What Bad Habits Should Oil and Gas Jobseekers Avoid?

The single greatest mistake a job applicant can make is not thoroughly and thoughtfully preparing for an interview.

That’s according to Gladney Darroh, the president and founding partner of Piper-Morgan Associates, who told Rigzone that, before an interview, the interviewee “must know their own work history so thoroughly that they can, off the tip of their tongue and with total command, talk about the details of what they did, when they did it, and how they have progressed in their career to the current moment”.

“The interviewee should provide milestone events by way of concrete examples where she/he solved work problems, developed solutions, and created value,” Darroh said.

“These examples must be measurable and meaningful results. For example, if you’re a drilling engineer and just told me you reduced cost on a well by 15 percent, I want to know how you did that, what you did differently, how did you come up with that idea? But I shouldn’t have to ask you, these are things you should be weaving into the interview naturally because you know the details so well,” he added.

“Same if you’re a safety engineer and you just told me you reduced accidents on this accident prone site by 50 percent, that’s impressive and measurable, and as the interviewer I’m interested in everything about how you achieved this result. So tell me. Because if you don’t tell me  I’m not going to know,” Darroh continued.

The applicant, for any kind of job on earth from executive to staff to entry level, should begin the interview preparation process by asking, ‘what is an interview really all about?’, Darroh told Rigzone.

“Unfortunately, most people don’t know the answer to this all important question. They should know because it controls everything about the interview and about getting or not getting the job offer. Here’s the answer - an interview is a problem solving situation. That’s it and that’s everything,” he said.

“As the interviewee, your job is to go in and solve the problem. You can only do that by knowing your own work history in detail and giving concrete examples of measurable milestone events that solved problems - big or small. Strengths are what solve problems,” he added.

“Therefore showcase your strengths throughout the interview and don’t be bashful about doing so. Remember, there’s a huge difference between showcasing and showboating. A skilled interviewer is quick to decide if you’re the real McCoy - or not,” Darroh went on to say.

Application, Interview, Offer

Asked what bad habits oil and gas jobseekers should avoid, Petroplan’s Head of Contract Recruitment for EMEA Oil and Gas, Thomas Twinn, offered several pieces of advice broken down into application, interview and offer stages.

For the application stage, Twinn said, “make sure that your skills match to the requirement in hand from a technical perspective” and warned jobseekers to keep any applications confidential.

“If your current employer gets to learn you are applying for other positions this could make for some awkward conversations,” he told Rigzone.

Twinn also highlighted that jobseekers should check their eligibility in terms of right to work and tackle any needs on this basis early in the process, as well as double checking notice periods and making sure they’re providing accurate information.

Looking at the interview phase, Twinn said, “if the interview is remotely based, check tech is updated and test run applications - Zoom/Teams etc - and aim to join a meeting five minutes early”.

“By joining a meeting late even if only by a couple of minutes it can give a poor first impression to the business,” he added.

“Have a copy of your CV to hand if appropriate, it will help you to speak more accurately about past experiences and make sure that there aren’t discrepancies. Be succinct in your answers to questions without being short and missing key details. Businesses like to see that a candidate can keep to a brief by not spending too long going through unnecessary information,” he continued.

Twinn also encouraged jobseekers to not be afraid to ask questions.

“The right questions will add weight to your credibility and by not asking them will make you appear disengaged and passive - an interview is designed for both parties to contribute,” he said.

“Ask what qualities are needed to be successful in the position from both a technical and character perspective, if there is a match to your skills highlight that in the answers to questions. Ask at the end of the interview if there are any areas that require more elaboration from your side, there may be one or two things the client isn’t sold on and this gives a last chance to put to bed any doubt,” he added.

Looking at the offers stage, Twinn said to make sure any offer is in writing prior to acceptance.

“Tackle any discrepancies prior to acceptance. If there are any non-contractual benefits i.e. bonus eligibility, get this in writing so that you can refer back at a later late,” he added.

“Make sure that a new contract is signed and accepted prior to giving notice in a current position. Don’t be afraid to negotiate on a package but know when to stop, pushing too hard may jeopardize the process,” Twinn went on to say.

Too Many Jobs Can Be a Red Flag

Offering his advice on what bad habits oil and gas jobseekers should avoid, Joshua May, a Technical Recruiting Consultant for HireStrong LLC, said, “oil and gas job seekers should put the month and year they started and ended with a company on their job resumes, not just the year”.

“If the role was contract put (contract) next to the job title or company so it’s clear,” he added.

May also told Rigzone that oil and gas job seekers should avoid taking jobs they do not see themselves in for over two to three years minimum, unless it’s a contract assignment.

“Too many jobs in your past can be a red flag. Of course, we all understand during downturns people are laid off, I am speaking to individuals who leave their job every year and a half because they are unhappy or feel underpaid,” he said.

“Do it too many times and you will be passed over on interviews when applying for jobs in the future,” he added.

May also noted that oil and gas job seekers should avoid talking badly about their previous employer.

“Even if they did you ‘wrong’. People generally know when something happens in the market and will understand why people seek to make moves without bad-mouthing your previous employer,” he said.

In addition, May said oil and gas job seekers should avoid assuming they know everything when interviewing.

“Expressing knowledge of your skills is great but be open to learning how the people you’re interviewing with do business. For example, we can do math the way many were taught in school before 2000 or we can do math the common core way - either way gets to the same results,” he stated.

“So don’t be so rigid in ‘how’ you do your job but also be flexible to learn new ways of doing your job. Every industry is changing, and with automation our jobs are changing too and that include in oil and gas, so keep up your learning,” he added.

May also warned that, when applying to the U.S., oil and gas job seekers should avoid not stating the type of work authorization they have on their resume.

“Even if you’re a U.S. Citizen, put that right under your name or easily visible somewhere on your resume. If you are authorized to work in the USA, clearly state what that authorization is on your resume (Green Card, EAD, F1 Visa, TN Visa, etc.),” he said.

Overselling Skill Sets

When he was asked what bad habits oil and gas jobseekers should avoid, Christopher Melillo, the founder and managing partner of Kaye/Bassman’s Energy Practice, said overselling skill sets has become common for candidates “as there are so few opportunities in the geoscience and engineering space”.

“Too often candidates will identify specific plays they have had experience when that specific basin experience isn’t necessarily going to be the key factor in the hire,” Melillo told Rigzone.

“Many times this lack of experience compared to what the candidates are stating is easily recognized by the hiring authority,” he added.

Another mistake has been candidates using 2013 market value for titles or compensation as their starting point for job search, Melillo noted.

“They need to realize they may need to condense themselves to positions that were maybe one level below their last position,” he said.

Showing an inability to be coached or conform to a hiring company’s operating procedure is also picked out pretty quickly by hiring authorities, according to Melillo.

Melillo also warned that candidates must look at organizations who are built for five years of production and not heavily leveraged financially.

“If there is no change in U.S. policy, the market will get tighter and we will see fewer U.S. based onshore opportunities, so candidates must do a deep dive evaluating a hiring company’s producing assets, as well as a deep dive on the current financial structure,” he said.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com