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I worked for three years on and off doing the same thing as what @Locomote mentioned above (drilling engineer). I started at the bottom but since I had a degree in engineering I was able to quickly move up. Back when it was busy if you had a pulse and could stay semi sober for two weeks you had a job. It is definitely more competitive now.
It was a great three years but I am glad it is over. It is a high stress environment. When my personal equipment failed (instrumentation for directional drilling) every minute of downtime was wasted dollars as the whole rig waits on you. Imagine trying to fix something when you have 20 people watching you and every minute is costing a few thousand dollars. I have had shifts where I had to stay awake two days straight under huge pressure trying to troubleshoot or figure out a solution. I remember one job where I had to drive five hours to another rig to get a part after being awake already for 40 hours. I was falling asleep at the wheel but had no other choice - make it work or quit. Probably one of the most dangerous things I have done but I just always refused to give up. I have worked in -50 too and got slight frostbite once.
I learned to work under major stress with all sorts of people in all sorts of conditions. It is a high testosterone, non PC workplace - totally normal to hear a ton of racist, sexist jokes all the time and no one cares. If you can crack it its actually really fun too.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned but it a tough lifestyle. Its a "make you or break you"type environment.
If you can make it you will have a bunch of skills to use elsewhere in life when you finish.
It was a great three years but I am glad it is over. It is a high stress environment. When my personal equipment failed (instrumentation for directional drilling) every minute of downtime was wasted dollars as the whole rig waits on you. Imagine trying to fix something when you have 20 people watching you and every minute is costing a few thousand dollars. I have had shifts where I had to stay awake two days straight under huge pressure trying to troubleshoot or figure out a solution. I remember one job where I had to drive five hours to another rig to get a part after being awake already for 40 hours. I was falling asleep at the wheel but had no other choice - make it work or quit. Probably one of the most dangerous things I have done but I just always refused to give up. I have worked in -50 too and got slight frostbite once.
I learned to work under major stress with all sorts of people in all sorts of conditions. It is a high testosterone, non PC workplace - totally normal to hear a ton of racist, sexist jokes all the time and no one cares. If you can crack it its actually really fun too.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned but it a tough lifestyle. Its a "make you or break you"type environment.
If you can make it you will have a bunch of skills to use elsewhere in life when you finish.
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