Best Profiles

It is commonly thought that anyone interested in developing a career in energy should have a technical degree in geology, maths, engineering or another hard science. As it is a sector that is technology intensive, there are an unsurprisingly high number of people with a more technically oriented profile present in the sector.

This is especially true for those who develop a career in energy within oil companies, pipelines, refineries, equipment manufacturers or grid operating organizations; conversely it is not so evident in banking, investment funds and other consulting firms.

The former demand employees to have a solid academic background in hard sciences, to feel comfortable amongst sophisticated technical instruments, to be able to manage a specific jargon and to feel at ease in a workplace full of engineers, geologists, seismologists, mathematicians and so on. The latter set of employers focus less on the technical aspects related to pursuing a career in energy, and more on making sure the prospective candidate is able to successfully manage an investment portfolio or financial accounts related to such a complex industry.

Therefore, it is obvious that prospective candidates that have a highly technically oriented profile due to their academic undergraduate or graduate degrees will have a greater chance of pursuing a career in energy. Engineers feel comfortable amongst other engineers and they understand the same jargon; energy-related business organizations are also more likely to hire people that they consider to be able to understand the complexity of the industry in a small amount of time.

However, if you come from an arts or humanities background, you can still pursue and achieve a successful and challenging career in the industry. There is no doubt that, given strong credentials and a competitive application, your profile will definitely attract the attention of the reviewer of your CV. In order to be accepted as part of the industry, you will have to tailor your resume, introductory letter and your whole presentation during the interview to meet the requirements of the employer. You should ensure you build a compelling and convincing story through which you highlight your ability for analytical thinking, working with numbers, your passion for the industry and, if applicable, the technical background or experience you may have. Prospective candidates interested in the challenges that a career in energy implies should also bear in mind that these companies expect a long-term commitment from their employees.

Thus, they are more likely to hire people able to live locally in the area in which the business organization is located, be this home or abroad.