<p>Hello CC,
I have been doing alot of research on petroleum engineering and had a few questions. I did read through most of the threads regarding this major/carreer but they all have differing info.(I know long hours, bad working conditions, I shouldnt be in it for the moeny blah blah blah so dont need to fill me in on that).
So, how does family life go for a PE? Some say its horrible, some say you could work in a office in CA and be back home by dinner. What exactly are these office jobs and how do i get here?
I was also looking through when I read someone mentioning being in management/executive. How does one usually get here? I also plan to get a MBA right out of college, without being employed if I go this route.
Petroleum</a> Engineers this page shows that there are PEs in southern CA. What are these jobs? I thought most PE's go to Texas Alaska or somewhere along those lines.
Anything else I should know about? Also, do PE's get paid on days off? Many say that PEs have 3 weeks on and 2 weeks off.
One more thing, what other job options do it have with this degree? thanks</p>
<p>Some of the “long hours and bad working conditions” reports are overblown. Generally, there are two paths for petroleum engineers, operators (people that are contracted to drill for the oil) and service companies (people that the operators contract to do the work). I can’t speak much for service companies, but generally for operators, you might spend 1-2 years out in the field (if you work for a good company), working various schedules. Or you might not spend anytime in the field. It just depends on the company and the position you hired into. Once you become established (2 years or so), the amount of time you spend in the field is up to you.</p>
<p>Sometimes a company (again, speaking from an operator standpoint) won’t hire an engineer for a specific job (i.e. drilling, reservoir etc.). They hire them on and send them through a short rotation of each job, then select the best fit. Other companies don’t do that and hire you straight into a position.</p>
<p>Managers and Executives are promoted because they are excellent technical employees. Getting an MBA without any experience not only won’t help, but it might hurt. I would never hire someone who got an MBA without any work experience. Excel at your job and before you know it, you will be asked to ensure others are doing theirs.</p>
<p>Southern California is a huge oil producer (Bakersfield). There are plenty of jobs there (Oxy, Chevron, Aera etc.) </p>
<p>Petroleum Engineers generally get a salary, so you get paid a certain amount and work when needed.</p>
<p>All these statements are painted with a broad brush, and will all be company dependent.</p>
<p>Most engineers are salaried so no need to worry about the days on and off. </p>
<p>Other jobs you can potentially do with a petroleum engineering degree include environmental engineering and consulting. </p>
<p>With an MBA degree, consulting would be a fairly straightforward path.</p>