The Pros and Cons of a career in the oil sector

(jobsearch). Submitted on Fri, 9 Jul 2010

The oil and gas industry has appeared to have come through the recent global economic crisis relatively unscathed. A policy of investment and retention rather than cuts and job losses has left it perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the upturn in demand. The consequence has been a dramatic increase in the number of oil and gas jobs on offer for both experienced and those looking to move into the industry at entry level.



There are a great deal of reasons why choosing a career in the oil and gas industry is a smart decision. The pay is very good, there's lots of opportunity to see the world as part of a team and there are a range of opportunities for almost anyone looking for something a little more challenging than just another regular job. But it's hard work, you're away from home for long periods of time and the job can be dangerous. So let's weigh up the ‘pros and cons' of a career in the oil industry.

The pros

With any job, the financial reward has to be a major determining factor. Within the oil and gas industry hard work is well rewarded, with even basic drilling jobs commanding anything up to US$50,000 a year. For those with a little more experience, the financial rewards can be much higher, and for those with higher level qualifications the pay levels in the oil and gas industry are often much higher than graduate level positions within other industries.

The opportunity for career advancement is also something that the oil and gas industry actively promotes. Those who show initiative, an ability to work well within a team and the determination to succeed can quickly work their way up to more responsible positions. Roustabouts (the ‘bottom' level entry job) can become drillers within a few years if they have the aptitude. A lack of formal qualifications is no barrier to advancement with oil jobs, so those who go into the industry for the long haul can forge a varied and challenging career within a relatively short time frame.

The oil and gas industry is an international operation. So the opportunities for travel and working all over the world are often a draw for those with a touch of wanderlust in their bones. Once you have experience you could be working in an oil job anywhere from Alaska to offshore rigs in the middle of the Atlantic.

The cons

As with every job, there are some down sides. Oil jobs and gas jobs are not suited for everyone. Rig jobs are hard, gruelling and dirty, so if you like keeping your hands clean, they may not be right for you. The work is physically demanding and often dangerous, so physical fitness is an important factor for rig jobs.

Those working on offshore platforms may spend considerable spells away from home, as gas jobs and oil jobs work on a rotation basis. You may be away from your friends and family for weeks or even months at a time, so if you're a family-loving person, again, the job may not be for you.

However, if you can accept these aspects of the job and rise to the challenge, oil and gas jobs offer far more pros than they do cons. Knowing that your work helps to keep the wheels of almost every other industry turning is also very satisfying, making oil and gas jobs an integral part of the world economy. Now that's quite an impressive thing to put on your CV…

 

About the Author

Paul B Smith - Search Oil and gas jobs and other engineering roles in our specialist sectors: automotive & aerospace, petrochemical & process, mining & minerals, nuclear & power. Candidates can register CVs online and search jobs across all of our sectors.

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