Advices for entry level chemical engineer looking for a career start in Houston

[mikeincg]

www.indeed.com if you cant find a chem e job here you are not looking

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by yinghawl

Thank for your advices. I really appreciate it. To be honest, I am not a citizen here. Authority of working here is another big issue for me. But, I really wish to get some practice industrial working experiences before I go back to my country. I really don't mind getting lower-than-average wages. For me, gaining experience is previous and my priority.

This is the issue, most prefer not to sponsor visa for a new engineer with no oil and gas experience. Also most oil and gas operators (the bigger ones) hire future leaders more so than engineers for a specific job. The service companies on the other hand do have specific job demand before they hire. I agree trying with the service companies is a good idea. Also if you are flexible location wise and would or could work in N. Dakota, the demand there far exceeds supply but finding a nice place to live might be an issue.

The work visa is an issue and likely limits your ability to work as a contract engineer to get your foot in the door as most employers of contract engineers dont sponsor work visa.

You made a good decision to come to Houston for your search. I agree, talk with a head hunter who s focused on Houston.

[highguard]

Originally Posted by yinghawl

Thank for your advices. I really appreciate it. To be honest, I am not a citizen here. Authority of working here is another big issue for me. But, I really wish to get some practice industrial working experiences before I go back to my country. I really don't mind getting lower-than-average wages. For me, gaining experience is previous and my priority.

Your chances of finding work (excluding your out-of-state and gpa (which is not bad I have seen worse getting jobs)) dropped to almost impossible. It's very, very hard for someone with B.S in any kind of engineering get sponsorship for a work visa or H-1 with so much competition already and especially in these times of anti-immigration fervor which resonates a lot with conservatives and Texas is a Red state. I know people with Ph.D's in Engineering still struggle to get a H-1 work authorization. So without a Master's I will say you are better off going back to your country and starting your career there or go back for a Grad degree at the least before you look for work here.

Sorry..I have seen lot of people in your shoes and this is the brutal and cold truth.

[Ketabcha]

Have you checked with area water works? Water will always employ people because it is a valuable resource.

[bamba_boy]

A suggestion. With your internships in nanno-technology and pharma you're not a ready made upstream or downstream energy engineer candidate, esp. with as you say admittedly not a sterling perfect GPA from glamour school. It does say that your're a smart, capable guy able to flexibly learn on the job a diversity of skills. A very possible way to break into the energy business at a professional, not "roughneck/roustabout" level, would be to apply to Schlumberger, Baker-Hughes, Halliburton, or other service companies as a field engineer. Most polished young engineering grads with Petroleum Engineering degrees or refinery internships to boast on their CE degrees won't stoop to working offshore, in hot desert conditions, etc. but go to research labs or major integrated oil company offices. The field engineers make good salaries which they can bank a large % of (or pay off student loans). It will burnish your resume and let you see what engineers really do in the trenches to collect subsurface reservoir quality and hydrocarbon producibility data, get wells drilled successfully, prevent or put-out hydrocarbon kicks, all sorts of exciting stuff. Most become supervisors, if they're sharp, and into the A/C'd office by the time they're in their late 20s/early 30s or hired on to E&P companies with a wealth of hands on experience.

[cm1988]

Hi, yinhawl

I just see your post today. I'm in the similar situation. I graduated this May with a MS degree in Chemical Engineering from Chicago, my MS thesis was on multiphase flow simulation using CFD, have 4.0g GPA and one publication, but seems not helpful in job searching at all....
I found a job in August and worked on a project doing purification for vitamin E.
After few months working there, I realized that's not the right direction that I want to build my career.
I moved to Houston 2 days a go trying to find some engineer position in oil&gas industries.

How's your job searching going? any advise for newbies like me?