How to get a job in the oil and gas industry without a recommendation

In this article, I'm not going to give you a magic formula, but I will share how I got each of my jobs in the oil industry. This might not apply to everyone, but if it helps even one person find a job, it will have been worth it.

We all know that the easiest way to get a job is through a recommendation, so there's no need to elaborate on that. Without a recommendation, getting a job in the oil industry is challenging—very challenging. To be honest, there aren't enough jobs for everyone who is looking, so you must demonstrate your skills and strengths to overcome the significant barrier that separates you from your next job.

The first thing I want you to understand is that getting a job in the oil industry doesn't necessarily require applying to a job posting and following a selection process. In my 20 years in the oil industry, I've never been to a job interview.

My first job was as a university professor. I didn't have an interview for this role, but I needed an excellent academic record and had to win a competitive exam (unlike many contract professors, I entered a formal competitive exam and secured a permanent teaching position at the Central University of Venezuela).

While working as a professor, Schlumberger offered me the opportunity to work with them, but I declined. However, they invited me to participate in many training programs for most of their software (Eclipse, Petrel, Pipesim, Merak, among others). With this knowledge, I began teaching courses using these applications until I became quite proficient. One day, I called them and said I was interested in working with them. Even though they weren't hiring at the time, they still made me an offer, and I started working at Schlumberger, also without going through an interview.

After Schlumberger, I started working as an independent consultant. One day, Halliburton contacted me and offered me a three-month contract (which turned into several years) to work with them. They were looking for someone who was an expert in reservoir simulation using Schlumberger's software, so my profile seemed ideal. In this case, I didn't apply for a job; they called me to make an offer, so I didn't have to go through an interview for this job either.

Later, I left Halliburton to build an oil company from scratch. I successfully built Wayra Energy (a topic I will probably tell you about another time). Obviously, I didn't have to go through an interview process for this either.

Currently, I advise executives of oil companies on how to succeed in oil rounds, seek financing for their projects, and develop new business opportunities. Here too, I haven't participated in interviews because my professional success has already given me a certain recognition that allows me to offer my services directly to companies.

In conclusion, the key to getting a job hasn't been applying to hundreds of openings, but striving to be very good at something and making sure others know that I can contribute to their company if they integrate me into their team.

I propose that you do the following exercise. Imagine you are responsible for selecting a person to work in your company and you receive your resume. Would you hire yourself? Why you and not someone else? What do you have that someone else doesn't?

If you don't have something different that makes you unique and sets you apart from the rest, it's best to focus on getting a recommendation, because otherwise, you won't get a job. However, if you have something special, you should focus on that and sell it.

Don't wait for a job posting to appear on LinkedIn; offer your services directly to someone who needs them and who knows you can make a difference in their company. But be careful—don't start spamming your resume to every LinkedIn user; that won't help you. Research who might be interested in your profile and focus only on those people.

I wish you much success, and don't wait for an opportunity to come to you—focus on building that opportunity yourself.