3 Skills to Master if You Want a Job in Engineering

You might think as we shift towards a society that has a more heavy focus on artificial intelligence in the workplace, that engineering jobs would begin to suffer. It’s an understandable fear to have. Not only will jobs in IT and more computer-based industries begin to move towards automatization, but manual jobs will also be affected too. Engineering is not exactly an exception to this, however, the jobs are not actually going to disappear, they’re just going to change a little bit.

Now is actually a great time to be looking for a job in the oil and gas engineering industry because a lot of people are giving up hope in it. We’ve reached a stage where there is a significant lack of skilled workers that are seeking out this kind of work. For you to secure one of these jobs, what you need to do is master the skills that no one else is mastering anymore and become the missing link in the industry.

Here are three of those important skills that you should get to learning right now.

Data Analysis

While a lot of the machines used in engineering jobs are beginning to operate of their own volition, there’s still an awful lot of data that needs to be kept track of. In fact, there’s probably even more these days than ever before. Machines are more efficient, therefore more work is getting done, which means more information.

It’s information that doesn’t just need to be recorded, but it needs to be understood too. And it takes quite a bit of research and quite a bit of practice to be able to process all that you take in. If you can prove yourself as the employee who is capable of this particular element of the job, then you will be an undeniably valuable asset to any engineering company.

There is always information being generated that needs to be reacted to in a logical manner and it’s important that it can be collected and sufficiently communicated. No engineering company will be able to move forward if someone cannot be relied on as a data analyst. It’s not an easy skill to learn, but it can be learned. Like I said earlier, it will take time and research and quite a bit of practice to get a handle on this one.

It will be worth it though. It’s a skill that will be beneficial in every single engineering job going forward.

Time Management

You’ll hear this one on the recommended skills list for a lot of jobs, but it’s especially important for a job in engineering. And it applies even more so if you’re going to find yourself moving up the ladder and entering a more senior position in the future. Much like what we said about data and information, there is just so much stuff going on. If you don’t have time management skills this stuff will get out of control.

After the ban on crude oil was lifted, prominent oil and gas companies in the United States made the decision to increase production while keeping costs down. Let’s think about the rise of autonomous haulage in terms of the transportation of oil and gas for example. It’s emerging in America and it’s going to shift the primary responsibilities in the haulage industry from drivers to engineers.

An engineer could now find themselves in charge of something that centers around delivery. And could have multiple autonomous vehicles under their command. Delivery is an area where being on time is hugely important, and with multiple vehicles, you’ll have to learn how to keep time in your control. It may seem like a tangent to go from discussing jobs in oil and gas engineering to delivery, but as we said already, the industry is changing.

These are the things that you need to think about going forward. To land an engineering job you need to be adaptable with your skills.

And you never can tell how things are going to change in the future, but you can be sure that time management is definitely going to be one of the skills that you need.

Managerial Skills

I’ve said this a couple of times now but I’ll reiterate it again: The number of engineers with a valued skill set is decreasing. This creates a massive opportunity for you. Not just to get one of these jobs, but to progress through it quicker than ever before. Oil and gas companies are not just looking for employees, they’re looking for a manager and team leaders. Someone who they can rely on to take charge of people and allow the business to keep running under their supervision.

You can be that person if you prepare for it. There’s a lot of things you need to think about if you want to be a manager. You’ll have to know how to come up with goals and delegation strategies that are suited to the specific industry. It’s also important that a manager has an understanding of how to work as part of a team. Being able to effectively communicate with those that work under you is a must. It will be up to you to solve any serious problems that your team is facing and in oil and gas, things go wrong quite often.

So really when it comes to being a manager, it’s not just one specific skill, it’s several different little skills that all come together to form the full package of a truly great manager. But you need it these days in this industry. It will put you a level above many of the others who are applying with just engineering experience.

Conclusion

If I gave you this list even just a couple of years ago, there’s be many different skills that you’d have to think about mastering. But these days the industry has changed and it will continue to change over the next several years too. The jobs are still there, and if you adapt to these changes you can nail one down for yourself.

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Oil and gas operations are commonly found in remote locations far from company headquarters. Now, it's possible to monitor pump operations, collate and analyze seismic data, and track employees around the world from almost anywhere. Whether employees are in the office or in the field, the internet and related applications enable a greater multidirectional flow of information – and control – than ever before.

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