle Scout or Gold Award Girl Scout• Can include: National Merit Scholar, Valedictorian,

Salutatorian• Do not include any other high school activities

Professional and student organizations

• Aim for at least one national and one local organization• National: AAPG, SEG, AGU, SEPM, etc.• Local: AAPG Wildcatters, SEG Wavelets, GeoSociety, AEG, GSH,

HGS

• It helps to have leadership experience in these organizations and/or show that you are actively involved

Relevant coursework• Include already completed and current coursework that is

relevant to the job in which you are apply • If pressed for space, you may omit this section• Important for undergrads or students who have less

experience• Include Imperial Barrel Award (IBA), if applicable

Publications or abstracts• Optional section, if applicable• Looks great to recruiters and can set you apart from your

peers

• Ex: Smith, J., Structural and stratigraphic history of the Gulf of Mexico, AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, 2013 (poster)

Work authorization• U.S. citizen• U.S. Permanent Resident • F-1 Visa • J-1 Visa

Example grad student resume:

How to submit:• Click “Student Industry

Employment Opportunities” link on www.eas.uh.edu and follow the subsequent instructions

• Deadline is August 25th at 5pm!

Tips from a real UH recruiter

·    Black & white text only (no colored ink)

·    No MS Word art or clipart

·    Use the Spelling & Grammar check

·    Ask one or two people (advisor, professor, or UH Career Services) to review for spelling & grammar mistakes not caught by the software

·    Format should be visually pleasing to read and easy to find information

·    Punctuation (May.2013) May is not an abbreviation

·    Recruiters will accept updated versions at any time

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• Overview of recruiting companies at UH (2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A

What are companies looking for?• Strong technical skills• Excellent soft skills• Excellent communication • Team player• World-class scientists

• It doesn’t matter if you study geology or geophysics- just be great at what you do!

• Be enthusiastic

What to wear?• Business casual or business formal

• Two or three pieces of clothing (top, bottom, jacket)• Shoes: low heels, clean, shined, conservative/classic style• Colors: conservative are best

• Black, navy, white, khaki

• Neat, clean, pressed, well-fitting

• Do NOT wear:• Jeans, tennis shoes, t-shirt, shorts, open-toed shoes or sandals,

old, dirty, or smelly clothing, hat or cap, perfume or cologne, colored nail polish, large or too much jewelry, cover tattoos or piercings (other than ear)

First impression• Prepare clothing the day before• Wear deodorant• Arrive EARLY• Be nice, polite, relaxed• SMILE! • Practice with someone before the real interview

• During an info session: DON’T ASK A QUESTION JUST TO BE ASKING A QUESTION- IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU LOOK SMARTER!

During the interview:• Bring copies of resume and transcripts• Memorize the interviewer’s name• Make eye contact• Listen carefully, think before you speak!• Use good body language and posture• Eliminate “um,” “ah,” “like,” “ya know”• Bring a bottle of water if you need it• Come prepared with a list of questions for the interviewer!• They are looking for a good fit

Types of questions• Informal:

• Tell me about yourself• How did you become interested in geology?• Tell me about your thesis

• Behavioral questions: Past behavior predicts future behavior

• Tell me about a time you had a conflict when working in a team• Tell me about a time when you had to take initiative • Tell me about a time you had to work with someone more

experienced than you

• Use the STAR approach• Situation Task Action Result

If you’re nervous: try the “power pose”

• http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

After the interview• Thank the interviewer• Hand shake before you leave• Write a thank you e-mail within 24 hours of the interview

• Don’t discount hand written letters

• Don’t leave without their business card• Write down the questions they asked and evaluate your

performance

Other options for recruitment• AAPG/SEG Student Expo in Houston• Rocky Mountain Rendezvous• West Coast student Expo• Eastern Section Expo

• Company websites!

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• Overview of recruiting companies at UH (2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A

Networking• UH Alumni Events

• Check website for updates

• GSH, HGS events• Weekly seminars/talks

• National meetings (AAPG, SEG)• LinkedIn• Shake hands, make good first impressions, follow up

afterward (but don’t pester or be annoying)• Don’t discount networking

• “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”

Other resources• http://www.api.org/story/index.html• http://www.adventuresinenergy.org/• http://api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/exploration-and

-production

Ways to increase your marketability • Present work at annual meetings• Publish papers• Attend short courses• Participate in the IBA competition

• http://www.aapg.org/iba/

• Be active in student groups (Wildcatters, Wavelets, GeoSociety)

Closing remarks:

• Be a world-class scientist• Don’t ever be average• Be passionate, inspire others• Make everyone around you better• Be resilient- don’t be discouraged if you don’t land the top job from your first interview, even great candidates are passed up due to reasons out of their control

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• Overview of recruiting companies at UH (2014)• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A