Any UL grads?

[ckinchen]

Originally Posted by I make oil

I have read all the way through this tread. Some interesting opinions. It's good to see so many people willing to give advice to a young man. Fool obviously has made a good impression on many here. Here is my opinon for anyone thinking about the future. If you plan on going in the oil industry you really need to think about how far you want to go. If you really want to make BIG money you have to plan on making it in to management. Not everyone plans their career this way. Many just think I will get a degree from XYZ university and get a job etc. That is fine. You graduate and get a job and there you go. However, if you ever want to make the REAL money you have to think differently. In the oil industry going to the right school means more than I can tell you. Look at the board of every major oil company and service company I can almost guarantee the majority of the members went to aTm. I've seen it over and over. Does that mean it's a better school? No, it's all about networking. Now does a degree from another school mean you can't make it? No, you just have to work harder and be smarter. Also you have to be flexible about where you live. Don't limit yourself. If you want to succed in you career you have to be willing to go where your needed. My final bit of advice is to learn other languages Spanish, French and Portugese and if you can Chinese would be very valuable. That is VERY important! Good Luck.

Well said, that is exactly what I have been saying since page one on this thread.

ULL is a good school, no doubt about it and he or anyone that goes there and focuses on the O&G arena can do very well for themselves and of course they will find a job. It may even be "better" than LSU or some of the more highly ranked schools but your college is about perception and connections. ULL has no CEO's of fortune 1,000 companies while schools like UT, aTm and even LSU have several. The perception nationally is all of those schools are better than ULL and it is what it is.

If he wants a greater chance as it relates at least to a random percentage of say making over $750K per year, the larger schools will give him a greater likelihood of success. Every college has pretty girls and a good night life unless he went to Baylor or a school in the Midwest (bible belt).

Also if hunting and fishing is that important, most of these schools are close to places that offer these opportunities. Deer hunting in Texas for example is far better than Louisiana and their bass fishery is probably better as well at least as it relates to trophy bass. I belong to a duck lease in Texas that averaged 5.2 birds per hunter last year (yes 5.2) it is expensive but that goes back to the "making it to management discussion". Louisiana is second to none when it comes to saltwater so I will not bring that up but Texas can be descent at times although not close to what he has on Big Lake.

It really comes down to trade offs and what is important. I ultimately left Baton Rouge when the cost of living in an oppressed area compared to the significant pay increase I would get out of state outweighed the benefit of doing the things I loved like going to LSU games and the outdoors. I miss Louisiana but with the compensation difference, I will at some point retire back home in Louisiana much better off than when I left and with children that have a much better education than they would have had if I would have stayed.

Just my .02 for the last time, I will not bring it up again, good luck to him. Everyone makes different choices and the right choice for me might not be the right choice for him.

You guys all care enough about Brayden to try and help him and I think this a testament to his friends on this site and of course the spirit of our board. It is great to see.

[ckinchen]

Just to clarify, Bradyen you do not need to leave the state to do well, there is not a second that goes by that I do not miss Louisiana. I am just pointing out that you can find other things you enjoy in other places for four years of your life (which is a very short time) and then come back home to Lake Charles or wherever you want to live with a degree that is recognized throghout the country and be part of the "boys club" that takes place with upper managment from these large schools.

Again, good luck. You are in a great position and you have options and all of the options are good options inlcluding staying home at MSU or down the highway at ULL.

[LaAngler]

Originally Posted by I make oil

I have read all the way through this tread. Some interesting opinions. It's good to see so many people willing to give advice to a young man. Fool obviously has made a good impression on many here. Here is my opinon for anyone thinking about the future. If you plan on going in the oil industry you really need to think about how far you want to go. If you really want to make BIG money you have to plan on making it in to management. Not everyone plans their career this way. Many just think I will get a degree from XYZ university and get a job etc. That is fine. You graduate and get a job and there you go. However, if you ever want to make the REAL money you have to think differently. In the oil industry going to the right school means more than I can tell you. Look at the board of every major oil company and service company I can almost guarantee the majority of the members went to aTm. I've seen it over and over. Does that mean it's a better school? No, it's all about networking. Now does a degree from another school mean you can't make it? No, you just have to work harder and be smarter. Also you have to be flexible about where you live. Don't limit yourself. If you want to succed in you career you have to be willing to go where your needed. My final bit of advice is to learn other languages Spanish, French and Portugese and if you can Chinese would be very valuable. That is VERY important! Good Luck.

Generally, most CEOs have some type of engineering undergrad degree. The sad truth is that companies often promote based on gender, race, etc...

I know one large salary (1M+) exec with a degree from lamar. You have to literally sacrifice your life for these big companies to hold these types of positions, you will have to travel often to the boonies and work grueling hours.

Right now a huge portion of the oilfield is retiring, it's leaving these companies desperate just to find warm bodies to fill the chairs.

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=116739

[GT11]

Go to the best school you can get in to. If you want to stay in state, go to the top public or private school that is nationally recognized, in this case LSU or Tulane. It will pay off big in the form of $$$$ over your career. I have degrees from both (BS Engr, MBA) and it allowed me to land a "C" level position. (That and a lot of work!)

[SULPHITE]

small school

http://www.louisiana.edu/Advancement...2011/353.shtml

Last month, the team placed first at the Gulf Coast level in Houston, beating out the University of Houston, Texas A&M, LSU, University of Miami and other teams from the region for a total of 10 teams.

[ckinchen]

Originally Posted by SULPHITE

small school

http://www.louisiana.edu/Advancement...2011/353.shtml

Last month, the team placed first at the Gulf Coast level in Houston, beating out the University of Houston, Texas A&M, LSU, University of Miami and other teams from the region for a total of 10 teams.

I think that is great, very good for the local community.

[I make oil]

Here is a little info for you guy's on the Oil and Gas Industry pay scales.

North American-based oil and gas professionals enjoyed a pay increase in 2011 -- average compensation increased to $99,175 in 2011 from $96,588 in 2010 or three percent, according to Rigzone's Compensation Tracker.
A stronger increase was seen for oil and gas professionals most often directly connected to drilling activity. Those working a rotational schedule saw a six percent compensation increase year/year from $106,162 in 2010 to $112,546 in 2011.
In 2011, a dozen positions or skills commanded six-figure earnings and had above average year/year growth. Leading the way, specialist in downhole intervention whose paychecks on average went from $101,752 in 2010 to $133,418 in 2011, a 31 percent increase. On the opposite end of the spectrum, North American-based maintenance engineers reported the largest decrease (16%) in compensation from 2010 to 2011 to average $85,424.


The Rigzone Compensation Tracker revealed average pay in North America in 2011 differed by education level of the employees. Respondents reported a compensation range from the high $80s to the low $130s.

• High School -- $99,656
• Some College -- $93,933
• Technical College -- $87,969
• Associates -- $92,620
• Bachelors -- $102,869
• Masters -- $109,805
• Doctorate -- $132,234

First year employees working in North America told Rigzone they averaged $66,923 in 2011. Respondents with two to five years experienced said they were paid an average of $78,072. Pay increased to $105,060 with 10 years experience and to $135,076 after 20 years working in the North American oil and gas industry.
Professionals who identified themselves as working in North America reported companies with less than 20 employees paid an average of $104,105 in 2011, the survey revealed, but that compensation dropped to $91,570 for companies with 21-100 employees. Those that employ more than 2,000 employees paid an average compensation similar to the smallest companies -- $104,144.
North American-based earnings varied based on management level as well. Staff-level professionals reported a slight increase from 2010 to 2011, from $86,604 to $88,084, respectively. Likewise, mid-level careers didn't see much change either, increasing from $104,228 in 2010 to $105,796 in 2011. But a small increase is better than a decrease, which is what upper management experienced. In 2010, upper management jobs paid an average of $133,824 and dropped to $130,813 in 2011.
Onshore jobs compared to offshore jobs made a difference in compensation as well. The average onshore North American employee told Rigzone they made $99,655 in 2011 compared to offshore employees who made $98,083. Looking at the six regions worldwide, North America and Australia are the only regions that pay more for onshore work than offshore, though not by much. Rising shale E&P may be a driver in these numbers.
Likewise, schedule played a role in average compensation. For those who worked fulltime in 2011, the average earnings were $94,972, and rotation workers averaged about $112,546.


That looks pretty good dosent it. Look at all the money the guy's in the oil industry are making. WOW! LOL I have to say that these salary's are a living wage. The people who have these jobs for the most part are in debt up to their eyes and pay the lions share of the taxes to a broken system. I'm sure ckinchen will support that. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with being at this level. The industry needs it. Not everyone should go to that next level or even wants too but when you have a young person who has the talent to go there It's a real shame to see it go to waste. You won't see the salary of board level management on a report like this. They don't want you to know it. To find out what sort of compensation they recieve you have to look at company reports and even then you never get a true picture. Myself, I am another kind of worker. One that is hard to put in a class. I am a consultant or as I would call myself an Inernational Industrial Prostitute. I am a fixer. I go places and fill the gaps that need filling in Management on an international level. That's a whole nother thing altogether and you won't see our salary's included on any salary report either. We are the cost of doing business in a 3rd world country. I too am done here. Good Luck and I hope I helped in some way.

Here is a link to some more good info.

http://www.rigzone.com/jobs/recruiter_ct.asp

[capt coonassty]

I have a few friends that fish on the LSU team, they enjoy it a lot. I also attend LSU and am from New Iberia, that being said I would rather the traffic in BR any day. In BR they have three stores for every one store that you would want to go to. So if traffic is heave you don't have to cross town to get to a store that you need, unlike Lafayette.

And if your that interested in fish, you can get a degree in fisheries at LSU.