While looking for work in today’s oil and gas industry, experience is usually one of the top things recruiters ask for. Executives are looking for people with a great deal of experience. However, how can you find work in oil and gas industry without experience?

This is one of the top questions people without extensive experience asks. If you are one of them, then I Know what you are going through.

In an effort to help you, I have taken time to undertake some research on how to find work in the oil and gas industry without experience.

13 Ways to Find Work in Oil and Gas without Experience.

The following ways and ideas are going to help you to get a job or find work in the oil and gas industry without experience.

1. Network or use your personal connections.
2. Demonstrate your resourcefulness.
3. Add or provide value and solve problems.
4. Be enthusiastic and educate yourself.
5. Utilize your mentor.
6. Improve your skill set.
7. Be strategic – location.
8. Apply to the right person.
9. Focus on what you have.
10. Work your way.
11. Tell Your story.
12. Focus on soft skills.
13. Get an Interview.

I know you would like to further understand these ideas, and how you can utilize them.

Let us look further in what these tips on how to get work in the oil and gas industry without experience are about.

Tips and Tricks to Get Work in Oil and Gas Sector without Experience

As you start looking for an opportunity to work, you are going to face the permission paradox.

You will not find work without experience, yet you cannot get any experience without work.

How about that?

It is a proper Catch-22 which might discourage you. I am here to tell you that you can easily overcome it.

The following eleven tips, tricks and ways for getting work in the oil and gas industry without experience can help you.

These tips will guide you from zero to hero in a very reasonable amount of time.

1. Network or use your personal connections.

A convenient way to get a job is to be recommended or know a friend of a friend.

For that to happen, you need to build and cultivate your network, both online and offline. You should make sure people know that you are pursuing an oil and gas job.

As you do this, you should be ready with an elevator pitch, an updated resume, and a super cool LinkedIn profile, of course.

2. Demonstrate your resourcefulness.

As you look for work in the oil and gas without experience, one thing you must do is demonstrate your resourcefulness.

Being resourceful is your ability to find and use available resources to solve problems to achieve your goals.

Having been in the oil and gas industry over the last ten years, I have been studying and learning the attributes of many successful oil and gas professionals or entrepreneurs.

Resourcefulness is one of the things you will to find work in the oil and gas industry without experience.

3. Add or provide value and solve problems.

Do you know what would truly provide you with a chance to get oil and gas work?

It is your ability to provide value and solutions to problems facing your potential employer.

If you can demonstrate ability to solve problems and provide solutions, you will have a head start in your journey towards getting a job.

Employers would appreciate a person who has the skills and understands the underlying issues of the problem they are facing.

4. Be enthusiastic.

In your pursuit of getting work in an industry, you should ensure that bring out you’re a game. Be enthusiastic.

Positive energy and an optimistic view is very important when you are looking for a job.

In a situation where you are keen to find an oil and gas job, you should have enthusiasm or at least be the most enthusiastic candidate.

Unfortunately, professionalism sometime buries the enthusiasm you need when undertaking job interviews.

5. Utilize your mentor.

If you are keen to move your career forward, it is advisable that you also consider having and utilizing your mentor.

A good and mutually beneficial relationship with your mentor can help you grow your influence. It can also be great when you are seeking or looking for a job in oil and gas without experience.

This kind of a partnership with your mentor is something you should take very seriously.

6. Improve your skill set.

Take classes, attend workshops, get certificates and diplomas, and if you have to, earn a degree.

This will not only help you get the knowledge for the job, but also show your dedication and commitment.

Plus: teachers and fellow students are a great way to start and expand your network.

It is very important to build your skill sets, including soft skills.

7. Be strategic in terms of location

Being strategic in terms of the location of where you are trying to find a job is very important.

It will help you to understand where the companies you want to apply for are currently operating. Being located near where you want to work can work in your favour.

You need to do some research online and find out where the work is and then make a concerted effort to go out after it.

You can do this by going to job fairs, interviews and any training courses that may be offered in these locations.

8. Apply to the right person

Most people make the mistake of trying to apply to large companies by submitting their resumes online.

The problem is that many of these companies actually give their work to private contractors. So instead of applying to large firms, try looking at smaller contractors.

You may need to do a little research online to find out who they are in particular areas. Try going on general employment websites to see if there are any oil field postings.

Also, consider submitting your resume to online job boards where the contractors may be able to search for you.

Remember; if you get turned down a bunch of times do not get discouraged. Keep your head up and continue churning out resumes.

9. Focus on what you have

Be patient, and be willing to start at the bottom. Getting your foot – and then the rest of yourself – into the door may take time.

It might also be exhausting and seem like a semi-good idea at time, but if it’s what you really want to do and what makes you happy, go for it!

10. Work your way up to find work in oil and gas industry without experience.

Another way to get some experience in a specific area is to work for little or no money.

I know what you are thinking.

This does not sound particularly motivating, but guess what, can it help you get your foot into all kinds of doors.

You can volunteer, intern or freelance to get hands-on training.

Depending on the career, starting or contributing to a blog might be a good idea to show off your passion and talent.

In short: fill up your CV and your portfolio with relevant projects that you pursue part-time, on weekends, or during school breaks.

11. Tell your story.

Make sure you have a captivating career-starting story.

It is strategic to ensure your story leaves no doubts that you are the perfect person for all kinds of jobs in a particular field.

People will ask questions. It is therefore important that you prepare clear and concise answers to why you want to enter this field, what you are going to do to reach this goal, and what you have to offer.

This is where you impress with your passion; throw in all of the important skills and experiences to persuade everyone you talk to.

12. Showcase on soft skills.

Transferable skills can be – surprise! – transferred from one situation or job to another and show how you interact with people.

Examples of these soft skills are interpersonal skills, organizational skills, leadership skills, and communication skills.

Focus on your ability to motivate people, multitask, supervise, or speak in public. Create a CV that oozes personality and shows off your soft skills in all their employable glory.

If you can show why a certain soft skill will make it easier to learn a particular hard skill, you’ve basically nailed it.

Typical oil and gas job adverts usually list a set of desired skills and personality traits, including problem-solving, creativity, analytical skills, organisation, self-motivation and adaptability.

Just remember to sell yourself to the employer. Tailor your CV, network at industry events and develop your market knowledge.

Your oil and gas dream job is closer than you think.

13. Get an interview

The ultimate goal of applying for jobs in the oil and gas industry is to secure the job opportunity. To to this, you need to pass the interviews.

In this regard, you should focus on getting an interview if you want to find work in the oil and gas industry without experience today.

This is easily the best situation in which to address your lack of experience. It is also an opportunity for you to market your other skills.

It is important to note that ability to do the job is just one of the factors the interviewer is considering. This is alongside your motivation, enthusiasm and your fit with the company.

If you can do these well, then your chances of finding work will increase.

Getting Entry Level Work in Oil and Gas without Experience.

In the oil and gas industry, there are a number of opportunities that do not require you to have prior experience. The skills for the roles can learned on the job.

This is especially true for operational roles, where workers start as “green hands” with the aim to work their way up as they learn.

It is also worth noting that the upstream oil and gas industry is a meshwork of hundreds of contractors and sub-contractors, with different types of work split between specialists.

Everything from pipe installation to cleaning can be contracted separately. It means that these areas need entry-level workers who can “start at ground zero” and learn fast.

You can secure one of these entry level jobs even if you do not have experience.

There are two things to bear in mind.

1. As these opportunities do not require experience, there is rarely a shortage of available labour. This means that companies are less likely to advertise, or only advertise locally. People can walk in off the street and submit a resume. It is also common for new employees to come via recommendations.
2. The roles are usually filled through third-party recruiting firms. This is why you do not see many entry-level jobs on an oil and gas company’s website. The companies outsource hiring decisions to trusted partners.

Conclusion

In conclusion, finding information on how to get a job or work in the oil and gas industry without experience is difficult.

If you try the search engines, you might be taken in circles. Most oil and gas jobs listing demand over 5 to 10 years of experience.

That is why I have created this resource for you.

The above tips will guide you on how to find work in the oil and gas industry without experience. With work, you will be able to earn some income which will help in achieving your financial goals.

You should be able to secure an opportunity to work in the sector. This is especially true if you have a great work ethic.

Related: How to Become a Project Engineer of an EPC Company

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you work on an oil rig with no experience?

The oil industry offers a stable, high-growth career path for capable people, even for those with no experience.

As an oil worker, you might work on an offshore oil drilling platform, where you receive specialized training in oil rig equipment, worker safety procedures, and environmental management.

It is possible to work on an oil rig without experience. Entry into such an opportunity will require you to use the tips and ideas I showed you above.

What experience do you need to work on an oil rig?

A deckhand position requires a high school diploma or GED certificate and on-the-job training. Geologists, or mud loggers, need at least a bachelor’s degree in geology. Many oil rig jobs allow you to start in an entry-level position and obtain certifications as you gain experience and skills.

However, as you have read above, you can also work on an oil rig or in the oil and gas industry without experience. You just need to figure out how to make it happen.