Since the oil price crash in 2014 there have been massive layoffs throughout the oil industry and its supply chain. Worldwide estimates of job losses indicate that up to 30% of oil and gas industry professionals have been made redundant, pushed to early retirement, or jumped to industries with better prospects. The oil and gas industry is however starting to turn around, and with oil prices stabilising and even climbing, more oil and gas projects are being sanctioned and industry confidence is higher than it has been for years.

A number of people are now looking to get back into the industry, but times have changed since 2014 and finding a well-paid oil and gas engineering job will be different in the future. This is part 1 of our 4 part discussion on how engineering specialists can succeed with their oil and gas job search in the digital age.

Part 1 – Online Presence

Whether you are of the opinion that social media is a source of enlightenment, or you feel it is pure evil and has corrupted the minds of a generation, nobody can deny that it has changed the way we interact with each other and that the modern day job search has changed forever. A good linkedin profile can mean oil and gas recruitment agencies come to you when roles are available, and a recruitment agent can find out a lot more about you than they could with just a CV.

Recruitment agents typically spend 10 seconds initially reviewing a CV for a freelance position, then progress to your linkedin profile as a second step. 90% of hiring managers also admit to searching for a candidate online, with inappropriate facebook posts resulting in many a potential offer never being made. Our online presence is therefore important when searching for a new role, and should be given attention before a job search starts.

For engineering specialist roles in the oil and gas industry, the two most important things that are looked at are:

• The ability and track record of performing the required tasks. Think use of certain software, discipline specialist knowledge, or geographical experience.
• Your work history. The years’ of experience gained working with a reputable company and working on successful oil and gas projects is what gets hiring managers to progress you to the interview stage.

Maintaining a good online presence is therefore essential, and should be the number 1 priority for anyone looking to get back into the oil and gas industry.