Oil Comp Engr
38 Years Experience
Houston, TX
Female, 60
I recently retired from a major integrated oil company after 38 years. I have degrees in Civil and Petroleum Engineering. I worked with safety, health and environmental management systems and operations in the upstream (finding and producing oil and gas) and downstream (refining, chemicals and distributions) areas. I travelled all over world, enduring good & bad business cycles and good and bad managers.
Okay - what makes you think I am a man? :) I doubt that a Petroleum Engineering Technology Degree / Certificate would be worthless. The important issue is the credentials / reputation of the institution granting the degree and if you can get a job in a location where you have access to classes taught at night or on weekends to pursue a bachelor's degree (if you have the energy to work full time and go to school). With a technology degree, you would likely be doing some of the same entry level work that an engineer will do when they first start working. You just won't be able to progress to the more advanced tasks. However, you will probably get a fabulous opportunity working as a technicican to really understand how the company works as you progress in your education. Some of the smartest rig superintendents and operations superintendents I have worked with have only a high school education or just a year or two of college but they are life long learners and understand everything about how a drilling rig works. If you can earn your degree while working full time (or take a break to go finish your degree) I think your hard work will earn you a lot of respect. Best of luck to you.
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No worries! Sorry for taking so long to respond. I have been travelling and my iPad was not cooperating when I tried to post an answer. I just read an article a few weeks ago about a Petroleum Technology program at the University of Houston (main campus). I suggest you check it out as U of H has a well respected Petroleum Engineering Program and it could ease the transition by staying with the same institution for both a technology certificate and then an engineering degree. If the other schools are more affordable or work better for your commuting situation, then I would quiz them about the % of their students that find employment and how quickly they find employment. Best of luck to you.
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I am surprised that you have not been able to find a job. If you are a US citizen and applying for work in the USA, you may want to ask some of the potential employers why they did not make you an offer. If you are not a US citizen, the issue could be that employers don't want to sponsor you for a green card. You say that you did well in school, but does your resume adequately reflect that? Consider getting a recommendation letter from a professor. I would definitely consider applying to a service company before too long because it will not look good on your resume to be unemployed. You might also want to contact a consulting firm that would hire you out as a contractor to E&P firms. They might take you on as a contractor and then convert you to employee after they have seen what you can do.
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Yes, a new program from a state university should get its ABET accreditation wihin a few years.
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Chick-fil-A General Manager
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Veterinarian
Do you think keeping monkeys as pets is a bad idea?
Security / Bodyguard
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You would not necessarily need a masters in PE to get into drilling. My bachelor's degree was in civil engineering and I started in drilling. There were a lot of aspects that were a natural fit - casing and tubing design, working with cement formulations, understanding the drilling mud system, the importance of protecting groundwater as the well is being drilled and basic project management skills involving estimating costs, ordering equipment and tracking the schedule. I would suggest you interview with oil companies that recruit at your university to see what kinds of folks they are hiring. The oil and gas industry is somewhat unique and the supply of petroleum engineers has often been low, so the major integrated oil companies are accustomed to training their new engineers. Plus, every large company has it's own way of doing things. The small independent oil companies are more prone to want a petroleum engineer since they are less likely to have formal training programs. Regarding your chances of applying for US jobs, many companies will want to know if you have the permanent, legal right to work in the US. Typically that means citizenship or a green card, but they are restricted by US Labor laws as to how they can phrase that question. Now, if you want to work internationally for a US based company, you would not necessarily need to have the legal right to work in the US. Every company is different, of course, so it will depend on the individual company. Best of luck to you.
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You may be able to get a job as an engineering technician without experience. It would depend on what skills you already have. For example, decent computer proficiency in spreadsheets and databases could be a big asset when seeking a position. I would take a look at what jobs are being offered by companies in the geographical area where you are seeking employment. The oil industry is cyclical, so there is no guarantee what the market will look like in 6 or 7 years. You will have to weigh that against the benefits you could lose if you leave the military now vs. staying 6 or 7 more years. Also, you mention you are pursuing a degree online. I suggest you talk to potential employers regarding how they value an online degree and how important accreditation is to them (I am assuming you are based in the USA). You should verify that the degree you are pursuing is or will be accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). Currently, the ABET website does not show any BSPE online programs as being accredited: http://www.abet.org/online-programs/
Because the market demand is so high right now for petroleum engineers, you might be able to find an employer who will reimburse your tuition while you earn your degree in the evening. You might have to pursue a mechanical or chemical degree if petroleum courses are not offered in the evenings but working as an engr tech while doing this would help compensate for not majoring in petroleum engineering. Best of luck to you.
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Yes, I do. The key will be to do well in your courses, get some leadership experience in your extracurricular activities and to get some good internships. I would also check with the University career placement center to see how well they are doing in placing their graduates. If most / all of their petroleum engineers get jobs when they graduate, I think you will be fine.
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