I've been offered a job as a trainee field engineer. I honestly dont know if WFD is really serious or they will just let me go on my first day or something like that. I'm supposed to be part of this new NextGen program thing. Should I accept this job or should I just find another company, since this one is probably gonna go under soon?
30 replies (most recent on top)
April 20th should be a holiday.
@HIVVVBB-bOcja -- Who are you, the entry level HR employee who believes the BS the company has shoveled or are you the poor recruiter who needs to hype this company so you can fill some spots?
My guess would be that you are working in the Rockies and just enjoying the High Life.
Weatherford is a great company to work for we strive to hire the best people.
So, you’re working an average of 14 hrs a day every day? I think I’ll call BS on this.
Either you are exceeding safe working hours which would mean WFT is putting you at risk, or you’re full of it.
At roughly 20/hr based on the numbers you gave, you need to rethink what your doing
$2,000 gross up for tax (*1.3 =2,600)
$20*40=$800. Straight
$30*60=$1,800 OT
Its not that bad. I'm doing very well here and training or education for anyone is what you make of it. If you want good training, do research and you will learn faster. All these posts are from 2 years ago when the price of oil was terrible. That is why there is such negative feedback. Hourly rate is not as important as weekly hours when it comes to a field engineer position. I am averaging 100 hours per week and Bringing home over $2000 per week. FYI you don't actually work 100 hours per week. There is a lot of driving, eating and sleeping that you will be paid for. If you want good money, take a field engineer position anywhere and tell your manger you want to work. If he wont let you then talk to HR and tell them you want to be transferred somewhere where there is more work available. Weatherford is somewhat respected in oil and gas. yes, they were hit very hard by the downturn, but they are still one of the oil field service giants and the company will not fail anytime soon. I know this because their bonds are going for $80 right now which is not bad. This means they have the ability to pay back people who are lending money. Experience is experience and that is that. Take the job!!!
Are you able to provide a post 2 year review. What are your experiences like with the company. Is it true what some of the posters on this thread have said? Thanks
Last poster, it's ironic that you're saying I should go back to school when you're the one being juvenile. I'm guessing you don't really have much to do with your life now that you don't have a job. I posted this to get some insight on the company as a new hire and not to ask for your or anyone else's help in making this decision.
To the poster before that, no I am not a national of KSA nor UAE. I am an "expat" myself. So no, I was not hired just to serve in a localization scheme to satisfy the authorities.
This is comedy. The people responding to you are ex wft employees and after how many years away from the company still stay loyal - even if negative, thats why they are cruising the forum.
Lets take a look at you. You've been offered a job but are apprehensive because of what? My friend, if you cant decide whether a job is suitable or not - what chance has the company got of getting a logical firm decision from you regarding the dangers of the hydrocarbon industry.
Better you go back to school and study child care or go back to the supermarket job you had in university.
I assume you are Saudi or UAE? If so that would be the only reason they are chasing after you. KSA is trying to eliminate/reduce the number of expats in the country and thus making it every expensive for them to be there. There was many good engineers that went through the training school in Fort Worth in 2014 in the same course you will be going through and then were layed off shortly afterwards.
The other thing you need to consider is that once you work for Weatherford the chances of you getting hired with SLB or HAL are almost non existent. That also goes with with most oil and gas operators. Experience gained with Weatherford is not well recognized within the oil and gas industry, Trust me on that one.
Most of the comments that are on this thread are right on the money in regards to the way the company is. They aquired many good companies with a lot of long term employees and then proceeded to run them into the ground. The people either left or they got rid of them. The cost of purchasing these companies has been masked by a booming oil industry in previous years but anytime there was any lull in activity their first reaction was to lay off people. Not a very healthy atmosphere to have been in.
Your managers will likely be all be ex SLB as that's the way they role. They guys couldn't make to a management role at SLB so they jumped over to Weatherford. So if you have any thoughts of progression forget it because there will always be that standing in your way.
lol Well, it's the only decent offer I got, so I have no choice but to sign. I don't want to go back to school and finding a job in other industries as a P.E. grad is almost impossible. If I get an offer at an operator though I'd certainly leave, even if the money isn't as good.
Dude I knew you would and you knew all the time. Verily verily you will not be there in two years.
I just signed the contract. Thanks all for the suggestions/warnings.
Just saying this, engineers have been put on hourly rates. Basically limited to 40 per week. 2 furlough days per month. Heard the hourly rate is not much more than a shop tech.
Run. Take your chances and wait for an offer from a real company.
Don't be stupid and take the job if u plan on staying and dedicate yourself to them until you are too old to get retrained somewhere else cause they won't because then they think your too old and will not have many years of service left then u will be screwed,ll know this after 15+yrs
CEO Bernard Duroc-Danner has “personally” destroyed Weatherford International. Instead of organically growing Weatherford, Bernard chose to grow through mergers and acquisitions for 14 years. Try to obtain employment with Schlumberger, Halliburton or a smaller independent service company. Gaining experience is important, but with Weatherford’s current inexperienced management and minimum employees in the field environment, working there could be a safety hazard or career hazard for a new engineer. Don’t start your career with a loser.
Take the job, benefit from training, take the experience from doing job and from the expericed colleagues (If you are hired by Saudi Wireline the have some very good engineers to gain experience from) after that you will find yourself going to the other company in the same compound for more money. Your first goal should be making it to Houston for training, we need this center to keep employing couple people!
Do you have any OTHER offers?
No?
Accept for job experience.
In 6 months get another job.
Yes?
Take the OTHER job
Don't bother you can do better.
I wish you well. WFT is hands down one of the Dumbest organizations I have ever been associated with in my 37 year career, and I've worked for Brown & Root if tells you anything. How they (WFT) ever made it this far is truly one of the great mysteries of the Oil & Gas industry! As a former employee (3 years ago) I could never wrap my head around how they could fail at such a grand scale and with such enthusiasm.
WFT would buy very profitable companies with loyal long term employees and within 3 years totally destroy every aspect of it.
Good Luck young man...give'm Hell!
Well congrats! Discuss any doubt with HR...
It depends on what product line you go into. Wire line will train you and let you work. Any other product line will give you basic training and then give you routine admin tasks. This company does not respect engineers and will do nothing for your career. Apply with Halliburton or SLB. After five years you can apply for a managerial role with wft with more experience than you'll get with this company. My career was going great until I ran into "senior" management. These people will keep all the tasks for themselves, complain about all the hours they work, and will never allow anyone to gather experience to protect their career. Run away from wft as fast as you can.
Middle east region is doing well, take the job but ask for more than what they are offering. They dont give raises or bonuses, so you will be stuck with the same salary for as long as you are there. Ask for more pay.
Don't bother engineers never last, they are a big waste of company money
Thanks a lot for the reply. I will take it.
Wish y'all good luck in life.
Take the job you'll be fine. No job lasts forever in oil and gas anyway. If a guy has been in a position for 5 years straight nowdays that's a long time.
I left WFT, but I was in the US and it's been bad here for a long while. I did like a lot of things about WFT. The leaders suck, but pay was good, benefits were good, I was a manager and I like to think my guys liked me and appreciated what I did for them. I had two great bosses and then 3 terrible ones. Number 3 was the worst and that is why I left. I couldn't get the man to understand what we did. I think in the Middle East you will find some excellent people. I worked with those guys at times. Take the job and just see where it goes.
Take the job, especially if you've been having a hard time finding something. MENA is doing better than most regions. Most of the guys comments here are from the US,which is in the tank. A job is a job as is experience. You already don't have a job, might as well take this one.
Anything special is crushed, almost as if on purpose. Strange place.
Thank you for the reply. I am a fresh graduate and this would be my first job (if I take it). As a Petroleum Engineering graduate, I've been having a very hard time finding a job. I'm really not sure if I should take this or not. I am from the Middle East if that helps. Apparently we are doing a little "better" than other regions. The things I read on this site though, really not encouraging. :(
I would run. This company does not have the leadership and ask anyone who has been around for any time how often they fail at these programs. When they do they just spend millions and give it a new name. Wish you luck.