<p>I have a potential internship at Valero, and one of my friends is suggesting that I go ahead and take it even though I want to get into upstream. </p>
<p>If I didn't take the internship I would be taking a class on Petroleum Geology as well as doing research with a professor. My friends is saying that internship experience in any form of oil&gas is better than taking a class.</p>
<p>Is it worth doing a downstream internship just to try to get your foot into the industry?</p>
<p>Definitely. Listening to the engineers on this board who do the hiring, I would say that doing an internship is a plus to get your foot in the door. You can always take those classes when you’re between jobs, which unfortunately happens a lot as an engineer.</p>
<p>Learn to save your money when you earn it!</p>
<p>No, I know that internships are definitely better.
My question was whether a downstream internship will help me although I want to get into upstream</p>
<p>Any work experience will help. </p>
<p>You can use your downstream experience this summer to leverage a position upstream next summer. Your chances are better if you’re already with the company. Don’t know much about petroleum engineering, but I assume having worked in one area of a field will help you with another since it’s all interconnected. You’ll be able to see things from different perspectives.</p>
<p>everything helps, but there is no guarantee that you will get into upstream. did you interview with the company and they placed you in downstream based on fit? the majority of the placement in downstream and upstream is based on majors. personally, i prefer downstream since it is much safer and fits my interest. but if youre interested in being on the rig everyday then go for it.</p>
<p>" No, I know that internships are definitely better.
My question was whether a downstream internship will help me although I want to get into upstream "</p>
<p>Absolutely yes. Any internship in engineering at all would help (proving that you’re capable of doing work/showing up on time/etc.) and if it’s in the same field as what you want to end up doing all the better. Do it.</p>
<p>I’m currently co-oping at one of the big integrated companies, downstream. I think that it absolutely will help me to try for a job upstream. I’m already at a big disadvantage since I go to a northern school with no Petroleum Engineering program…but Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Conoco, Halliburton, Schlumberger all recruit at school so hopefully I will have a chance when career fair time rolls around. I feel that my industry experience will absolutely help…and since I’m an EE the type of work should be similar.</p>
<p>ok thanks to everyone
im gonna go ahead with it</p>