You may not realize it but the major integrated oil companies have been tapping a resource of talent for years. As the numbers of graduates from Petroleum Engineering and Geology programs have declined there has been a huge gap created between the talented and experienced professionals who have been in the industry for many years and the young engineers coming into the work force. That gap is where the mid level engineers would be; the ones that didn’t enter the work force between 1990 and 2000.
So what do you do? Extend your retirees and tell them that the needs of your company outweigh their right to take an earned vacation in their twilight years? Do you increase your salaries and try to attract employees from other companies? Do you hire people from an alternative industrial space and train them?
YES! YES! AND YES!
One more thing…
You take a look at a new candidate pool altogether…
The ranks of the Military offers a resource of focused and dedicated problem solvers who have been operating in high stress environments and facing unusual challenges for over 200 years with unparalleled success.
The Military officer has been trained to think quickly under pressure and accomplish the directed mission despite overwhelming opposition, with limited resource, for a generally unappreciative benefactor. Not unappreciative because they don’t see the value but unappreciative because they can not comprehend the challenges that are faced. Sometimes we say, “Thank you for your service” and we quite frankly have no idea what in fact we are truly thanking them for. The sad truth is that so often we only focus on what they haven’t done.
• They haven’t designed a high-pressure vessel for use in a refinery ~ so?
• They have never stopped the production line at Coca-Cola to change out a motor control unit ~ and?
• They have never sat on the board of a Fortune ranked company ~ is that important?
The world is full of successful firsts and even more full of experienced failures but focusing on statistics and odds is not the way to select your next Six Sigma Implementation manager or Maintenance Reliability Engineer. The first time anyone ever did something in one area was surely after a successful venture in another. So let’s discuss what the typical Junior Military Officer has done…
• Graduate from a service academy or ROTC program at traditional university, owing 3-5yrs military service upon graduation
• Relocation 2-3 times
• Extensive travel
• Avg. work week of 60-70hrs
• Direct supervision of 20-200 people
• Accountability for millions of dollars of equip.
• Total responsibility for maint., safety, and operation
• Project mgt. responsibility (systems integration, network administration, new equip. fielding, acquisitions, budgeting, manpower planning and training).
Qualities you can expect…
• Exceptional maturity & proven leadership ~ they have been given more responsibility than other people their age
• Ability to do more with less ~ Let’s face it sometimes that supply line is short and you can’t wait for the replacement. The planning required of a JMO is to be ready for the contingent situations
• Superlative stress tolerance ~ They keep going when the world is falling apart around them
• Strong team orientation and team-building skills ~ team building and support fo their co-worker is drilled into them from day 1.
• Adaptability and flexibility on location and hours ~ in both training environments as well as operational environments things change at a moments notice with no guarantee that they will not suddenly change back in the next moment. The life of a JMO is constant change
• Highly skilled and with a quicker learning curve ~ the training demands that you pick it up quick or you get left behind. The result is that the ones who make through are operating with great mental acuity and at a tremendous skill level
• Loyalty and stability ~ They volunteered to give their life for their country
As we discuss the value to a team we certainly want someone who is able to add more value in a shorter time and achieve the stated objectives within a tight budget as well as react to a change in the stated objective with an immediate positive impact.
When you’re looking for that next gem to add to your team, consider the faithful patriot with a hell of a lot more to offer than meets the eye.
