A collaboration between Aberdeen Formation Evaluation Society (AFES), Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain (PESGB) and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section jointly organised the seminar ‘How can young professionals cope during a reduced oil price?’ during DEVEX 2015 last week.
The aim of the seminar was to provide young professionals working in the oil and gas industry in Scotland with the advice and guidance they require to professionally survive the current downturn.
A panel of leading industry, recruitment and political professionals, who all had been affected at a point in their careers by a low oil price, answered a series of questions asked by the young professionals present at the event.
Deirde O’Donnell, founder and managing director of Working Smart, chaired the session with Peter Brand, UK subsurface manager at TAQA, Rita-Michel Greiss, business development manager at AGR TRACS, Chris Flavell, managing director of Zinc Consultants Ltd and Sir Malcolm Bruce, former deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Despite a fall in the number of graduate positions and internships currently on offer, it has been recorded that the number of young professionals affected by the downturn has only been 7%, lower than initially predicted.
Unsurprisingly however, there is a significant number of young professionals concerned about the job security in this industry, the opportunities that may be available to them in terms of career progression, training and the obvious chance of gaining work experience across the world.
Addressing these concerns, the panel discussed a number of ways in which young professionals can increase their chances of securing and retaining a job in the industry. The key advice given was to remain enthusiastic, motivated, flexible and mobile.
Being willing to relocate to a different country and ensuring the management in their companies know this, has opened up many opportunities in the past for members of the panel. Being prepared to take a job in the industry that perhaps was not originally considered, but could help with their career advancement in the long-run, was important for the panel.
They suggested taking a step back to identify the skills they have and working out how they can be applied to other areas of the industry.
Being proactive on social media, specifically LinkedIn, and during networking events was encouraged as both are necessary to build a portfolio of key industry contacts. There are a number of conferences, workshops and informal networking opportunities on offer in Aberdeen which are currently organised by industry clubs and societies.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers Aberdeen Section organises a series of workshops and networking events each month open to everyone to attend.
A number of panellists also shared their positive experiences of starting out in the industry and being mentored. At a time where formal training sessions are not always an option due to budget cuts, identifying highly experienced senior colleagues who can offer guidance and advice has proven invaluable to those on the panel.
It has become clear that in a bid to reduce their outgoings on high salary figures, it is increasingly common for companies to favour enthusiastic and hardworking young professionals, who may command a lower salary, over more senior and experienced professionals. Young professionals were encouraged to go the extra mile to prove their capabilities to potential employers, which could pay off in this current market situation.
Shankar Bhukya, SPE Aberdeen Chairman said: “The current market situation has created uncertainty for many people in the oil and gas industry but, for young professionals with limited experience, this can be a particularly worrying time. It is important to remember that the oil price is cyclical and the industry will pick up again.
“The key points to take from this seminar are to remain enthusiastic, take every opportunity possible to develop your skills and work hard. Proving your value to your company and being able to adapt in an often volatile environment are vital. Young professionals are the future of the oil and gas industry and operators and service companies alike will have no choice but to hold onto these individuals and help to develop their skills and knowledge.
“SPE Aberdeen is proud to have organised such a highly attended and well-received event and I hope all those present found the event helpful and that the panel provided some insightful and motivating answers to a number of questions surrounding the current market situation.”
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