O&G is boom-bust cycle is over, period. Just like coal. Don't deny this. Everyone in the job market is learning data analysis or computer science skills.
To those young ones, please start to take CS courses or data courses online if you don't want to do sales or HR jobs and want to make fat paychecks.
To those old fellows, I respect what you did. When I graduated, I worked with couple of old engineers who led me into this industry. Back in 2015 downturn, lots of them were laid off voluntarily so as to get buyout package or severance package as they would not get nothing when they retire.
The world is changing, one way or another, but O&G will not boom again. If anyone missed the buy out package last summer, it's a good time to be voluntarily laid off in July as there will be second round lay off before NOV publish 2nd quarter loss.
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To the wanna be computer scientists and data analysts, the Chinese and Indians are already doing this. So you will be competing against someone who is paid so far below the American standard of living, you won’t be able to survive in that sector.
There are a few exceptions like those in government & defense Positions which require US citizenship.
I always thought O&G was an energy business.
I know an old guy who, now retired, vice president of a couple oil drilling businesses said the same. Oil and gas is pretty much over. There will be a return but the big money days are pretty well over. You wont see it, what it used to be. Im just gonna go fishing.
Did you mean to say "O&G is a cyclical business"?
I agree, as an engineer that many technologies are evolving.
Robotics
Model Based Design
Simulation
AI
5G
IIOT - (industrial internet of things)
Data Analytics (big data)
All of these will depend on energy, and require it in in larger and larger magnitudes.
Besides fossil fuels, solar (electro voltaic) , wind/wave/tidal generator variants, biological, nuclear, etc, will play larger roles.
This will be a revolution, but Energy Storage Devices (batteries, hydrogen, thermal mass, plant based tech) will play key roles in the future economy and our way of life.
In the mean time, there are economic and physical limitations if these technologies.
If the United States would like to continue to be a world power, and actually make things (food, consumer products, transportation, and consumer goods), we will need more and more power and usable water.
In the meanwhile, cars still run on gasoline or diesel, as do planes, trains and ocean going vessels.
This won’t change immediately.
What sets us apart from the rest of the world, is it technology?
Much of our best technology has been stolen and exported out of the United States with stupid smiles on the faces of those who allowed it.
I say for some, not all, there will continue to be energy related, and agricultural related jobs here.
Another point, COVID-19 has shown that when times are tough, we are on our own.
Countries must provide for security of their inhabitants. This is the primary role of government.
More critical and essential stuff needs to be available here within our borders.
This will at least mean that people can continue to innovate and improve in those industries.
Think about the following:
Put scientific knowledge in your gas tank and see how far you can go?
Put brainpower in you pantry does it feed your kids?