Thread regarding Chevron Corp. layoffs

I worked industry for 10 years, then 10 years in consulting, now back in industry. Consulting will teach you how to manage your time (billable hours, like an attorney) and produce quality deliverables the first time. You will be exposed to many companies and diverse projects and you WILL get job offers from happy clients. That's a fact, Jack!

Graduated from Princeton in 83. I perceived the world differently the, got great reviews. Tier I undergrad and grad schools. And promised to never get layed off by my boss until he laid me off. I got laid off in 86 from a supermajor. NO JOBS for engineers. I swallowed my pride and took a job as a roustabout. I hated that job so bad for the first few months......then it hit me.....I know more than any engineer in this industry. Being in the field everyday gave me experience no one had or has. I loved those days.....running mud logs, to throwing chain. I was 25 years ahead of everyone in 5 when the market chained and I became a PM.

I like the CDL idea, if nothing else it puts money in your pocket and shows on your resume you are a worker and know how to make things happen.

Consulting with no experience doesn't seem like a good idea...now contract labor on the other hand does.

@IhhhbwP-1wpb - That is a very good point RE: the career center. I have reached out to them and updated my online profile, but my school is by no means prestigious and is not getting any industry attention at the moment.

@IhhhbwP-1ejm - Do you think consulting is viable for someone with so little experience?

OP, have you tried doing some consulting work? You can contact the better recruiting firms that specialize in hiring professionals in your field of specialty. Let them know you are interested in working on a contract basis for a Fortune 500 company. In this energy downturn period, any top notch employers prefer to remain flexible in their staffing needs. They are also very careful in their own hiring of permanent employees. Most are preferring to hire a professional on a contract basis for a year at a time. If you prove yourself to be a productive asset to them, they are likely to hire you as an employee. You are single with no children. You may be more flexible to travel or move if necessary. Good luck to you.

You say you were a second-year FE. If that means you have only been out of college two years, then I would recommend you register your resume and employment needs with your college campus career center. When I was laid off in a downturn many years ago, my college career center helped me to get a job again in the industry, because the oil companies that normally recruit there will most certainly be looking for talent again, and if you are registered, they will get ahold of your info. Now, I don't know how much recruiting, if any, they will do this September/October, but that customary recruiting cycle is coming up soon, so I recommend you get your resume together now. The other advice is just keep networking...I found that in the first few months after I got laid off, there were some "odd jobs" in the industry out there with some consulting firms, but it took awhile longer to get on with an upstream oil & gas company again. Use your campus career center for support.