Help with life decision for college major: Petroleum Engineering

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Hi all</p>

<p>I am a brand new member and am just figuring out how to use College Confidential. I had just a couple of questions for you guys. I am really determined to go into Petroleum Engineering at TAMU. I have read all about underbalanced drilling, well performance through powerpoints and engineering conferences and am really passionate about the jobs in this field. It's just that the sheer number of graduates predicts a really competitive market in 2018, my graduating year. And everyone I know entering this industry has some type of connections. I have read virtually every post on petroleum engineering on CC multiple times. While most agree it is lucrative, recent posts and TAMU's letter do give warnings of an extremely competitive market in the future. Please tell me guys, what do you think? I have no connections in this industry, while all the people I know in TAMU PetE do, and that's why I feel a bit unsafe with this major in a competitive market.</p>

2

<p>I had read a post about petroleum corporations hiring chem, mech, and even aerospace engineers. I am in the same situation as you and will be disappointed if my Petroleum engineering degree does not pay off. With that being said, perhaps if you diversify your major then you could get hired by other fields if petroleum engineering is not paying off by the time you graduate.</p>

3

<p>Petroleum started really getting out as a high paying major around 2010. Examining patterns of other majors that had crash and booms (regarding starting salary) for example chemical engineering and computer science, occur within 5 years after it gets out that they are high paying majors. Be assured that by the time you graduate it will definitely not be as lucrative as you are seeing it now.</p>

4

<p>^ to be fair, many of people who enter difficult majors just because they’re lucrative don’t last very long in those majors.</p>

5

<p>If you like the industry, go become a petroleum engineer. The work will be there, it might just become more competitive. You seem to be passionate, just focus that passion towards your education and you will be fine.</p>

<p>Are you about to start at TAMU in the fall?</p>

6

<p>No I have actually just applied and hope to receive my acceptance around late August to mid September. Yet, from what I have heard, I feel that the lack of connections might hurt me. While RedEyeJedi is right about the salaries decreasing, I still don’t think they will have a dramatic fall. I know the demand will be there, but I hope the supply doesn’t overwhelm it. What do you guys think?</p>

7

<p>This is from a friend who will be a senior petroleum engineering major this year.</p>

<p>The department has too many people enrolled and the market is too competitive. She’s not sure how full time job offers will be but quite a good amount of kids could not get internships this year.</p>

8

<p>The thing with the petroleum industry is that, right now, many of those working are older, and so called “baby boomers.” Many of the individuals are heading towards retirement, thereby leaving openings. My father works in the petroleum industry, and I have actually discussed with him TAMU’s statement, and he highly condemns it. It seems to be an attempt to dissuade individuals from pursuing petroleum engineering while lacking any insightful information. However, as with all fields, connections and skill level will contribute to the employment that one sees. However, attending a school that has a reputation for a superior program can help in both of these areas.</p>

<p>Additionally, after graduation, go on ahead and look to employment opportunities in different countries. Speaking from personal experience, these positions can be rewarding. If you have any more questions, pm me, I am in a similar situation as well, as I am also majoring in PE (Class of 2017).</p>

<p>Best of luck in your endeavors!!</p>

9

<p>The experience of CS may be a warning.</p>

<p>Students who went into the CS during the 1999 boom graduated in the depths of the crash in 2003. Students who went into CS in the depths of the crash in 2003 graduated into an improving job market in 2007.</p>

10

<p>Remember also that petroleum engineering jobs can be in places with extreme weather conditions, lonely offshore oil rigs, politically unstable or violent countries, or countries with restrictive social laws (particularly for women).</p>

11

<p>So all in all, if I attend TAMU for PetE, I will have good chances of possibly securing a full time job offer? I have also heard about the internship situation, TXAggie92. That is one reason I am tentative of this major also. So, do you guys think I should go for it or look for a safer major?</p>

12

<p>@ucbalumnus</p>

<p>That’s bullcrap. Most petroleum engineers work in Texas, and at least half of them work in Houston. More than likely OP won’t be working in the middle of nowhere or in the middle east (same thing right?) unless he wants to.</p>

13

<p>@frugalengineer</p>

<p>Petroleum engineering is still a safe major. Get good grades and send out resumes every year for internships. It’s the students that have a crappy GPAs, and never even sent out a single resume that should be worried.</p>

14

<p>Thank you guys for your response. I thought so too. But then, why do you guys think TAMU would send out that department letter about too many kids in the department?</p>

15

<p>UCB, the computer crash and the potential dearth of jobs for Pet E grads are not the same thing. In 2001, during the dot com crash the demand for programmers decreased leaving many out of work. Today, there’s a potentially problematic oversupply of Pet E grads which could lead to fewer job opportunities for the average grad as well as a potentially lower starting salary. However, no one is arguing that the US and the rest of the world will stop relying on oil. The demand will still be there, but there are questions about whether Pet E grads will find themselves out of work upon graduation.</p>

16

<p>Thanks once again for responding. However, I am feeling as if the thread is divided, if you will. While some say the field is potentially oversaturated, others say it is safe. I know that nobody can predict the next four years, but do you guys think I should go for Computer Science instead of PetE? I love PetE, but I cannot take financial risks.</p>

17

<p>I’m in the industry and just got hired by one of the “Big 5.” The corporation I was hired by stated that over 70 percent of their current employees could retire today if they pleased. Most oil companies are in the same predicament. They will need petroleum engineers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, geologists, drill/well site mangers, business personnel, and numerous technical positions.</p>

<p>Over the next 2 to 3 years there will be a huge hiring push. A lot of service companies like Baker and Halliburton have already started.</p>

<p>My specialization is drilling. My starting salary is ~90k, not to mention I don’t pay for anything. Most engineers will never leave the states, however if you want to go into management, you will likely have to earn your stripes overseas or in ultra deep water. The fact of the matter is that without significant field experience your earning and promotion potential will be severely limited. Essentially, the technicians who work out in the field will be making more than you because of your lack of experience. </p>

<p>Also, Oil companies are looking for people with communication and presentation skills. They are looking for leaders and people who want to be out in the field or in foreign countries. Wanting to travel and being comfortable with flying across the U.S. or across the world is a huge plus. Realize that the real big discoveries are either in the deep ocean or in foreign lands.</p>

<p>I would not advise you taking an office job. Learn all you can and get good at interviewing. Most engineers are notorious for having terrible communication and social skills. If you can be comfortable talking in front of people and acing interviews you will succeed.</p>

<p>Realize this, in college your job is mostly technical. In the business world, it is about 85 percent communication, and 15 percent technical. I’ve seen companies turn down 4.0 students who lacked presentation skills for someone with a B average who could communicate.</p>

<p>I was lucky enough to have connections and developed my networking skills early.</p>

<p>Try to land an interview with a company you can see yourself working for and apply for internships your freshman year. Many people are clueless and wait too long. Make the best grades you can but also attend meetings, seminars, luncheons, etc to meet the industry and make contacts. Get to it.</p>

<p>Know this. Real life applications and experience come in handy when doing your job search. Having internship experience helps you out tremendously in this area. </p>

<p>The questions you will have for your job interviews will not be “Tell me such and such about yourself.” They will be “Tell me about a time you encounter a problem, how did you address the problem, what was the result, and what did you learn from it.” If you can’t explain yourself clearly or give good examples that show you are a problem solver they will think the only thing you are good at is taking exams. Get some real world experience, it will be needed in this competitive job market.</p>

18

<p>Try to make your best grades in your first two years before you enter your tough engineering curriculum. If you can get good grades early and land an internship over the summer you will be sitting pretty. The companies will look past low grades in some of your core classes if you have real world knowledge and experience. College goes by fast. Don’t slack off. There is a huge difference between working for an oil company like Chevron/Exxon and working for a service company like Halliburton/Schlumberger. They offer two really different perspectives. Do you want to be the top dog, or the one the top dog barks at. Take your pick.</p>

19

<p>I know that before the big crunch we are experiencing now, around 08-09 internships for the big oil companies require generally around a 3.2-3.3 gpa. Exxon usually wouldn’t even touch you if you didn’t have a 3.5 or above. Now all of the big companies seem to want a 3.5 or above for internship opportunities. Shoot to have an 3.5 plus average your freshman year, write a good resume and cover letter, and go shake some hands and send out resumes on your college career website. You are in competition with all of your classmates. Get ready ahead of time.</p>

20

<p>I’ll second the 3.5 goal on the GPA.</p>

<p>But a thought on operator vs. service company. It really just comes down to what you want to do. Service companies tend to stay more technical, especially Halliburton and Schlumberger. They are going to test and develop the products that operators are going to use. Service companies are also going to tend to have a better training program. Now that training program is going to be focused on the service side (frac spreads, cement jobs, drilling rigs etc.) whereas an operator might have a rotation program, but some don’t. And once you decide on operator vs. service company, the next thing to look at is size. Right now, the integrated majors aren’t doing so hot domestically, especially their second quarter earnings. The real hot players right now are EOG, Anadarko and Pioneer and some other mid-level independents.</p>