The regional oil and gas industry industry is expected to offer a great number of job opportunities in the next few years.

Estimates reveal that for every new job created in the oil and natural gas industry, three or more indirect jobs are also created in the economy.

Jaison Francis, founder-director of recruitment consultancy IRM Offshore Services, Doha-Qatar, shares certain golden rules to be followed when applying for a job in the industry:

* Set a career objective: With the plethora of career opportunities in oil and gas, it can be difficult to find your calling. Picture yourself in the future– look in the mirror and ask yourself ‘what is my dream, what is my highest potential and do I want to achieve that?’

‘What will your workplace look like, how will you treat your team and peers, what will you wear to work, what will create a great day, what will create a bad day? Really spend some time envisioning yourself in your new role. Your resume needs to reflect the career objective that communicates your strengths and potential.

* Build and grow your network: You need to understand yourself and know who you have in your network who may be able to help you. Reach out and ask for support or advice. The oil and gas recruitment industry thrives on referrals. While providing industry references is not a prerequisite, it certainly raises the credibility of your candidature considerably. Become comfortable asking for help from others, take a chance and call them or e-mail them. If they are willing to help, that’s great and if they are not that’s OK, thank them.

* Understand your strengths and weaknesses: Ask yourself these questions (and answer them)
1. What impact do I have on others? How do others perceive me?
2. Is this the same as I perceive myself?
3. What are my strengths?
4. What would others say my strengths are?
For instance, while it is a good practice to flaunt educational degrees, it always makes better sense to highlight technical skills and training certificates acquired as recruiters generally hunt for these. Similarly, if good English is your strength ensure to mention your proficiency levels to give an understanding of your language skills.
5. What are my weaknesses? What would others say my weaknesses are?
There is often a perceptual gap between how we see ourselves and how others see us – these are often called blind spots. Once you have an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses you will be well on your way to reaching your potential.

* Be honest: One cannot truly succeed and enjoy success until he/she has taken a risk, tried and failed. So if you have a gap in your career, it is best to be honest in your CV. A CV needs to be precise and up-to-date. While this seems like a hygiene factor, majority of the CVs do not make it to the shortlist primarily because they are outdated.

Also, when hiring expatriates, availability is of paramount importance.  CVs need to clearly mention the visa status, whether transferable, and notice period to be given to existing employer. Putting in visa details shows candidate’s readiness for the new job at hand.

The website www.irm-offshore.com offers information about job opportunities, career advice and industry insights. - TradeArabia News Service