In need of career advice (Fresh Grad)

Originally Posted by rustix

Do you have any figures to share perhaps? I have an interview with Shell in a few days time. I would really love to join them but my concern is that my degree as an Electrical Engineer might not enable me to be versatile in the O&G industry. Other than that I am keen.

I will give you a rough figure based on what I know...
1st year - about 60k all in (the starting pay of the O&G majors are known, so it's easy to get this number)
5th year - it will vary depending on how well you perform. At least 100k all in. If you do well, you might be getting 130-150k all in.
10th year - again it really depends, if you are a high flyer, you will easily be getting double of what you get in your 5th year.

Originally Posted by rustix

Hi guys, this is my first post and probably a very important one for me. I understand there are many established people in this forum and as such, have a lot of life experience to share with me.

I am currently in a dilemma in picking a career path for myself. First of all, allow me to introduce myself. I am an engineering student from NUS with a first class honours degree, have overseas experience and also internship experience in an oil and gas company.

I have trouble deciding in considering to enter the oil and gas industry as compared to signing on in the military as a local scholar. From what I have gathered is that the military offers a very competitive remuneration package and decent progression if performance is good. On the other hand, oil and gas companies also offers competitive packages in comparison to the private sector and also tons of exposure. Passion-wise, I would say I have about the same level of interests as they offer grounds that i can apply technical knowledge in.

What do you guys think? Should I take the plunge with the military or go for O&G?

are you a guy or a girl? surely u shld know something about military career if you're a guy. and since you're a graduate, how is it possible to sign on as a local scholar? isn't scholarship for pre-uni students?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

are you a guy or a girl? surely u shld know something about military career if you're a guy. and since you're a graduate, how is it possible to sign on as a local scholar? isn't scholarship for pre-uni students?

Nope. If you are from local university and you sign-on after you graduate, they will pay you back for your university fees.

Actually, here in Singapore, a 'scholarship' has nothing to do with paying the fees. Our university fees here are quite manageable as compared to our foreign peers in US/UK where graduate debt can rise to 120k. Getting a scholarship is just so that you can get on the fast-track. Nothing else.

[rustix]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

are you a guy or a girl? surely u shld know something about military career if you're a guy. and since you're a graduate, how is it possible to sign on as a local scholar? isn't scholarship for pre-uni students?

The military is willing to cover the expenses for my undergraduate studies through the SAF local study award scheme. It is a very enticing amount in all and I would be lying if i said that money wasn't a factor in thinking of signing on, on top of the job security the military provides. However, I am trying to force myself to look at the long-term gains as I have no desire to get stuck at a certain rank after some number of years. With that said, it seems to be difficult to enter the O&G industry at this point in time given the tough competition plus the fact that I am not a chemical engineer. I have not yet been offered an interview with any O&G companies yet with the exception of Shell even with my strong resume after weeks of applications.

I have another question though, do only refining companies such as Shell/Exxon pay well? How about the oilfield services companies such as schlumberger/Aibel or even the tech support companies such as FMC and Foster Wheeler?

[rustix]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I will give you a rough figure based on what I know...
1st year - about 60k all in (the starting pay of the O&G majors are known, so it's easy to get this number)
5th year - it will vary depending on how well you perform. At least 100k all in. If you do well, you might be getting 130-150k all in.
10th year - again it really depends, if you are a high flyer, you will easily be getting double of what you get in your 5th year.

Those are indeed very attractive figures, do they apply only to engineering/management roles? What about support roles like procurement/marketing/sales? When you say O&G, do you actually refer to refining companies like Shell/Exxon specifically or do such pay scales extend to O&G service companies like KBR?

Originally Posted by rustix

The military is willing to cover the expenses for my undergraduate studies through the SAF local study award scheme. It is a very enticing amount in all and I would be lying if i said that money wasn't a factor in thinking of signing on, on top of the job security the military provides. However, I am trying to force myself to look at the long-term gains as I have no desire to get stuck at a certain rank after some number of years. With that said, it seems to be difficult to enter the O&G industry at this point in time given the tough competition plus the fact that I am not a chemical engineer. I have not yet been offered an interview with any O&G companies yet with the exception of Shell even with my strong resume after weeks of applications.

I have another question though, do only refining companies such as Shell/Exxon pay well? How about the oilfield services companies such as schlumberger/Aibel or even the tech support companies such as FMC and Foster Wheeler?

Just to clarity LSA is not really defined as a scholar in SAF. Scholars are more like those who are on SAFOS and maybe SMS.

Originally Posted by rustix

The military is willing to cover the expenses for my undergraduate studies through the SAF local study award scheme. It is a very enticing amount in all and I would be lying if i said that money wasn't a factor in thinking of signing on, on top of the job security the military provides. However, I am trying to force myself to look at the long-term gains as I have no desire to get stuck at a certain rank after some number of years. With that said, it seems to be difficult to enter the O&G industry at this point in time given the tough competition plus the fact that I am not a chemical engineer. I have not yet been offered an interview with any O&G companies yet with the exception of Shell even with my strong resume after weeks of applications.

I have another question though, do only refining companies such as Shell/Exxon pay well? How about the oilfield services companies such as schlumberger/Aibel or even the tech support companies such as FMC and Foster Wheeler?

btw how strong is your resume? 1st class? Relevant industry intern/experience? have to give more information to get help.

Sometime is not your grades. Is the way you present your resume. 1st class is not an auto select for competitive industries and positions. they look for stuff that makes you stand out such as leadership, out of box thinking and self motivation. Writing a good cover letter is also important. Must be able to link your resume to what they are searching for. Show that you have done your research on the relevant companies. Show interest in the job.

anyway you got an interview with shell so that's a good start. I have friends that work in offshore oil rig with triple E background without even a first class. So it is definitely possible to break into this industry without a chem eng degree.

Originally Posted by rustix

Those are indeed very attractive figures, do they apply only to engineering/management roles? What about support roles like procurement/marketing/sales? When you say O&G, do you actually refer to refining companies like Shell/Exxon specifically or do such pay scales extend to O&G service companies like KBR?

This is more for the oil companies like Shell/Exxon. Support service companies are definitely lower from what I've heard.

Also, you do not need a chemical engineering degree to do well in O&G. Chemical engineers look after the refining/chemical processes but you need engineers from other discipline to look after the equipment which are used to run the processes as well. Everyone has equal opportunities to get to a management role. If you want to stay as a specialist, the option is also opened.

Lastly, on your question if procurement/marketing/sales earn as much. The answer is it depends. If you do well, you will earn roughly the same amount no matter which department/role you are in.