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Volume 14 • Issue 3 • May 2014 | Printer Friendly Version |
Our Perspective | |
Rules, Rules...Coming Down the Pike
Oil and gas organizations have long advanced the cause of flexible work arrangements. New laws in some cities in California (surprised?) and in Vermont lead us to believe that benefits of this kind will soon become law in some sort of fashion. We took a look at what different flexible work arrangements there are - and found quite a few. We thought we would list these for our readers so we can all get used to them and think about implementation.
On another note: Since it is "National Small Business Week" in the U.S., we felt an appreciation for smaller businesses was in order. If as an individual you are contemplating a career move that could involve a switch to a smaller company, then you may be intimidated by the unknown. Small companies make a very good career choice in many cases. Here are some of our thoughts on the matter to help in your decision process.
| Upcoming Events |  |
Stone Mountain Lodge - Vermont June 7-10, 2014 |
JW Marriott - Washington DC July 14-15, 2014 |
| Employer Tips |
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Flextime - Coming Our Way as Law?
Arrangements for employees to work flexible hours are well established in all industries. Whether this means floating start and quit times or general time off to take care of family business - there are a number of options how companies are able to work with their employees so they can take care of life commitments.
Gradually, cities and communities around the country are beginning to make it law that flexible work hours be offered to employees. On the forefront of development are cities like San Francisco and states such as Vermont, which make these work arrangements available under law. It will be some time to come before these laws become widespread, but these steps taken by some institutions, almost certainly serve as a wedge in the door for others to follow. By the time this wave of regulations affects the oil and gas industry it behooves the foresighted companies to begin the thinking process and how this could be accomplished in all areas of their organizations.
Most companies have no problem with granting individuals time off to take care of elderly parents, children, or loved ones; we all have been there. The issue is one of uncertainty in not knowing the details of the rulings that may be coming our way, and what specific non-traditional work arrangements the new laws may address. In case you have not heard all of them yet, here is a quick summary of different types of arrangements. As you are reading, try to contemplate how your entire workforce may be covered, not just office personnel.
- Flexi-time: Alteration of start and end times within given limits referred to as core time.
- Time off In-Lieu: This could mean an employee working for example on a weekend for taking off time during the work week.
- Compressed Working Hours: Fairly common where more hours are worked on given days in exchange for half or full days off; "9/80" is the best known example.
- Shift Swapping: Fairly self-explanatory and common in work places where shift work is predominant. The employee is allowed to swap shifts with a coworker to accommodate personal demands.
- Self Rostering: A common occurrence in nursing, it allows for a team of workers to set the schedule among themselves as long as adequate coverage is maintained and the work is not impeded.
- Annualized Hours: Very common in Great Britain where it became known in the 1960s it focuses on an individual's requirement of hours worked on the entire year, not by week or month. An interesting alternative where seasonal work demands are higher on individuals.
- Job Sharing: Also quite common in Europe an arrangement where two individuals share the same job, each being basically working part-time to accommodate life needs.
- Part-time Working and Term-time Working: Many of these systems are common in some industries or with some institutions. Part-time work is also commonly understood and accepted. Term time is an interesting variant where an employee is permitted to work and be off during pre-approved blocks of time. Breaks from work could be sabbaticals or other pre-approved career break schemes.
Who knows what will become law and what will remain voluntary? But this is a good time for the oil and gas industry to look over the rim of the box and prepare while seeing how other industries are faring.
| Talent Pool | |
The following biographies are just a small sampling of the kind of talent
available in our talent pool of over 21,000 experts. Please call our placement managers if you are interested in learning more about these professionals, or check out our website for more candidates.
Project and Construction Manager with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and over 35 years of experience working for major EPC,E&P, and engineering firms. Experienced in worldwide onshore and offshore production facilities design and planning and in executing oil and gas projects. Additionally experienced in onshore and offshore pipelines, LNG and oil sand facilities, construction projects, project schedules, contractor evaluations, facility improvements, and safety. Geographic areas of experience include Europe, the Middle East, and the US. Ask for PM415. Mechanical Engineer with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology and more than 30 years of experience in the offshore and onshore oil and gas industry. Expert in LNG facilities, offshore platform and subsea pipeline design, and petrochemical operations. Experienced with project management holding senior level positions, static equipment and piping analysis, and full life cycle facilities engineering and construction from FEED through mechanical completion and client acceptance. Geographic areas worked include the Gulf of Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, Algeria, Korea, Indonesia, and Japan. Ask for F1722. Subsea Engineer with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and more than 20 years of domestic and international experience working with engineering firms and operating companies. Experienced in design and construction including HPHT, subsea pipeline and rigid riser design in water depths from zero to 10,000 feet, subsea manifolds, subsea isolation valves, and subsea high-integrity pressure protection system structure and piping design. Additionally experienced in floating production system interfaces, flexible risers and pipe, rigid reeled pipe-in-pipe and towed pipeline bundles. Software proficiency in Primavera, MathCAD, LUSAS, ANSYS, FS2000, and AutoPIPE. Ask for F527. Structural Engineer with a PhD in ocean engineering and over 25 years of experience working for large EPC and engineering firms. Expert in design and conversion of subsea and offshore floating production systems. Additionally experienced in the design of drilling modules, HSE support, semi-submersible platforms, pipeline installations, and diverse subsea equipment installation projects. Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Texas. Served as expert advisor to the US Secretary of Energy and chaired the API Committee on wind load specifications. Geographic areas of experience include the Gulf of Mexico and Asia. Software proficiency in ANSYS, SACS, MORA, FLEXCOM, and AQUA. Ask for MD52. Procurement Professional with a master's degree in marketing and more than 30 years of experience working for mid-sized to large service companies. Expert in negotiations, international supply chain operations and distribution center management, warehouse operations, and cost efficient logistics management, shipping, and receiving. Also experienced in procurement management for maritime, offshore, oilfield supplies, industrial, fuel, and specialty items sourcing and distribution. Geographic area of experience is the Gulf of Mexico. Software proficiency in SAP. Language proficiency in English, French, and Spanish. Ask for PU803. Reservoir Engineer with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, an MBA, and 11 years of experience working for majors and small independent operators. Experienced in reservoir studies, acquisition and divestiture analysis, production forecasting, economic modeling, and reserve estimating and reporting. Also experienced in decline curve analysis, material balance, volumetrics, pressure transient analysis, nodal analysis, and well log interpretation. Geographic areas worked include Texas, New Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. Software proficiency in PROSPER, MBAL, GAP, VIP, ARIES, PHDWin, Peep, and HYSIM. Ask for R654. Geoscience Technician with 33 years of experience working for independent producers and engineering consulting firms. Experienced in supporting geological, geophysical, petrophysical, engineering, and land professionals. Technical proficiency includes data loading, data exporting, data management, digitizing, cross section creation, planimetering, report generation, map revisions and edits, wellbore schematics creation, digital archiving, and presentation design. Advanced software skills in Petra, Geographix, ArcGIS, Kingdom, Global Mapper, OperWorks, SeisWorks, and DSS. Additional software proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Front Page, Power Tools, Zmap, IHS Enerdeq, and NeuraLog. Ask for TG611. Reservoir Engineer with a master's degree in petroleum engineering and 25 years of oil and gas industry experience working for major and independent E&P companies. Experienced in reservoir management, production operations, economic analysis, project management, development planning, reserve analysis, capital budgeting, acquisitions, divestitures, and risk analysis. Geographic areas worked include the Gulf of Mexico deepwater and shelf, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Computer skills include ARIES, OFM, Rose & Associates' risk analysis software, Perform, Crystal Ball, ECLIPSE, GasWat, OilWat, and PanSystem. Ask for R148. Reservoir Engineer with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and 35 years of experience working for mid-sized to major oil companies and as a consultant. Expert in the appraisal, exploitation, and development of major deepwater projects. Experienced in managing integrated multi-disciplinary teams, budgeting, portfolio management, implementing and executing comprehensive reserves policies and guidelines, and conducting presentations for management and government officials. Additionally experienced in acquisitions and divestments, reservoir assessment, reserves management, production optimization, and completion. Geographic areas worked include the Gulf of Mexico deepwater, Texas, Louisiana, California, Europe, Latin America, and the Far East. Software proficiency in RMS and Landmark's VIP/Falcon simulator. Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. Ask for R776.
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| Career Advice |
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Too Risky? Tips Before Joining a Small Company
If you have ever wondered about working for a smaller business, and always felt that it might not be your "cup of tea," then consider the following facts:
- According to numbers derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), since the 2008 Great Recession, 71% of all new jobs have been created by small businesses (i.e. companies with fewer than 500 employees).
- Today, 77% of these small private companies employ close to 90 million people.
The oil and gas industry is certainly dominated by very large companies pursuing highly complex and risky oil and gas ventures. There are, however, plenty of opportunities to join smaller firms in this industry, and they are essential in accomplishing the work that the larger companies don't have time to do. Some of the risks to consider before making a career change are: market presence, financial strength, and business plans. Enclosed are some tips to help evaluate your employer opportunities:
- How long has the company been around? Being a "start-up" is not a bad thing; you just need to know where in the time line the company stands. Organizations earlier in their development tend to have growing pains that require every employee to lend a hand, even in areas that are not true areas of their expertise. Think about rolling up your sleeves to fix printers, talk to bankers, and make marketing calls when you have no experience in that arena.
- What is the reputation of the owners and founders of the company? People who have had a long-standing reputation in the industry will have a much easier time than relative newcomers or outsiders from other countries or industry segments. For example, there are many new organizations wanting to help in the Eagle Ford, and although they have the best intentions in mind, it may be a challenging task if they have never operated in an unconventional area.
- What is the financial strength of the business? Are operations maintained on a shoestring budget, or do the principals have solid backing by capital providers who believe in them? This is not to say that a fantastic idea could not be generated in a garage somewhere - you just simply need to learn the facts.
- Is the company providing a truly different product or service, or are they joining an already over-crowded field? Companies who come out with an innovative technology that has real and practical qualities may not have a problem being successful; being one of many will make it harder to succeed.
- Do the owners of the business have business acumen that can translate a great idea into a successful business, OR are the principals in love with their product but lacking tools and knowledge to turn the great idea into a business?
By carefully interviewing your potential employer you will be able to get a good idea of what you are about to get involved with. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but definitely do not exclude an opportunity with a small business, which may turn out to be a job you truly enjoy!
| About Us | |
Connecting
the Industry's Experts...
Collarini
Energy Staffing Inc. is a full-service agency specializing
in the placement of energy and EPC personnel and including the disciplines
listed below (other supporting personnel are managed upon request):
| Accounting and finance
personnel Administrative and clerical personnel Business analysts Civil and architectural engineers Data Management Drilling engineers Drilling operations supervisors Energy trading professionals Executives Facilities engineers Geologists, geophysicists, and petrophysicists Health, safety, and environmental personnel Human resources personnel Instrument and electrical engineers IT professionals Land, legal, and supporting personnel Marine engineers and naval architects |
Materials and corrosion engineers |
Guiding
Careers to the Next Level...
Collarini
Career Management applies
its deep understanding of the career paths of technical professionals in
the E&P and EPC communities to help companies and professionals build
successful organizations and careers. We leverage Collarini's unique
combination of industry knowledge and technical expertise to guide
companies and individuals during transition, training existing employees
for high performance, and designing customized technical training plans
for companies and individuals.
Contact
Us
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Houston,
Texas 77024
832.251.0553
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