salary prospects

[Deleted member 66701]

You seem proud of what you do

Did I give that impression? Sorry for confusing you

Unfortunately, supporting the same system for n years isn't going to do your career much good in the end.

I don't know if you twigged what I've been writing in this thread but I don't really care about my career - it's just a means to an end - i.e. it pays the bills. I'd be quite happy to be in this same job when I retire @ 50 - which is only 19 years away.

There are plenty of challenging roles within the company I'm sure you'd enjoy that would be far more professionally & financially rewarding.

Not in Blackpool there aren't. There may be down your end of the country but I've sworn never to go back down south (I used to live in Essex). Far to hectic a pace of life down there for me.

 

[Anominity]

Yup I'm starting next month at Deloitte in London and I'll be on 28.5k inc benefits.

and I'd say you change your expenditure to suit your wage, so any wage is sustainable..

Starting at Deloitte London eh, see you there (Been at Deloitte for 6 years now, I am in IT though.)

 

[NickK]

I used to think that 'dead-end jobs' only existed at rubbish companies or highly specialised fields, but it seems after a point jumping ship is the only way to progress.

Precisely. To be honest moving opens up your experiences too. It also resets how people perceive you which is especially important if you switch from technical to marketing or sales for example.

I know what you mean though about working 13 years. I did 12 years before moving and it was varied and good fun. I was the longest serving member of the company. I was talking to the board level operations director the day I left (we worked together on some millennium issues) and I remember the day he started. I found I was also privy to discussions that others aren't, mainly because they know you're not about to leave and go talk to a competitor or gossip.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

I know someone who was a rocket scientist, he wasn't an engineer in name yet I'm betting by most people's definitions he was one.

If he came up with a solution hes probably a scientist, if he implemented into a package/scheme its probably an engineer. Pretty much of a mix though. Engineering is just an overview of Maths, Physics and Chemistry really, which is why I dont understand the software side coining it.

 

[Amp34]

Jobs are few and far between in O&G, tough times, but its peaks and troughs. When I first started at the end of 2004, the industry was just climbing out of a trough, and at the beginning of this year we have slowly started falling back into one.
Plenty of money to be made in O&G if youre in the right sector and make some wise choices. My next assignment in Australia next year will be 8 weeks on 2 weeks off

Not good news, I was hoping it would be coming back out of a small one by now, if it gets worse i've no chance of getting a job.

What you doing in Oz? 8 on and 2 off is one of the shortest off times I've seen in the industry, normally 2/2, 4/4, 5/3, 5/5 depending who and what you do.

 

[panthro]

Not good news, I was hoping it would be coming back out of a small one by now, if it gets worse i've no chance of getting a job.

What you doing in Oz? 8 on and 2 off is one of the shortest off times I've seen in the industry, normally 2/2, 4/4, 5/3, 5/5 depending who and what you do.

Nobody gets the above weeks rotations unless they are offshore or in the Arctic. 5 weeks on and 5 weeks off? lol. Im working on an LNG project.

 

[geuben]

quick question

scenario.

you've applied to a couple of graduate positions. couple have got back and 1 post seems to be really keen offering a interview. salary is 22k starting. the other potential applications are betweek 27-29k

what do you do

Take every interview you get offered (especially if they pay your expenses), the experience of interviews is always good and you might not get offered the more well paid job and then be stuffed because you turned down the lower paid interview. Never turn down an interview unless you really really really don't want that job. Also never turn down a job offer because your waiting to hear back on another, delay as long as possible if necessary but always keep all your options open. It's somewhat better to have a job you don't like that no job at all, at least that way you can look for a better job whilst still bringing in money.

 

[Amp34]

Nobody gets the above weeks rotations unless they are offshore or in the Arctic. 5 weeks on and 5 weeks off? lol. Im working on an LNG project.

Marine seismic seem to, CGG Veritas (a seismic company) apparently do 6/6!

 

[JonB]

Many Comp Sci degrees cover exactly what you outline for your engineering degree. And that's the point. The line HAS BEEN blurred, there's nothing you can do to get it back again. Comp Sci and S/W Engineers ARE perceived as one and the same.

It's as fruitless to argue against as my ongoing campaign to regain the correct use of the word "methodology" - the original meaning is clear (the study of method) - it's frequent mis-use has given it a new meaning (an organised framework of methods)

Quite true. At sheffield the only differences between CS and Software Eng is A) the title of your degree and b) one ten credit module in third year.

 

[RSR]

Example 1... company goes bust and you are made unemployed
Example 2... "due to economic climate" no pay rises for a year or so
Example 3... you're top of the class, 50% payrise after a year


Or somewhere in-between

Example 2 for me at the moment.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

Nobody gets the above weeks rotations unless they are offshore or in the Arctic. 5 weeks on and 5 weeks off? lol. Im working on an LNG project.

Mate of mine is doing the Agip project in Kazahkstan; 28 days on 28 days off.

 

[panthro]

Marine seismic seem to, CGG Veritas (a seismic company) apparently do 6/6!

Mate of mine is doing the Agip project in Kazahkstan; 28 days on 28 days off.

Yep, like I implied, really bad conditions and long hours will get you a good rotation. I wouldnt want to go to Kazahkstan, I have plenty of colleagues out there at the moment on lucrative packages (I was offered a contract job in Baku for EUR500 tax free a day plus all expenses), but they hate it there. Most places are what you the individual make of it though. Im quite happy in Thailand on an average leave cycle, and will be even happier in Australia with 8 weeks on (Sundays off) 2 weeks off.
I could have gone to Iraq for triple salary tax free plus other benefits, 4 weeks on 4 weeks off.....no thanks

 

[Amp34]

I guess it depends on how you feel. I had no problem working for 12 hours for 7 days a week fo 5 weeks, especially knowing you get 3-5 weeks off at the end of it, far better than getting a couple of weeks of every year. Do you do 12 hour days as well or just 9-5?

 

[Richdog]

I guess it depends on how you feel. I had no problem working for 12 hours for 7 days a week fo 5 weeks, especially knowing you get 3-5 weeks off at the end of it, far better than getting a couple of weeks of every year. Do you do 12 hour days as well or just 9-5?

You must be joking me, 12 hours 7 days a week? You have something wrong with you.

 

[panthro]

I guess it depends on how you feel. I had no problem working for 12 hours for 7 days a week fo 5 weeks, especially knowing you get 3-5 weeks off at the end of it, far better than getting a couple of weeks of every year. Do you do 12 hour days as well or just 9-5?

Thats wrong. You have to be extremely money hungry to do that and a lot of companies, (especially construction because of HSE laws) will not let you do that. When people are tired, accidents happen. We have done 40 million man hours on this project site to date with no Lost Time Incidents. The max you are allowed to work are 13 day fortnights.
Did you actually work for 5 weeks 12 hours a day with no days off or are you speculating? What were you doing?
I do 10 hour days mon - sat, ticket back home every 3 months, with a travel day each way. We are allowed to leave at 12pm on saturdays if we wish to.

 

[BF-Bert]

Yep, like I implied, really bad conditions and long hours will get you a good rotation. I wouldnt want to go to Kazahkstan, I have plenty of colleagues out there at the moment on lucrative packages (I was offered a contract job in Baku for EUR500 tax free a day plus all expenses), but they hate it there. Most places are what you the individual make of it though. Im quite happy in Thailand on an average leave cycle, and will be even happier in Australia with 8 weeks on (Sundays off) 2 weeks off.
I could have gone to Iraq for triple salary tax free plus other benefits, 4 weeks on 4 weeks off.....no thanks

Thats quite a low day rate and the tax free sounds good but you have to remember you can only come back to the uk for a set number of days. Some good contracts on the go in Khaz right now.

 

[panthro]

Thats quite a low day rate and the tax free sounds good but you have to remember you can only come back to the uk for a set number of days. Some good contracts on the go in Khaz right now.

Actually its pretty good for someone with 4-5 years experience doing a relatively simple job. Im sure there are better out there though.
I know, I believe its around 6 weeks or so, cant remember. Only been back for 10 days so far. Our ticket home is a lump sum and we can spend it how we choose. Theres good contracts in much better places than Khazakstan too.

 

[Amp34]

You must be joking me, 12 hours 7 days a week? You have something wrong with you.

Up before first light, start work at 6am and finish at 6pm. 7 days a week for 5 weeks. It wasn't particularly hard though, and some of the sectors don't work a strict 12 hours (depending on what needed doing).

Thats wrong. You have to be extremely money hungry to do that and a lot of companies, (especially construction because of HSE laws) will not let you do that. When people are tired, accidents happen. We have done 40 million man hours on this project site to date with no Lost Time Incidents. The max you are allowed to work are 13 day fortnights.
Did you actually work for 5 weeks 12 hours a day with no days off or are you speculating? What were you doing?
I do 10 hour days mon - sat, ticket back home every 3 months, with a travel day each way. We are allowed to leave at 12pm on saturdays if we wish to.

Yeah I did, and although there were a few people who were working slightly shorter (and longer, i think there were a couple working for 10 weeks, due to rotation issues with their replacements) everyone was working the same. The locals worked 12 hours, 7 days for as long as they wanted the job, in this case it was expected to be 3 months. It seems pretty standard in the O&G industry (both in seismic and on rigs).

On this particular job they around 900,000 man hours without any LTI's, but it had only just started. Travel time is included in those 5 weeks actually so in fact take a day or two off each end to fly out to the job site.

Thats quite a low day rate and the tax free sounds good but you have to remember you can only come back to the uk for a set number of days. Some good contracts on the go in Khaz right now.

Tax free as far as I know is less than 90 days in the UK, easy to do if you have 8/2 or 5/3 rotation, however harder if you have 4/4 or similar. If I don't end up working in the north sea and have a 4/4 rotation then i'll have to think hard if saving the money is worth it, with a 5/3 or similar that's only an extra month I think, so 4 one week holidays, and as long as they work out at less than arond £5000 (and more when pay rises) i'll be saving money!

 

[cotton_flex]

Need some advice guys. Apologies in advance for the long post thought I'll post here rather than a new thread.

I ended up with 2:2 MEng degree in Computer Engineering (from Queen Mary University of London) in 2004 which really knocked my confidence along with a few other things that were happening in my life during that time. Year 1, year 2, Year 3 I was doing great (in line for a 1st) with lots of ambitions and dreams as all undergrads.

My life during the final year (year 4) really went upside down hence my grades were heavily affected. Ambition kind of went out of the window and I just went for a job with the local authority.

2004 - Started on 24k as application support officer (looking after housing apps/ArcGIS/document management systems)
2006 - Up to 28k as internal developer to work on the local land & property gazetteer (VB.net and SQL Server)
2007 - 35k as a data analyst looking at all internal systems holding child data and their data quality and preparing for a local rollout of a national system

2009 – recently just started on 38k as a data management specialist advising IT managers on the state of key internal databases/under the table spreadsheets/access databases that staff seem to have created to what they call 'augmenting' the multi thousand pound database systems consulted in that don't meet requirements fully. All part of a 'MDM' strategy that someone has thought up of, I'm playing a key role (analysis and recommendations) in trying to consolidate the systems/create a Meta data repository etc.

What's bothering me is the exposure to the politics/protectionism/idots/101 strategies. Before you say anything, not all are idiots and lazy. But with each team/department it appears that for every 5 employees, 1 is only getting on with it and worth their money and at times covering for the other 4. Management is so top heavy that no 1 person is responsible (how convenient?) and have no ability/balls to handle such staff.

My analysis work/recommendations is becoming nothing more than part of more strategies that senior managers (50k-70k worth!) are writing and presenting to various project boards etc. But I get the feeling nothing will be implemented anytime soon.

As for progression, I've kind of hit the ceiling internally. There is never much movement at senior levels here (managers hold on to their jobs for dear life) and when it is, it’s always earmarked for somebody.

With my personal life being a bit more stable and less stressful and me gaining a lot more confidence lately I'm thinking about careers more and more. I don’t need the comfort (of everyone around me being so slow) with this current role.

Basically I wanted to know with the above public sector experience what are my chances of getting into private IT companies with a job that has meaningful output i.e. not just technical chapters within strategies that will never get implemented. I don't mind taking a slight pay cut for better opportunities but it will be really hard to start again at the graduate level financially.

I'll be 28 in a couple of months if that matters.

 

[LiE]

I'm on £35k @ 24 and left Uni during my 2nd year. I'm a technical IT consultant, but I want to move into web dev.