how to approach the job interview process during an ... - Rigzone

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ok ead Lo R w eat Ne G r e m Sa APRIL 2015

06 HOW TO APPROACH THE

JOB INTERVIEW PROCESS DURING AN INDUSTRY DOWNTURN

EFFORTS CONTINUE TO TAP INVESTMENTS FOR ASIA

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REPEALING BAN ON US CRUDE EXPORTS

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CONTENTS

THE TEAM APAC EDITOR

Chee Yew Cheang

EMEA EDITOR

04 EFFORTS CONTINUE TO TAP

Jon Mainwaring

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS FOR ASIA PACIFIC’S OIL, GAS SECTOR

CAREERS EDITOR

Valerie Jones

SENIOR EDITORS

06 HOW TO APPROACH THE JOB

Karen Boman Deon Daugherty Matthew Veazey

INTERVIEW PROCESS DURING AN INDUSTRY DOWNTURN

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Wendy DiBenedetto

08 HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO

WEB/GRAPHIC DESIGNER Abigail Peraria

CREATE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

MANAGING EDITOR

Saaniya Bangee

09 DUTCH OFFSHORE SERVICES: IN GOOD

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

SHAPE DESPITE OIL PRICE PAIN

Eric Duenas

VP CONTENT

Bertie Taylor

10 REPEALING BAN ON US CRUDE EXPORTS A HEAVY TOPIC AT IHS CERAWEEK

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03

CURRENT AFFAIRS

EFFORTS CONTINUE TO TAP FOREIGN INVESTMENTS FOR ASIA PACIFIC’S OIL, GAS SECTOR By Chee Yew Cheang @cheeyew_cheang

Many government leaders recently met in Singapore to bid farewell to the republic’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who died March 23 at age 91, bringing to a close a chapter in the country’s history, including the establishment of the island-state as a key oil and gas hub in the region, albeit one without hydrocarbon resources. How was this achieved? Singapore, under Lee, found the answer in foreign investments, something which remains relevant today as many Asia Pacific countries continue to seek external funds and expertise to develop their industry. Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah acknowledged the significance of foreign investment in his country’s development. He noted that “the nation will benefit in the long term if it continues to be open to foreign expertise. This will help the country establish its business culture and environment faster, based on international best practice.” Lee’s tapping of foreign investments in developing Singapore’s economy was ahead of the times, especially in a post-colonial world where fervent nationalism led many newly independent states to reject such a policy. Running against the conventional wisdom, Lee invited multinational companies (MNC) to invest in Singapore after gaining self-government from Britain in 1959. This resulted in an inflow of foreign investments and the establishment of the island as a major refining center in Asia. Lee “crafted the key policies to attract MNCs to Singapore and create jobs for Singaporeans. He would personally meet and exchange ideas with CEOs of leading MNCs to learn how Singapore could help them to do better with their investments

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here,” Lee Boon Yang, chairman of Keppel Corp. Ltd. – parent company of rig builder Keppel FELS Ltd. – said in his tribute to the former Singapore premier. Today, Singapore is a major oil refining center in Asia and companies like Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., PetroChina Co. Ltd. and Royal Dutch Shell plc. are stakeholders in the island’s refineries, which can process around 1.3 million barrels of crude oil per day. In addition, Shell and ExxonMobil operate huge petrochemical complexes in Singapore. Shell acknowledged the vital role Lee had played in fostering a business-friendly environment in Singapore. “Royal Dutch Shell owes our success in Singapore to the many years of prosperity Mr. Lee helped to nurture,” company’s CEO Ben van Beurden said in his condolence message to Lee’s son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The European major added that “Lee’s pro-business policies have built the foundation for many global companies, like Shell, to have the faith to continue investing” in Singpaore. The existence of a conducive business environment also enabled Singapore to attract a range of global upstream petroleum services firms to base their operations there in support of exploration and production projects in the region. Oilfield services firms like Cameron International, Halliburton Co. and FMC Technologies Inc. have operations in Singapore, while offshore services providers such as Swire Pacific Offshore Pte Ltd. and geoscience company CGG are also present in the Southeast Asian state. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, who was amongst the government leaders that attended Lee’s funeral service in Singapore, hopes to rebuild foreign

investors’ confidence in the country’s shrinking oil and gas sector. The task is fairly urgent as the former member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) tries to boost oil and gas exploration and production to cope with declining output at its mature fields and rising domestic energy demand. Further south in New Zealand, the government led by John Key continues with efforts to enhance the country’s appeal as a destination for foreign oil and gas investments. The country recently launched Block Offer 2015, an annual tender for companies to bid for exploration blocks which was introduced by the government in 2012. “It is clear that companies are seeking frontier acreage and long-term opportunities like those which New Zealand has to offer, and this government remains committed to attracting major international companies to invest in exploration and development in this country,” Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges said in a March 30 press release.

The tender process in New Zealand seems to be working and the government awarded in December 2014 exploration permits under the Block Offer 2014 to major industry players such as Chevron, Norway’s Statoil ASA and India’s ONGC Videsh Ltd. The current government in New Zealand is placing greater attention on the petroleum industry as it has increased in its contribution to the economy in recent years. Oil sales – which was the country’s fourth largest export – generated $1.45 billion or NZD 1.7 billion in 2013, while the industry provided employment for more than 7,000 people who earned twice the average New Zealand salary and contributed around $680.89 million (NZD 800 million) in royalties and taxes.

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05

EMPLOYMENT

HOW TO APPROACH THE JOB INTERVIEW PROCESS DURING AN INDUSTRY DOWNTURN By Valerie Jones @rz_careernews

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nyone who’s been in the oil and gas industry for any number of years understands its cyclical nature. While thousands across the globe have lost their jobs recently due to the sharp decline in oil prices – perhaps you included – there are available positions in the industry. After identifying the available jobs, it’s time to circulate those resumes and get those applications in. You may not get a response from the first, second or tenth company you apply to, especially during this industry slowdown. And guess what? Just because you land an interview, or two or 10, doesn’t mean you’ll get hired. That’s why it’s called an interview process. However, you may be wondering why you didn’t get the job. And that’s where it’s tricky. You have the skills. You have the necessary experience. You have the great references. You nailed the interview – or did you? Maybe you unknowingly committed a common job interview faux pas: ineffectively communicated your responses to the interviewer; appeared nervous and/or lacked confidence; or spoke negatively about past employers. Or maybe, for whatever reason, the employer decided not to hire you: you seemed overqualified, they decided to promote from within the company, your brother is the hiring manager’s cousin’s ex-husband and they had a messy divorce, etc. While these reasons may be something completely out of your control, it can certainly be frustrating and prompt some selfanalysis. And that’s not bad; it’s actually quite helpful. It’s a great opportunity to learn from rejection, rather than wallow in it. Below I’ve offered seven tips on how to maximize your interview:

1.

BE ON TIME, BUT NOT TOO ON TIME. While arriving 10 or 15

minutes early to an interview is common and certainly good practice, I believe there is such a thing as arriving too early for an interview – that is, more than 30 minutes early. There’s a reason why interview times are scheduled ahead of time … they’re appointments. Those in charge of hiring will probably be conducting interviews with numerous candidates, often

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times scheduling several in one day, with only 15 or so minutes in between. Arriving too early can be a bit awkward. Of course, arriving late can be detrimental, so I suggest if you do arrive more than 30 minutes early to an interview, sit in your car and go over your notes before entering the building.

2.

GIVE FRESH ANSWERS.

Going on job interviews repeatedly, you’re likely to be asked some of the same questions (e.g. “tell me about yourself,” “identify one of your weaknesses,” “why are you the best candidate for the job?”), but don’t allow your answers to be cookie-cutter. Each interview will be different – whether it’s a different position or company – so make sure that you supply a fresh answer! Employers really dislike when a candidate seems disinterested, so it may be helpful to generate variations on responses for some common questions prior to the interview. Remember: they’re probably asking each candidate the same questions, so your answer will show how you’re unique.

3.

STRESS YOUR INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE.

Especially during this downturn when many candidates – highly skilled candidates – will be battling for the same positions, your knowledge of the industry will certainly be advantageous. Feel free to mention and/or discuss hot topics related to specific sectors. If you have several years of experience across different sectors or in different positions, that’s good to mention as well. It will translate to the interviewer that you have loyalty in the industry and are quite experienced.

4.

STRESS YOUR SOFT SKILLS.

While being tech-savvy and having a great amount of industry experience are definitely positives to potential employers, it’s very important to show an interviewer that you possess soft skills as well. Soft skills, such as leadership, selfmanagement and communication, are becoming increasingly important to oil and gas employers. While some of these skills can be taught, if you already bring these to the table, it’s a bonus. This is especially beneficial for recent graduates or young professionals, who may lack the on-the-job experience, but exhibit desirable soft skills.

5.

DON’T BECOME FRAZZLED.

This is an uncertain time for the industry, so it’s understandable to be concerned about finding a job to support yourself and/or your family. But try to maintain a level of comfort and ease when being interviewed.

If a question shakes you, don’t feel obligated to answer right away. Take a second or two to really think about your response. There’s also a chance you’ll interview with several people at a time. While this can be overwhelming, keep your cool. Hiring managers are tasked with making big decisions. Choosing the wrong job candidate could result in great monetary loss for the company. Even if you are the most qualified candidate, the interview is your window of time to get that across to the employer.

6.

STEER CLEAR OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SALARY AND BENEFITS. This is one of those

7.

ADHERE TO DIRECTIONS IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION. I get it. You’re anxious.

precarious topics that can prove unfavorable, if mishandled. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best not to mention pay or salary unless asked by the employer or if an offer is made at the culmination of the interview. Of course, there are exceptions. If the job puts a salary on the table that you feel is too low, it’s okay to ask if the pay is negotiable, if there’s room for advancement or opportunity for bonuses. Every company knows that a job candidate wants to get paid, so there’s really no need to bring it up on your own accord. The same rules apply to benefits, PTO and vacation. Reputable companies will have a capable HR team to go over these areas with you in detail, should you get offered a position.

It’s been a week and you haven’t heard anything from the company you interviewed with. But it clearly states in the job description, “no phone calls.” So just don’t do it. If you’d like to follow up with the employer, send a simply-crafted email thanking them for the interview and letting them know you’re still interested in the position. You can also ask if there’s anything else you can provide them with.

Though the interview process can be trying, don’t become discouraged, defeated or leave the industry altogether. The fact that you were given an interview is testament to your desired skillset. Interviewing is strategic, so there will be some nos before you get a yes. And oh, how glorious that yes will be.

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07

EDUCATION

HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CREATE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE By Wendy DiBenedetto

“Students first – on the way in and on their way out.” -Dr. Cesar Maldonado Houston Community College unveiled its focused-vision for the immediate future during an April 13 breakfast at the Bayou City Event Center in Houston. HCC’s Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado addressed the large crowd of dignitaries and industry leaders from around the surrounding area. HCC educates 113,000 students annually and is the top developer of workforce candidates in Houston. With that in mind, HCC is committing to provide its students a relevant and cost-effective education while increasing the number of ready-to-work job candidates in Houston and its surrounding areas. “For every 10 students in Kindergarten, seven of them make it to the ninth grade; five of those will actually graduate high school with only two moving onto college; and, of those – only ONE will graduate with a degree,” explained Dr. Maldonado. The result of these CoEs should provide Houston with a well-educated and experienced candidate pool aligned with key industries. Students will be able to remain in and contribute to the community from which they came. HCC also places an importance on the arts. “When you add the arts to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), it results in STEAM which creates energy and moves innovation forward,” Dr. Maldonado added. With the future of HCC focused on education and innovative programs, the college is poised to move both Houston and its students forward in the right direction.

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EDUCATION EXCELLENCE “Our role is to teach, motivate, inspire, connect, innovate and expand our reach.” -Dr. Cesar Maldonado HCC’s future direction has shifted the primary focus of their staff and facilities to the creation of Centers of Excellence (CoE) across nine industry corridors located in Houston. Currently, HCC is planning 12 CoEs with four additional slated for future development. Students will benefit from areas of concentration including global energy, public safety, manufacturing, media arts and technology and health sciences. Previous investments in technology and infrastructure by HCC will certainly benefit students. Students specializing in health sciences will earn hands-on experience in HCC’s working operating room. Those seeking a degree or certification in manufacturing can experience what it’s actually like to work in a manufacturing facility. Students will be able to receive the same level of education from any of the HCC campuses. However, once a student elects his/her specific area of specialization, they will attend the appropriate CoE where assets are strategically concentrated to foster the sharing of common interest, promote communication and create synergy.

OUTLOOK

DUTCH OFFSHORE SERVICES: IN GOOD SHAPE DESPITE OIL PRICE PAIN By Jon Mainwaring @oiljon

In late March I was invited to Rotterdam to meet a group of companies that supply the oil and gas industry in the Netherlands and beyond. It was a whistle-stop tour of half-adozen firms, as well as meetings with trade bodies that represent suppliers, and I met enough people who work within the offshore oilfield services sector to be able to gauge its mood. That mood is best summed up as: “We’re not hurting yet, but 2015 and 2016 could be tough years.” Many of the oilfield services representatives I met were mindful of the need to innovate in order to stay relevant to the offshore industry. For example, Peter Zoeteman – managing director of trade body Netherlands Maritime Technology – pointed to Huisman Equipment, a Rotterdam-based firm that is investing in developing technology to completely automate drilling processes. Meanwhile, a manager at Damen Shipyards told me that although the drop in the oil price was likely to have an adverse effect on the company’s business, in the long run he was “optimistic” because vessels always need upgrades. The family-based nature of the Dutch oilfield services industry provides another reason for optimism for those who work in that sector. A number of the best-known firms in the country are owned and managed by families who have invested much time and effort, sometimes

over several generations, in building up those companies into the sizable entities they are today. For example, tug-boat firm Kotug Group, which gets some of its business from the oil and gas industry, is today run by ArdJan Kooren – whose father Ton Kooren established the company in 1987 and whose family have been in the tugboat industry since 1911. Such people have a legacy to protect and build upon. And they are there for the long term, so they do not tend to be influenced by the short-term considerations that are more likely to occupy the minds of CEOs who prefer to play the usual game of boardroom musical chairs. They also have the kind of vision required to bring about the construction of the Pioneering Spirit, whose breathtaking scale I was delighted to see for myself thanks to a boat trip around the vessel courtesy of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The world’s largest platform installation and pipelay vessel, the Pioneering Spirit, is the brainchild of Edward Heerema – the president and founder of Allseas Group, who also comes from a family of offshore entrepreneurs. Since my trip a month ago, the oil price has strengthened somewhat but it seems that the Dutch offshore services industry is in good enough shape to get through any further oil price pain.

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EVENTS

REPEALING BAN ON US CRUDE EXPORTS A HEAVY TOPIC AT IHS CERAWEEK

By Deon Daugherty @deon_daugherty

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Recent sessions of Congress have been notoriously slow to act, but there could be a different outcome this year if a tidal wave of independent producers, public sentiment and key makers reaches the shores of the Potomac. Harold Hamm, CEO at Continental Resources Inc., a longtime advocate for repealing the ban told CNBC there is a “huge mismatch” between the heavy crude that U.S. refineries are equipped to service and the glut of light, sweet stuff pouring from the nation’s shale. “It’s not good for producers and it’s certainly not good for consumers to be on this roller coaster because it all comes back about the primary problem of what we [can’t] export,” Hamm said. “We can’t access the world markets that should be available to us.” Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Rex Tillerson told a crowd at IHS CERAWeek 2015 that if the stars aligned between federal regulators and the industry, the U.S. could be a net energy exporter by the end of the next decade. So you could say that when U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduces the legislation she announced recently that would repeal the ban on U.S. crude exports this year, she’s got some momentum from the industry. Murkowski, now chair of the U.S. Committee on Natural Resources, was backed up during an IHS CERAWeek panel by industry titan Ryan Lance who is siding with the need for change. Lance, CEO of Houston-based ConocoPhillips, said that continuing to ban the export of U.S. crude to exports is contrary to domestic economic growth. As Lance explained, many U.S. refineries aren’t configured to run the light sweet crude produced so abundantly from the nation’s shale plays. “They’re built for heavy oil out in Canada, Venezuela and Mexico, so there’s a mismatch between the new production that we’re bringing on as an industry and the refining capacity that we have in our country today,” he said. To process light crude, U.S. refiners must operate inefficiently or at reduced rates, which challenges

at a discount. If the price of Brent is $59 per barrel today, that discount ranges from $50 to $10 a barrel of that Brent price. “That discount does hurt U.S. producers. Some projects becoming uneconomic below $70 a barrel; and certainly the vast majority become uneconomic below $40. So, that discount is a real threat to U.S. production growth. Simply put, the U.S. should export the oil it cannot economically process at home,” he said. “The current ban on exporting crude oil is an anti-consumer policy,” Lance said, adding that to lift the ban would drop gasoline prices down, increase greater supply diversity from various stable sources. In short, the United States has a profound opportunity to influence the global commodities market. Indeed, several economic studies have indicated that exporting crude would lower prices at the pump. IHS has estimated a decline of 8-cents per gallon of motor fuel; the Brookings Institute has projected a decline of 9-cents and Resources for the Future has said the decline could be up to 4.5-cents per gallon. The American Petroleum Institute, a think tank in the nation’s capital, has long supported a repeal of the ban. “America’s growth as an energy superpower has been a game-changer, but our trade policies are stuck in the 1970s,” Erik Milito, API’s director of upstream and industry operations told Rigzone. “Study after study shows that free trade in crude oil would promote the creation of U.S. jobs, put downward pressure on fuel costs, and reduce the power that foreign suppliers have over our allies.” Lance noted the proliferation of shale had “shifted oil markets’ center of gravity,” and as such, the United States now has an abundance of light, sweet crude, but its refineries are designed for the heavier stuff. “The U.S. should export the oil it cannot refine at home,” he said, adding a new energy policy would continue for the nation to import heavy stuff from the refineries in the United States.

their economics because they have to buy the oil

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