Oil and gas jobs can be fast paced, high paying careers. From drilling jobs to energy careers, natural gas jobs to jobs in the oil industry, there are positions for men and women alike, all of which pay top dollar for the best, the brightest and the hardest workers.

Oil and gas jobs start at the rigs that pump the crude to the refineries that process it. Natural gas is another resource that also has its own processes, and all of which requires transport to distribution sites. Employment in the oil industry and gas industry can be easily found by taking advantage of the many job locators available online.

To start making the most of oil and gas jobs:

1. Review overview material on the oil and gas jobs industry. Look at the pay scales, the hours and the types of work and decide if this the career path for you.

2. Start looking at job sites for oil and gas jobs. Post your resume and apply for online listings.

3. Think globally when it comes to jobs in the oil industry. Consider moving abroad to find the best jobs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start with gas and oil industry jobs overview info

Begin your search with overview information on the pay scales, types of work and job details for oil and gas jobs. If the position you are interested in is labor intensive and takes you away from home that they pay is worth the effort, and vice versa if the position is highly technical and requires a great deal education that you are equally compensated.

I recommend: Take advantage of the oil industry job overview information and materials available through JobMonkey. 1-oil-job.com is another comprehensive career information source on the industry.

Jump right into oil and gas jobs sites

Take advantage of the many oil and gas jobs job posting sites available. Post your resume, and start applying for oil and gas jobs today.

I recommend: Start the registration process at OilandGas Employers to post your resume. Browse the job listings, then register on The Employment Guide.

Consider going abroad for your oil and gas jobs

Oil and gas are a global market, and oil and gas jobs available worldwide. If you have no particular home ties, or the money is that lucrative, consider a career abroad.

I recommend: Go global with oil, gas and petroleum job listings from Worldwideworker. Open a free account to find jobs worldwide through Oil Offshore Marine.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Gas jobs, energy jobs and oil jobs can be competitive. Make sure that you have cleaned up your resume. Check, double check, and triple check it before hitting the submit key, and make sure also that you have strong references.

With the rising costs and of oil and gas, the increased demand for oil and gas worldwide and the soaring profits of oil and gas companies, it's a great time to look for oil and gas jobs.

If you have a background in the geological sciences, geophysics, reservoir engineering, petrophysics, hydrology or facilities engineering, energy jobs may fit in well with your career goals.

Ways to look for jobs in the oil industry or careers in the gas industry include:

1. Through professional organizations.

2. In newspaper listings from cities with thriving energy industries.

3. In online listings of jobs in the oil and gas industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for energy careers through professional organizations

Many professional organizations provide job postings for both members and non-members alike.

I recommend: Look in the classified ads section of the Explorer publication from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) for oil industry jobs. Check out available jobs posted on the website of the Geological Society of America's website. Become a member of the American Geophysical Union, and apply for oil and gas jobs on their website. Female job seekers can look for oil and gas industry jobs on the website of the Association for Women Geoscientists.

Locate jobs posted on oil and gas company websites

If you want to find a career in the energy industry, view the websites of oil and gas companies. Many oil and gas companies have job descriptions on their websites as well as online applications.

I recommend: Search for jobs with Royal Dutch Shell online by entering your career specialization as well as your preferred work location. Look for oil and gas jobs with ExxonMobil by selecting a work location on their interactive map online. Find job vacancies for both recent graduates and experienced hires with British Petroleum (BP) or with ConocoPhillips.

Browse newspapers from cities with thriving energy industries

As you search for both natural gas jobs and oil jobs, you will find energy companies clustered in certain cities throughout the United States. The major newspapers in these cities often contain ads of available oil industry jobs.

I recommend: Find oil industry jobs in the Houston, TX area by looking at the job postings in the Houston Chronicle. Locate job vacancies in the oil and gas industry in Denver, CO by searching in the Denver Post. Read the job postings for oil jobs in the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City, OK. Find natural gas jobs and oil industry jobs in the Times-Picayune from New Orleans, LA.

Find available oil and gas jobs in online oil and gas job directories

With the thriving oil and gas industry, you can now find job search engines that cater to those looking for oil and gas industry jobs. At these sites, you can enter in pertinent information such as the job type desired, your education and experience levels and preferred job location.

I recommend: Seek jobs in the energy industry with the Energy Jobs Portal. Find oil and gas jobs using the Energy Jobs Network search tool or through Earthworks online.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider using a recruiter to help you find oil and gas jobs. A recruiter may have contacts with companies in the energy industry and can possibly find you job opportunities before they post to the general public.
• •  Don't discount looking at smaller oil and gas companies when looking for jobs in the energy industry. If you are an experienced hire, smaller companies will likely have an interest in you because they may not want to have to extensively train their new hires.

Oil and gas jobs are out there for the right men and women ready to leave home and work hard. Many jobs are available to people willing work long hours and put in hard labor. Many jobs are available for people with a lot of education. Whether they are oil industry jobs, natural gas jobs, energy jobs or oil jobs, companies are looking to hire the best, the brightest and the hardest workers available, and they are willing to pay top dollar in this high paying industry.

Oil and gas jobs provide a national energy staple to this country. As Americans we rely on fossil fuels and natural gas energy to fuel our cars and run our homes. Oil industry employment starts from the rigs that pump the crude to refineries that convert it and more. Jobs in the oil industry also require the people who oversee all of those processes as well.

To discover more about oil and gas jobs basics:

1. Look at posting sites for oil and gas jobs.

2. Sign up for a membership or trial membership to find oil and gas jobs.

3. Target jobs straight at the companies hiring for gas and oil industry jobs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Try an oil and gas jobs search engine

Use an oil and gas jobs search engine to find a particular job title, employer or job location that you are interested in.

I recommend: Run a career search on OilGasCareer.com. Search the job opportunities worldwide found through InfoMine. There you can search by employer, by country or by title.

Consider a membership when looking for oil industry jobs

Oil industry jobs can also be found on sites that require you to sign up for a membership service. The investment is well worth the cost of the fee if the membership fee pays off in a short while.

I recommend: Sign up for a trial membership to OilJobFinder. A five day trial membership runs less than $5, or you can choose other membership options in 30-day, 90-day or six-month increments. If you sign up for six months, you get six months free. Sign up for a membership to Oil Career. Their options come with a 90-day money back guarantee.

Target specific companies for oil industry jobs

Go into the industry knowing which companies for which you might want to pursue oil industry jobs. Start with their career pages first if you think they would be a good fit for you.

I recommend: Look at career opportunities with a company like Baker Hughes. They have been in business for nearly 100 years, and they service the oil and natural gas industry. Take advantage of the career opportunities for a business like BP, who employs over 96,000 people in 100 countries.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If opting to try the oil and gas jobs memberships sites, go for the less expensive trial membership first just to get a better idea of what the site looks like before committing to a longer period of time. Oil and gas industry jobs are high paying, but there is no use spending too much money if you can spend a little amount on a trial membership first.
• •  When looking at oil gas jobs membership sites, also look for the online Better Business Bureau logo to ensure that it is an accredited business.

Oil and gas jobs can be a great way to earn your living, but it's important to know what to apply for. This industry has its own set of vocabulary words and you wouldn't want to apply for a roustabout position when you have the qualifications of a drilling engineer. Additionally, you must be aware of the various OSHA standards that are set in order to keep workers safe. Once you know these terms, you will be on your way to a great career.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Roustabout

Not just the title of an Elvis movie, the roustabout is a position on the oil rig. It's the least skilled position, involving manual labor, but can be a great place to start your career.

I recommend: Learn a bit more about the position of a roustabout, including salary at Oil Rig Jobs.

Roughnecks

Roughneck jobs involve difficult physical work. They are slightly more skilled than roustabouts and work directly with oil production. The physical tasks they perform include fixing pipes, cleaning up spills and other mechanical tasks.

I recommend: Learn more of the specifics of the roughneck position at Oil Jobs 411.

Tool pusher

The tool pusher is the supervisor in charge of all the manual laborers. All of the devices on the oil and gas field are called tools, hence the origin of this title. As the person in charge, the tool pusher pushes all of the tools in order to ensure they are operating properly.

I recommend: At CareerPlanner.com, you can read a job description for a tool pusher and look for jobs to apply for.

Derrickman

The derrickman is another position on an oil rig. The person that does this job works on a platform high from the ground, attached to the derrick. He or she may help to repair pipes or set up and take down a new rig. This is a well-respected position and may be second or third in command, depending on the size of the company.

I recommend: 1-Oil-Job.com describes the position of derrickman, including job duties.

Drilling engineer

The drilling engineer, sometimes called a driller, is responsible for an entire oil or gas operation. They may design the plan, estimate costs and oversee the process from start to finish. This is a highly skilled position, usually requiring an advanced degree.

I recommend: At Prospects, you can learn more about the position of a drilling engineer.

OSHA standards

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets the rules and standards for all industries that keep workers safe. They have a specific set of standards for those in the oil and gas industry.

I recommend: Learn the OSHA standards that apply specifically to the oil and gas industries.