My Career is Uncertain after Bachelors in Petroleum Engineering

I’m posting Aditya’s comment as a blog post. He’s having tough time finding a job for Petroleum Engineer.

 

I am an undergraduate in US. I would not deny that every semester has indeed helped me evolve into something better. I would really encourage everyone to try and get into good US universities for their Bachelors.

There are scholarship and research opportunities in the labs. But scholarships should be seen as a supplement rather than the main body.

Choosing an unconventional major like Petroleum Engineering, as compared to the traditional mechanical and CS etc., I am facing the problems for choosing this untrodden path.

The only measure of this hefty investment is a job after one graduates. In my opinion, there is hardly any discussion regarding options for international undergraduate students.

For a field like petroleum, it turns even more challenging.

Lacking job experience and internship opportunities in US, it is really difficult to get a full time.

The companies would not even look at resumé because international students need sponsorship.

Going back to India is another nerve wrecking task as there are hardly any oil companies into exploration and most of them go to campuses for hiring.

Companies hardly check their online application systems as they have no vacancy left. Not getting acknowledged, all these years seem to be a waste. I am in dilemma about what to do as of now.

I want to request everyone to upscale the discussions, so that those who join US universities in future can reap the benefits from experiences of current students.

So, that was Aditya’s story. Here’s my comments.

When I see a student say “lack of internship opportunities or  or unable to find a job”, its fault with your approach towards job search.

I have the following questions for you

• How many hours per week do you spend on your academic activity?
• How many hours did you spend on your job search?
• How many new connections did you add for your professional networking in last 30 days?
• How long did you spend on your resume?

Lot of students in F-1 Visa have the same issue. They spend 2 years chasing the grades, but not developing the skills required to find a job.

I  have said so many times in the past and repeating it again.

Your goal as an international student is to get a job at end of your degree. Which means, you have 2 full years for job search. You need to have a specific job search plan.

Hoping that your degree and resume will get you a job is just  expecting to throw a penny into a tank full of water and expecting to land in the exact location you wanted it.

Petroleum Engineers are highly paid compared to Software Engineers.

Read the following articles to kick start your job search

• Job Search Tips For Students From a Hiring Manager
• Complex Job Search Process in 5 Simple Steps.
• 80/20 Guide for Finding your dream job