Questions & Answers on Oil & Gas Career (i)

When I published my response to someone that sent in a question on how to break into oil and gas industry in Nigeria, I expected to receive a flurry of questions. The reason is simple: everybody wants to work in an oil and gas company in Nigeria. Not even my subsequent article that the oil and gas industry craze is misplaced doused the mindset. The post made Nairaland’s front page and readers ran riot with a deluge of questions to my inbox. I will be attending to these questions in this series:

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I am a graduate of Environmental Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) with a 2nd class upper. I want to work in the environmental and safety management field most preferably oil and gas sector. I am 31 years old, most job vacancies tempt me to fake my age given that I really look younger than my age and they keep asking for lower ages for graduate trainees but I don’t want to live a lie . I am currently running a mini poultry just to keep busy but that is not what I want to do career wise. I have applied to some small environment and safety management companies for voluntary jobs and internships so as to kick start my career and build from there; all to no avail. I did one of my industrial trainings in Health, Safety and Environment department in Chevron Nigeria Ltd in Lekki,  Lagos.  I have also tried my network there but it’s not been successful; hence, I want to build myself and gain more experience. I have NISP GHSE and NISP HSE level 3 certifications. I need your advice. I graduated in 2009 finished NYSC in 2011. I worked briefly with FCMB as a direct sales agent before resigning because that wasn’t what I wanted, I only accepted the offer out of desperation. It’s not even in my CV.

John N.C

Dear John

I’m impressed you’re uncomfortable with a life built on lying. While one finds it difficult to blame people that resort to age modification in order to meet the age limit criteria most firms set, there is still nothing like integrity. You’ve got a good CV: 2.1, plus a couple of other certifications in your field. You also said you worked briefly with FCMB as sales agent before resigning. The problem in your case is not qualifications, but a macroeconomic issue: excess supply of labour, i.e many people chasing few jobs.  As for Chevron, they have standard recruitment process, and having IT experience with them will at best expose you to the working of the system, but doesn’t guarantee automatic job with them. I advise you keep your poultry business to make ends meet, while you keep nosing around for opportunities. HSE is a fast growing field in the oil and gas and industrial sectors. Government and international regulations make it mandatory to put in place safety system to minimize environmental hazards that are associated with the operation of the industry (oil and gas operations are hazardous). So there are actually opportunities for professionals in this field and I believe those qualifications will be of help. However, like I have always emphasied, everything is competitive in the oil industry. An IT experience with Chevron is also a plus for your CV. Keep throwing your CV and build a network. Don’t look at the big IOCs alone. There are hundreds of oil and gas companies (especially independents) which you can try out. All the best.

I am Patrick currently with one of the first generation banks. My dream was to do engineering but somehow I lost track because I didn’t have credit in Maths in O-level although had credit in further maths, physics, chemistry and biology. I want to return to that dream, as I am not fulfilled that  I am not an engineer, even though I have a great job in the bank. I wanted to do NEBOSH or any other degree that has engineering, I would want to work in oil and gas field at least.

Dear Patrick,

Interesting  you made credit in Further Math and didn’t have in mathematics, because mathematics is obviously the less tough. You didn’t tell which course you eventually studied. Yet, I don’t see any reason why you have to go back to engineering now. If you didn’t make credit in mathematics in your o-level, you should have attempted it again in the intervening years. You spent four years in the university or polytechnic, and didn’t deem it fit to rewrite your o’level and re-enroll for engineering. It’s now that you want to – and you want oil and gas, a field that is very competitive. I hope it’s not  my article on oil and gas that re-ignited your ‘engineering dream’.  Not everybody will work on the sector, and you actually don’t have to be an engineer to get job in the sector. My advice: if your suddenly remembering engineering is because you wanted to work in the O&G sector, I will advise forget about engineering.

Hi Jarus,

 

My name is J.O.  I am currently a 4th year Computer Science student of a college in Ireland. I have been a huge fan of your educative and informative posts on Nairaland.com and Jarushub. I admire your proactive attitude towards achieving one’s goals in life. Your Jarushub conference, which would hold on the 21st of September, is a testament to that.

 

I would be privileged if you could take time out of your busy schedule and be my mentor.

 

Thank you.

Thanks for the kind words. I’m always at your service. You can always get in touch via my email.

Hello sir, I came across your post on Nairaland and also got your email address there. I’m a graduate of Biochemistry with second class upper (4.33 CGPA), currently serving. By God’s grace I will be going for my masters in UK on toxicology after service. My question is do toxicologists work in oil and gas sector, if yes? What are their roles? Thank you as I await your kind response sir.

Amaka

Dear Amaka,

There is no field that is not needed in the oil and gas industry, only that some are more needed than the other. For example, a large O&G firm may not need more than 2 biochemists at their laboratory. Some oil servicing firms may need more though. I’m sure you know the role of a toxicologist before choosing to study it at masters level. So the role is not different. However, like I have mentioned in the two articles that triggered these questions, getting into oil and gas sector is not a child’s play. It is very competitive. Just a reminder, so that you will not expect automatic placement in the industry on your return from UK.

 Questions & Answers on Oil & Gas Career (ii)

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