Greetings school students, especially those of you staying on and who are faced with tough decisions as to what Highers and, for some, A-Levels, to study in sixth form.
It’s a fair guess that most of you like the idea of going to university, even if you’re not sure or maybe don’t even have a clue about what it is you might wish to do after that.
Maybe you want to become a lawyer; after all, they make heaps of dosh. I tried that but dropped out.
Physicist? Wow, just like Brian Cox. But it’s really hard.
Chemist? Same issue!
Mathematician? Eh! Teach in school? Become a funny guy like Dara O’Briain?
Geologist? Cool, but then what do I do?
Engineer? Er, Grandad was one of those but he lost his job when the factory closed.
Computing? Yeah … I can design games, build the Z-Box and make millions.
Or maybe you’re fed-up with school and want to become an apprentice; learn a trade as a plumber or electrician or joiner; everybody needs them and they seem to earn pots of money.
What’s really great about these and many more career options besides is that many of them can lead the adventurous into the energy industry and especially upstream oil and gas.
Perhaps someone in your family already works on a North Sea platform or onshore in Aberdeen or some other centre?
Maybe they work overseas somewhere that looks exotic on telly – Dubai, Houston, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore.
Maybe they design oil platforms; or do mysterious stuff with chemicals that get pumped into oil and gas wells; maybe they lay massive pipelines off the back of a huge ship.
Maybe they’re negotiating contracts worth tens, hundreds, even billions of dollars or involved in complex environmental studies as part of a new project.
Maybe they commute to and from a job offshore by helicopter, away from home two and three weeks at a time, helping to keep an oil and gas production platform running smoothly, but enjoying loads of home time too.
One way or another, there is quite literally a world of opportunity in upstream oil and gas; in the North Sea and around the world.
It has a reputation for paying big salaries; often a lot higher than more conventional work; even as an accountant or lawyer.
There are currently thousands of North Sea vacancies. But make no mistake; if you want to get into upstream oil and gas, you have to be smart, well qualified and very, very determined.
So why not start now? Nurse a dream.
I believe you won’t be disappointed.
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