| Offshore drilling rig jobs are hot right now. | | | | |
| In the last decade, oil companies cut back | | | | 5. Repeat steps #1 to #4 until you receive an |
| too much on their staff and equipment, and | | | | interview. Do not expect your first 10 |
| now that oil prices have exceeded $100 per | | | | applications to succeed. Depending on the |
| barrel, they are scrambling to put up new oil | | | | post you are applying for, maybe even your |
| rigs and staff them. Based on the analysis of | | | | first 100 applications will fail. Be |
| top economists and investment fund managers, | | | | persistent. |
| this sector is likely to see a lot of | | | | |
| activity for the next 15 to 20 years. This is | | | | 6. Preparing for the interview. |
| good news for job seekers in the oil sector. | | | | Congratulations. You have passed the first |
| | | | major hurdle. Now you need to prepare for |
| The question now is "How do you get an | | | | your interview. Your mouth is your most |
| offshore drilling rig job?". The process can | | | | important asset here. Open your mouth and |
| basically be broken down into 9 steps. | | | | ask. Find out the dress code. Do they expect |
| | | | you to show up in long sleeve shirt and tie? |
| 1. Find an oil company. The two most obvious | | | | Or will smart casual do? Do you need to bring |
| ways are through online job boards like and | | | | along anything? Do they expect you to prepare |
| newspaper job advertisements posted by oil | | | | anything ahead of time? If you were informed |
| company human resource departments. The | | | | of the interview by email or by post, you |
| problem with online job boards is that they | | | | will need to phone up the HR department to |
| usually target mainstream junior and | | | | find out this information. Even if you could |
| mid-level executive jobs in mainstream | | | | not get the phone number of the HR |
| industries. When you are trying to break into | | | | department, you should be able to get the |
| the oil industry, online job boards are not | | | | main line. Phone up and get your call routed |
| your best bet. As for newspaper job | | | | to the HR department. You want to make a good |
| advertisements, only the big companies like | | | | first impression, and you will not be able to |
| Shell would post to national newspapers. | | | | do that if you are not prepared. Do not be |
| Smaller oil companies (which subcontract | | | | too stressed out, though. Unless the oil |
| their services to the major players) normally | | | | company is truly desperate, do not expect |
| restrict their advertisements to local or | | | | your first interview to land you a job. Relax |
| regional newspapers. | | | | and treat your first few interviews as |
| | | | practice. |
| The best way is to find recruitment agencies | | | | |
| which specialize in the oil industry. If you | | | | 7. During the interview. Do not just answer |
| do not like going through middle-men, one way | | | | the questions of your interviewers. And do |
| is to look through the Wilshire Stock Index. | | | | not just give one word answers. Even if the |
| This lists the 5000 biggest companies in the | | | | question seems like it only needs a |
| US. You should be able to find a number of | | | | straightforward "Yes" or "No" answer, try to |
| large and reputable oil companies in this | | | | explain or give relevant examples. If your do |
| list. Another way is to look for oil | | | | not understand a question, clarify it with |
| companies and drilling companies on the | | | | your interviewers. Also make sure your |
| internet using the three major search | | | | interviewers understand your answers. Do not |
| engines: Google, Yahoo and MSN. One advantage | | | | let a simple misunderstanding or |
| of this method is that you can find | | | | mis-communication cost you a job. Please note |
| international companies as well as US-based | | | | that a job interview is not just for the |
| companies. The disadvantage is that many | | | | employer to ask you questions. You should ask |
| smaller oil companies do not have web-sites | | | | your own questions. Find out who you will be |
| or email. | | | | working for. Hopefully, he is one of your |
| | | | interviewers. What is his working style? What |
| 2. Find the contact address. After you have a | | | | does he really want from you? What he |
| decent-sized list of companies, you will need | | | | actually wants and what HR actually posted on |
| to find their contact address. If possible, | | | | the job boards or newspapers are not |
| you should get both the email address and | | | | necessarily the same thing. Open your mouth |
| postal address of the HR department as well | | | | and ask relevant questions. How does their |
| as the phone number. Try to also get the HR | | | | company actually work? What are working |
| manager's name and office address. When you | | | | conditions like. What is the work environment |
| submit your job application, you will want to | | | | and who are your colleagues. What kind of |
| send it to the HR manager rather than the HR | | | | people will you be working with? Use these as |
| department. It is also better to send your | | | | a starting point to think of your own |
| job application both by email and by post. | | | | questions. Even though you should have |
| Frankly, neither delivery method on its own | | | | answers to some of these questions from your |
| is reliable. If you dare, give them a week or | | | | own investigations (read Part #1), you should |
| so to receive and process your application, | | | | confirm the information you already have. |
| then call up to confirm that they have | | | | |
| received it. | | | | 8. After the interview. Case closed, right? |
| | | | No. This is a common mistake made by many job |
| 3. Find out what the company wants. Remember: | | | | seekers. After your interview, take a step |
| no one is going to hire you because you want | | | | back and evaluate your performance. Learn |
| a job. You will only be hired if you can show | | | | from your mistakes so that you do better in |
| the oil company what is in it for them. The | | | | your next interview. And think about whether |
| easiest way is to look at their past and | | | | you want to work for that oil company if they |
| current job postings. If you know the company | | | | offer you a job. Remember that an interview |
| is in the industry but did not post anything | | | | is a 2-way street. The interviewer evaluates |
| (possibly because they go through a | | | | if they want you, and you must also evaluate |
| recruitment agency), you can borrow the job | | | | if you want to work for them. |
| postings of other companies to find out what | | | | |
| is normally wanted. | | | | 9. Repeat steps #1 to #8 until you have a |
| | | | good job offer. Rinse and repeat. Be |
| 4. Write your cover letter and resume and | | | | persistent, do not let setbacks stop you, and |
| submit them. In your cover letter, make it | | | | eventually you will get hired. |
| clear what job you are applying for. Make | | | | |
| sure you briefly relate your most relevant | | | | Follow these 9 steps and you will be hired |
| experience to what the oil company wants. In | | | | for an offshore drilling rig job. Do not be |
| your resume/CV, you do not need to list every | | | | impatient. Like anything worth doing, it is |
| job and academic achievement in your life. | | | | worth taking time to do it properly. |
| Just list the most relevant to the job you | | | | |
| are applying. Give some details which | | | | Are you looking for offshore drilling rig |
| highlight why you are a good fit for what | | | | jobs? Click here to learn how can help you |
| they want. Do remember to include your | | | | find offshore drilling rig jobs. |
| contact details. | | | | |