HOW TO GET MARKETING JOB IN AN OIL COMPANY
Good day Jarus,
My name is Stanley, a 2011 graduate of Banking and Finance from one of the oldest
federal universities in Nigeria. I have always desired to practice marketing even
while as an undergraduate studying Banking. It has always been my passion,
especially the oil and gas marketing.
I am yet to get a job really, since I finished my Youth Service in 2013, but a part
of me has kept on making me feel it’s because am not on the same track with where my
passion is.
Please my question is, how do I switch to Marketing, with great regards to the oil
and gas aspect of it? Will it be through a Masters programme or something else?
Please your team’s help will greatly be appreciated.
I have also started taking some of all these 2-day short- term certificate courses
in oil and gas logistics and economics.
Hoping to hear from you. Thanks.
Stan,
Lagos.
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Hi Stan,
Not sure anyone needs a professional marketer in the upstream industry. Marketing is relevant principally in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.
This unit is called sales, retail, commercial or marketing, depending on company’s nomenclatures. Good salesmen rise fast in the oil marketing companies.
However, like any other entry level position in Nigeria, course of study is hardly considered here. In other words, you don’t need to study marketing before you’re considered for salesman role in on oil marketing company. I have a number of friends and ex-colleagues that are salesmen in oil marketing companies in Nigeria and I can’t remember seeing anyone of them that studied Marketing – rather they studied courses ranging from engineering to social sciences (economics, geography etc). In short, course of study is hardly considered when recruiting salesmen; rather how well you do in tests and interviews, and to rise higher, your negotiation and people management skills come handy.
It is good to switch to Marketing at Masters level to match your passion with study, but it is still no guarantee. On the short term oil and gas course you mentioned, well, no knowledge is wasted, but more importantly, having such on your CV may make someone reviewing your CV know you’re serious about your oil and gas industry interest, and may be a reason you are invited for test – provided you meet other basic requirements (specified grade, age etc).
My advice: look out for vacancies in these downstream oil entities, put in your CV when you see one, and hope you are called for test/interview to prove yourself.
I wish you all the best.
Jarus
Grab a copy of Jarus book: THE ROAD TO VICTORIA ISLAND
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