Engineering is a broad discipline, with many different subspecialties. As such, it’s particularly important to distinguish yourself in your specific specialty e.g if you are a drilling engineer, show how your skills set you apart from a pipeline mining engineer.

As for the industry, Oil and Gas is split through the value chain, specifically, the roles are in 3 segments – upstream, midstream, and downstream.

Upstream: Covers the exploration and production of oil and gas. “E&P” (for “exploration and production”) is also widely used here.

Roles would typically involve drilling to extract the raw material; it is thus very high tech intensive and those who keep up-to-date with the relevant tech (e.g. projects involving specific equipment selection and maintenance, or introduction of new technology) would gain the upper hand.

So what specific points should you convey in your CV? Be sure to highlight that you are

• Comfortable with technology;
• Innovative
• Able to negotiate successfully

E&P companies usually hire

• Contract drilling companies to drill wells for them
• Well servicing companies to construct and maintain well sites.

There are thus potential roles in these companies as well.

Midstream: This focuses more on the transportation and storage of the raw materials once extracted to the refineries.

A Role example here would be in pipeline engineering, with coverage including

• Effective and efficient delivery of Pipeline engineering and technology solutions.
• Providing Pipeline engineering technical consultancies

Overseeing implementation of Pipeline engineering technical governance and assurance

One area that stands out here is knowledge of the regulations involved due to its highly regulated nature. So do show in your CV that you are

• Aware of the regulatory and compliance implications of new and planned operations

• Note that Upstream and Midstream are typically inter-related and sometimes termed together under Upstream.

Downstream : This involves conversion of the oil and gas in the refinery to products for general use (e.g. gasoline, jet and bunker fuel, asphalt)

Roles here are wider and more varied, and can involve anything from refinery and petrol station management, to sales and marketing, with many engineers wanting to broaden their experience in the industry taking on these roles.

An important point to note is that even if you don’t have oil and gas industry experience and want to break into it, it’s important that your CV showcases roles in other sectors that may appeal to oil and gas employers. For example, engineers from a different industry may have a lot of the relevant skills and experience.

Areas to look out for and highlight

A role in the oil and gas industry may require specialist experience or skills, so a regular CV may not be enough to sell yourself to a potential employer.

Technical qualifications:

In the oil and gas sector there are key areas of technical expertise that are always in high demand. Due to the nature of exploration and production, for example, energy companies are constantly looking for people with qualifications in mechanical, production and chemical engineering. Placing details of your technical qualifications at the start of the CV will enable a recruiter to see them right away. Remember to check the specific requirements of the role and make it clear that you meet these requirements in the very first paragraph.

HSE:

One area that the industry focuses on very importantly is on HSE or Health, Safety and Environment – not surprisingly due to the nature of the business. As such, having been involved in HSE and helping to maintain clean HSE records in an oil and gas engineering role matter significantly and should be highlighted.

Combining these 2 key consideration areas – Technology and Safety – oil & gas companies are always looking for ways to reduce safety risks and operating costs by automating tasks in the field e.g electric autonomous haul trucks and the robots to monitor construction progress. The key to maintaining a successful career during this industry transition is to recognize the new types of job opportunities that come with technological evolution.

Sustainability:

And more recently, Sustainability of the Environment has taken centre stage. Awareness of the issues is key for any role in this sector. After all, to ensure your CV stands out, you must adapt your application to the specific needs of the industry.

Mobility:

Jobs in the oil and gas sector are sometimes available in some of the most remote parts of the world. A lot of the main working sites for the big oil and gas companies are in developing countries. Recruiters look out for evidence that you are willing to travel, so it’s important that any experience you’ve had working in remote locations, on different projects of all sizes, or have had international exposure or mindset, is highlighted in your CV. If you don’t have this experience, put other evidence of your flexibility in the CV, and state that you are internationally mobile.

Evolving nature of industry:

An Evolving industry …. means roles are also evolving. So you need to be in the know on where the industry is headed. e.g. As the industry moves towards a more complex and technical environment, automation and big data analytics are vital to improving operations and productivity for the companies involved. This trend has helped the oil and gas workforce to do their jobs by automating repetitive tasks and empowering workers to focus on higher-value functions.

The Oil and Gas industry is also well-known for its cyclical nature – with surges and declines in oil and other commodity prices, together with environmental concerns/criticisms, and energy replacement initiatives constantly affecting the business, and ultimately the jobs.

Opportunities however still abound as the industry has proven its resilience, especially for people who are willing to develop new skills to adapt to the different evolving roles.

In a nutshell:

To prove yourself and show why you are the right person to be hired, it is important that your CV is well-crafted, clearly demonstrating your skills, strengths, and achievements.