Natrespro Happy New Year 2016 message

So, Happy New Year!

The party is undoubtedly over. That applies both to the festive period, and to oil prices in general. We will wait for 12 months for another Christmas party, how long will we wait for $150 bbl oil prices?

$100?

What will we do while we are waiting?

January 2016 is like no other January in living memory. This opinion depends on your perspective, of course. For some, this year might be the same as any other, where you try to get back into the swing of work after an all-too-short holiday break.

A year ago, oil was around the $50/bbl mark, and bullish pundits were suggesting a $60 target in the following 12 months. Bearish predictions hinted at $40. Well, as is so often the case with punditry, they were both right but on different timescales. We saw prices of $60 in May/June/July and $40 in August and November. What very few predicted are the sub $40 prices of the past month or so.

The oil price is the most critical factor in the oil industry. By a mile. What are your predictions for 2016? I don't have any idea about commodity prices. I've been wrong too many times and have given up such a futile endeavour.

We prefer to think and worry about things within our control and make contingencies for every possible eventuality. Of course, $80 oil will allow us all to breathe a massive sigh of relief. But what if prices stay the same? Do we go to the beach for a year or two and grow a long beard? How many of us have that career in rocket science or brain surgery to fall back on?

The fact is that if you are reading this, then the chances are that you're an oil worker and that the thought of going back to school to learn a new career is scarier than $20 oil. Right?

So, what do we do? As always, we keep our heads and do our best. If we have been around the industry for any length of time, then we will have experienced this kind of situation before. If this is all new, pay attention because it'll happen again.

January is a time when many people hit the ground running with resolutions to eat better, drink better, sleep better, and get a better job. Of all the months, January is job search month. The fact that you are here on a recruitment site means that you are either considering or being forced to look for a new work placement.

So, right now, you have more competition, and there are far fewer jobs available.

What will you do about this?

The only sensible thing to do is maximise your chances of success. Many or even most job searchers in the Oil and Gas industry will be dusting off their CV and adding their most recent assignment. They might also trawl some internet jobs sites and send their CV off to a few places that asked them for it.

The chances are that this dated, un-optimised CV will fall into the hands of a generic CV harvester who is likely to either sell it on or even worse, submit it ‘rapid-fire' to different companies for different jobs. Many of these jobs might be unsuitable for your skillset.

After a few inappropriate job offers, or no offers at all, someone who has followed this tactic will give up, and tell their partner ‘I tried my best'.

So, you don't want to be in this category.

What can you do about it?

Well, we can help you!

You can click on any of the links in this article to get a more detailed explanation of specific points. The next step will be to join our email newsletter where you will receive a 5-day career enhancement crash course. There should be a ‘pop-up' that appears on the side of this page. You can also sign up from our homepage.

The best way of improving your position in the industry is to improve your professional image. Nowadays, this is very easy; you can do it without financial cost, by merely spending time developing your image and networking on social media.

Rather than trying to access decision-makers through company secretaries, personal assistants or other ‘gatekeepers'... You can comment on decision-makers postings.

Rather than trying to sell yourself through email, on the telephone, or in-person...

... You can gradually build up a more prosperous and professional image for yourself on LinkedIn. When the time comes for you to reach out to that decision-maker, they'll feel like they already know you. In the meantime, you can keep your finger on the pulse of the industry.

Hopefully, you'll connect with us through any of these social media channels, and we can strive forward together. We wish you a healthy and prosperous 2016.

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Tagged under: Founder's Commentary