Few days ago, my friend just had a chance to interview new hire wireline engineer from Schlumberger about how Schlumberger interviews candidates. This is very good information for new graduates who would like to work in the oil industry.
For someone who doesn’t have an idea who Schlumberger is, I would like to give a little bit background. Schlumberger is the biggest upstream service company in oil industry. The company has all kinds of oil field specialist services as wireline logging, formation evaluation, MWD, LWD, directional drilling, oil well cementing, fracturing, etc.
Why Schlumberger is good for new graduates?
Schlumberger offers most of candidate to work internationally and the company pays in US dollars. As a new hire with Schlumberger (2011), starting salary is almost 5000 us dollars without job bonuses. Moreover, the company offers intensive training which will move new employees to higher position within short period of time compared to other service companies.
Are there any bad things about working with Schlumberger?
Sure… the company will assign tough jobs with less time off and some people must work in remote areas which can be danger for their lives.
Well, it is still a tradeoff between life and money. In my opinion, working with Schlumberger is a very good experience.
How Schlumberger will interview you?
Getting hired with Schlumberger is not an easy job because personnel need to prepare and know how to present themselves properly. By following the interview guideline, you will have more chance to get the Schlumberger job.
What type of person that Schlumberger is looking for?
Schlumberger is looking for new engineers who have outstanding leadership skills. Working in the oilfield under pressure is not a condition that everyone can withstand, therefore engineers must be able to handle tough situations which can happen anytime.
Moreover, the company wants engineers who can manage business effectively and professionally. Interviewers will ask you what you will do if personnel drops and the employees aren’t performing well. Also, as a new engineer, candidates must be able to impress clients and deliver professional services.
Additionally, the company looks for people with highly self-motivated personalities. As an engineer, you must show a “can do” attitude, no matter how tough the situation is.
How will Schlumberger interview people?
Schlumberger has a special interview program. Interviewees will go through the steps listed below:
1. Introduce yourself: You must proficiently introduce yourself in English and you will then be asked about your strengths and weaknesses. Interviewers will, of course, ask you why you are interested in the position.
2. Attend a group project: If you are selected as a candidate, you will get a chance to do a group project. Many potential new hires will be separated into groups and a project will be assigned to each group with specific criteria. Once the group is formed, a project manager must be assigned. If you’re hoping to be hired, volunteering yourself as the project manager is recommended. After the group project, each group will present what they did during the activity. You will need to be enthusiastic and show leadership.
3. Interview with HR manager: At this stage, you will be interviewed by the Schlumberger manager. Even though you have already passed the second stage, you will need to make a good impression on the manager as well. Basically, he/she will ask you general questions and look for how well you present yourself. They will also give you an example of a tough situation to see how well you would handle that situation.
4. Get field exposure: This is the last step before you are hired by Schlumberger. You will be sent into the field to see how everyone works. There will some things you’ll need to learn during this dream. While on location, you should be eager to learn and ask a lot of questions, since you’ll be monitored closely and evaluated during the field exposure. However, if by now you feel the job isn’t suited for you, you can reject the company offer later on. It’s a win-win situation.
If you pass all four steps, Schlumberger will hire you as a trainee engineer. You can see that the interview process is pretty tough and time consume.
How can you prepare yourself for the Schlumberger interview?
• Language – if you are not a native English speaker, you may need to improve your communication skill especially when speaking and listening.
• Leadership – the leadership skill is the biggest skill the company is looking for. You must demonstrate this in order to get the job.
• Eagerness and enthusiasm – you need to show them that you are eager to learn and looking for a challegne in your career.
Finally, I wish this article would help you out for preparing your interview with Schlumberger.
