Thoughts on best places, projects, groups to work in right now? Any new projects to be funded this year and ramp up staffing?
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I went to another operator. Amazing culture and more pay.
@lrq LOL no.
Same $hit, different toilet. That and they’re teeing-up WFRs for 2024. So are Shell, BP, Total, and everywhere else everyone is applying to.
If you want job security, get out of O&G.
Upstream - Guyana, LNG (Mozambique might be promising if it passes hurdle), Permian (with pioneer, it's the biggest thing since Guyana) , Denbury integration
P.Solutions: China 1, SAF, Advanced recycling or any other new niche stuff.
LCS - I'd let that cook for a little longer.
Trading / Commercial: trading is building something new, so could be exciting if you can navigate the top mgmt style. Getting commercial or business development experience would you serve you long term, and it's transferable in the industry.
Supply Chain - We are building something new here are well, so might be exciting although pressure to deliver value will be high...
Avoid other centralized functions (EMTEC, GBS, GO&S, Controllers, HR) if feasible ... except you're going to planning, S&D or similar "hi-vis" roles. I fully expect continued shrinkage and work migration to low cost centers, MSPs for these groups. I don't for see this changing as long as DWW and KAM are at the helm.. so that's 6 - 7 more years of downward pressure...
I also left and went to Shell. I took a slight pay cut, but it was well worth it.
But now they are getting ready to do massive cuts, so the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.
Stay away from GO&S, pure cesspool with toxic leadership to put it mildly..
The question is based on the wrong premise: that somehow someone who is not a nepo or hipo can choose the good position to move to. There are some good places to move to - places that senior management has decided to declare “success” irrespective of the actual outcome. This was always the case. Yet the really good places/projects are already staffed with the chosen ones. If you go there you are likely among the chosen ones. If you are not a chosen one, you will not go there even if you ask (in the rare case that you go there because you ask, you will end up being the run of the litter).
I understand that for those that are not chosen and they are somewhere around the middle of the distribution or higher, there is the thought that there are some relatively better groups or assignments that could provide somewhat better prospects or more security.
This is true based on my experience but also marginal. Aside from the “top tier” projects already covered (out of reach), it is difficult to predict which ones among the middle tier will “succeed” or “survive” within EM. Every upper middle manager has a favorite pet project. Its success or not rarely depends on how the project actually went but whether the silent fight in the background among managers along with the randomness of assignments in the L1/L2 category made that project the favorite (middle tier) one.
So the effort for you to chose based on probability of success is meaningless. An effort that was promoted by a certain L2 that became L1, was abandoned when this person moved on.
It makes more sense to chose/ask based on family priorities / locations or what you like to do.. Management always has needs for moves and likely the move will be commensurate to where management has placed you already. It will not protect you or accelerate your (predetermined) path but will give you a better year or two.
So, it is a fallacy to think that a right move will “fire” your career progression. It will not.
Yes, there are some rare exceptions. And I know a couple of people that benefited by being in the right place at the right time like when a certain low level manager was unexpectedly fired for cause, someone had to become “acting” and the lazy l2/l3 made that move eventually permanent. It is clear though that this demonstrates the randomness of the event.
West Qurna
I went to shell and love it. BIG culture change in a good way
@Irq lol
Chevron?
Trick question.
The best place to work is at your own business.
Global Projects has left the chat.
None
Nowhere.
Your career is not your own. Some id--t manager will advocate for your rotation to the worst jobs possible.