GEES - Employability, Employer Engagement and Enterprise

July 2008

Graduate Perspective: Petroleum Industry

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A little bit about myself..

Name: David Bailey Age: 26

2004: Graduated Edinburgh University (BSc Geology) 2004-2005: Worked for HBOS 2005-2006: Summer ‘Student’ → Technical Assistant for Cairn Energy 2006-2007: Graduated Aberdeen University (MSc Petroleum Geoscience) 2007- Present: Exploration Geologist at Cairn Energy

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Qualifications and Skills Required

BSc (good pass) in a geoscience related subject = Technical Assistant. MSc is considered as minimum preferred qualification for most other

geoscience roles. PhD is rumoured to be minimum qualification required for a geoscience

role at some companies.

Relevent Experience ‘Recent extensive seismic workstation interpretive skills 2D & 3D’. ‘Experience in hydrocarbon exploration and development’.

Industry experience is highly thought of. 4 month placements as a summer student often available.

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Qualities Sought for an Exploration Geoscientist…

Taken from my Exploration Geoscientist role profile:

PRIMARY – planning & delivering results, innovation and problem solving.

SECONDARY – self management, communicating & influencing, business conscience, leading and working in teams.

TERTIARY – working with stakeholders, developing others.

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Hindsight…

“Would I have done anything Different As a Student?”

Decide on a career path earlier – tricky! Sought an industrial placement in my 3rd year/after graduation in 4th year. Attended a greater number of sedimentology lectures.

“If I had known then what I know now…”

Working for an exploration orientated oil company is a facinating career. It could also be considered to be science in it’s purest form. The generation of an idea and the testing of that idea (oil well).

“Being a professional geoscientist in the petroleum sector is the most rapid way of gaining a visa to work in the USA”

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How can Industry Help?

Industry tends to target the end of the production line e.g. MSc students/PhD students. Emphasis is not placed on encouraging recent graduates onto post-graduate petroleum-related courses.

Industry should provide a clearer picture of the potential careers on offer and what they entail e.g. type of ‘day-to-day work involved, expected salary, an indication of the job market, demographics of the industry…

Overcome the perception that the oil industry is not a viable career option as oil is about to run out – somebody has to keep the game going!

Visit universities and talk to undergraduates…

Thank you!