Dear Working Wise:

I am interested in working in the oil industry, but I don’t know much about it or anyone who works in the industry. I’m wondering how I can learn more and get a job with an oil company? Signed, Interested in Oil

Dear Interested:

Alberta’s energy industry has been a key economic driver and employer of choice in our province for over 60 years.

According to the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada (the Council), over 150,000 Albertans work in the energy industry today—more than any other province.

And the future looks bright for those who choose to work in Alberta’s oil patch.

Employment in Canada’s energy industry is expected to grow by at least 10,000 workers over the next three years just as our most experienced workers are beginning to retire.

Energy companies are already experiencing shortages of experienced workers, including engineers and technologists, field supervisors and operators, truck drivers, rig crews, and tradespeople

You can find more information about predicted demand at the Council’s web site: www.petrohrsc.ca.

Those who already know people in the sector tend to be more successful, because they are more likely to understand what the job entails. Many energy workers have to contend with long hours of physical work in the cold, far from home for weeks at a time.

A lot of employers also require job applicants to have their H2S and First Aid certificates, a valid class-five driver’s license, a clean driver’s abstract, and pass a pre-employment physical exam and drug-screening test

Alberta’s energy industry offers a wide variety of occupations and, as you can see, there is some important information you need to know before you start sending out resumés.

Fortunately, there are a number of resources to help you choose a career and demonstrate to employers that you understand the industry and the job you are applying for.

First, employer web sites can offer helpful information on energy careers and specific positions that they are recruiting for.

Second, the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors runs a web site www.rigtech.ca, which is a great source of information on drilling-crew careers.

Third, the Council’s www.careersinoilandgas.com website is a one-stop resource for job hunters interested in careers in the energy sector.

The Careers in Oil & Gas web site features:

·         job-search tips and employer profiles;

·         information on the industry, and all of the various sub-sectors;

·         career options and their required qualifications;

·         videos of different energy sector operations; and

·         “day in the life” features to help you understand what the job is really like.

Do your research and you’ll be ready to make the most of the Oil + Gas Services Careers Online Job Fair being held by the Council October 16 – 17, 2012.

This job fair is funded by the Government of Alberta to help Canadian energy services companies recruit: Truck Drivers, Experienced and Entry-level Rig Workers, Heavy Equipment Operators, Heavy Duty Mechanics, Welders, and Engineers.

To learn more about this exciting job fair and register, visit www.careersinoilandgas.com/servicescareerfair.

Good luck!

Do you have a work-related question? Send your questions to Working Wise, at charles.strachey@gov.ab.ca. Charles Strachey is a manager with Alberta Human Services. This column is provided for general information.

Dear Working Wise:

I just had a job interview where they kept asking me questions like “tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your supervisor.” I didn’t really know what to say—I didn’t want to talk about a fight with my boss—but then I didn’t get the job. Help! Signed, Puzzled

Dear Puzzled:

You just had a Behaviour Descriptive Interview—a technique employers use to assess how you will perform in the future based on what you did in the past.

You could be asked to talk about how you tackled a challenging problem, made a difficult decision, handled criticism of your work, or went beyond the call of duty.

The best way to prepare for this type of interview is to review the job posting for required skills—both work skills and interpersonal skills—and then think of examples from your past work that best illustrate your abilities and attributes.

Many employers are interested in how their employees handle conflict. If interpersonal skills are listed as desired skill, you might want to think of a time you had a conflict with your supervisor or co-worker and then helped bring about a positive resolution.

Interviewers are looking for short stories that clearly illustrate the situation, the action you took, and the resolution.

The STARS technique can help you answer Behaviour Descriptive Interview questions quickly and highlight your valuable skills to the employer.

STARS:

1.      Situation I was in.

2.      Task I needed to complete.

3.      Action I took.

4.      Results I achieved.

5.      Skills I used.

Take some time to think about your past accomplishments and successes. Try to develop as many stories as possible—especially about the high points of your career—and stick to examples where you handled the situation well.

For questions about failure such as, “Tell me about a time you missed a deadline”, focus on what you learned so that it never happens again and mention a more recent project where you were successful as a result of your learning.

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to think of every possible question. If you get a surprise question, take a moment to think of your most relevant story. If you don’t have a story you can use, describe how you would handle the situation.

Be honest—don’t make up an answer, because employers often have follow up questions if they like what they hear, don’t completely understand, or are unsure if you are telling the truth.

For more information on Behaviour Descriptive Interviews and the STARS technique, check out the tip sheet on the Alberta Learning Information Services (ALIS) web site at http://bit.ly/S6f23O.

Monster.com also has a list of 100 common interview questions—including 17 Behaviour Descriptive Interview questions, at http://mnstr.me/OCvdkw.

Do you have a work-related question? Send your questions to Working Wise, at charles.strachey@gov.ab.ca. Charles Strachey is a manager with Alberta Human Services. This column is provided for general information.