Apprentership's in oil and gas trades

[rio_rex]

Hey guys, i need your input on starting a apprentership in the oil and gas trades feild. Specificaly, instrumentation, but general input on any trade related to oil/gas would be appreciated.

Heres the deal, i would like to start a apprentership to become a instrumentation tech/mech. And of course, the biggest problem is finding a suitable employer that will hire you and log your hours to be trained as a apprentice, and eventually earn your journeyman in your 4th year.

I took one year of the technology program offered at SAIT for instrumentation but found i did not like it, ie. the programing in it (i enjoy working with my hands more). After i quit sait i worked for a electrical instrumentation fab shop for a bit (they didn't offer apprenterships), and now am in the process of finding a employer that will apprentership me. The problem is...after sending in numerous resume's, no one will hire me! For the people on the forum that have experience in the trades, what did you do to start off your apprentership? Did u just send a few resumes out to numerous shops, contractors untill they hired you? Did you have connections or contacts that landed you a job? Please discuss...your input would be appreciated alot!:thumbsup:

[Ven]

Insturmentation is a great professional trade, once you've become expreienced you can pretty much write your own cheque. However if you don't like the training and/or work don't waste time on finding a job in that field. Formerly an apprentice and being still involved in the apprenticeship industries, I can tell you that sending out just resumes isn't normally gonna cut it. You need to find out the contacts of who's going to be doing the hiring and make yourself physically known there. Meet some people, and do lots of call backs. Have your resume checked, and if needed, modified by someone who absolutely knows what they're doing.

[IggyB]

I do instrumentation for a living but do sit in an office all day looking at the screen.:) Programming is not all there is to instrumentation, I've been doing field instruments such as PSV's flow meters and such for a long time. It's still interesting.

Start sending resumes to companies out of town. Red Deer, Lloydminster, Ft MacMoney (Murray), etc. There's lots of oilfield service companies that need bodies and they're usually located in places where you may not wish to reside for more than a few years.

Working with your hands is fun for a while, but the older you get the less you want to work outdoors in the winter.

[rio_rex]

Ok, thx for the info guys, and yes i tottally agree with your points about sending out resumes to companies that are actually looking for ppl at the time. Its just so hard to find the shops that are doing the hiring! I will try to get more "contacts", although i'm not really sure how to go about that as i know nobody in the oil/gas feild. But sending out resumes to places outside of town like what IggyB said sounds like a very good idea.