@Joe_Toronto, In my opinion the best thing you can do with your IT related skills is; scroll to the top of the page, click ''First Post'', and read the fucking thread.

(03-17-2015 02:09 PM)Kdog Wrote:  @Joe_Toronto, In my opinion the best thing you can do with your IT related skills is; scroll to the top of the page, click ''First Post'', and read the fucking thread.

Summer is fast approaching, boys. Hope everyone had a safe winter and made a shit ton of money.

Any of you rich oil sands boys wanna buy a sport bike? I work so god damn much that I do not have the time to ride it. I anticipate the same for this summer coming up.

2012 Suzuki GSX-R 600


3800km. Mint condition. This bike has been responsible for multiple notches, especially when I was working at one of the bars on Whyte Ave. Guaranteed panty soaker. I can't tell you how many compliments I've received on the bike. Mostly chicks, too.

I'm willing to give this away at an RVF discounted price so PM me for details if you want a new toy for the summer to reward yourself with, and possibly add a few more notches to your list!

Question, Canadians why over the course of 154 pages did none of you happen to mention that sometimes you cunts have Two Winters. What is this nonsense I ask you, are we beyond the wall?

There is always the second wind snowstorm around the corner, so it's best to just think it'll snow forever, then be pleasantly surprised it's June and no snow is on the ground and you're in shorts. I find this helps me stay positive.

I did my first road trip across to Jasper, down to Banff, and over to Calgary when it was spring like a couple weekends back. I feel like I cheated somehow to get 10+ degree weather the whole time.

I wonder how many people got suckered into changing out their winters already.

It has been an unusually warm February in Alberta. And an unusually cold and shitty rest of Canada this year.

albertron that bike looks sick. Ive never ridden but have been thinking of getting some kinda bike for a while now. (leaning towards a dual sport type bike for learning on street/offroad)

on another note I really want to get a classic car too. Old caddy or lincoln or something similar.

Thing is I have no where to work on it or store it (I'm in the ghetto part of town right now)

do you guys know of anywhere where you can rent out garage space or something?

(03-29-2015 04:40 PM)WesternCancer Wrote:  albertron that bike looks sick. Ive never ridden but have been thinking of getting some kinda bike for a while now. (leaning towards a dual sport type bike for learning on street/offroad)

on another note I really want to get a classic car too. Old caddy or lincoln or something similar.

Thing is I have no where to work on it or store it (I'm in the ghetto part of town right now)

do you guys know of anywhere where you can rent out garage space or something?

Just check out Kijiji, you should be able to find something there. Guys I'm going to be home on Wednesday, I'd like organize an RVF oil sands meet up somewhere around Whyte Ave on Friday night, let me know if you're interested. Looking forward to seeing you guys and meeting some of the new recruits, we can all bitch and cry together over the state of the oil patch, should be a fun yet depressing time!

That is a very timely plan. I hope I can get a room at the commercial . Looking forward to it!! Welcome back in advance, Scotian.

Guys my fucking idiot friend who was supposed to pick me up at the airport fucked off on me and I could use a lift, the shitty part is that my flight comes in at 1am on Wednesday morning (April 1st). If any of you could pick me up that would be awesome and a few beer will be on me, PM please, thanks!

Hey guys lets do a meetup this Friday at the Pint off Whyte ave (80 ave 104 st) at 8:00pm, looking forward to seeing you fellas.

damn I'll make it to the next one. I'm in bc for the weekend

I'll bring the yokes

Hey, looking for some advice. I'm an engineering student with some experience in quality assurance, and CAD.
What kind of opportunities should I be looking for in the oil field area, and when do I begin applying?

(04-04-2015 04:34 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  Hey, looking for some advice. I'm an engineering student with some experience in quality assurance, and CAD.
What kind of opportunities should I be looking for in the oil field area, and when do I begin applying?

Do you have your degree?

Stay in the same field. There's always QA/QC work. If you have your degree, you can get your API inspection tickets even faster.
http://www.api.org/certification-program...quirements

This isn't an oilfield thing either. You can work all over the place and increase your salary by getting more and more tickets and experience. Look into welding inspection and see if you can get an entry level QC job in a shop, where ever you are now.

With a few API tickets (and some other misc. stuff), plus 5-10 years of experience in Canada and an engineering degree, you'll be able to work in the Middle East as well (better climate and you won't pay income tax over there).

(04-04-2015 05:30 PM)Nima Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 04:34 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  Hey, looking for some advice. I'm an engineering student with some experience in quality assurance, and CAD.
What kind of opportunities should I be looking for in the oil field area, and when do I begin applying?

Do you have your degree?

Stay in the same field. There's always QA/QC work. If you have your degree, you can get your API inspection tickets even faster.
http://www.api.org/certification-program...quirements

This isn't an oilfield thing either. You can work all over the place and increase your salary by getting more and more tickets and experience. Look into welding inspection and see if you can get an entry level QC job in a shop, where ever you are now.

With a few API tickets (and some other misc. stuff), plus 5-10 years of experience in Canada and an engineering degree, you'll be able to work in the Middle East as well (better climate and you won't pay income tax over there).

1 more year if I don't fuck up to get the degree.

(04-04-2015 05:44 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 05:30 PM)Nima Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 04:34 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  Hey, looking for some advice. I'm an engineering student with some experience in quality assurance, and CAD.
What kind of opportunities should I be looking for in the oil field area, and when do I begin applying?

Do you have your degree?

Stay in the same field. There's always QA/QC work. If you have your degree, you can get your API inspection tickets even faster.
http://www.api.org/certification-program...quirements

This isn't an oilfield thing either. You can work all over the place and increase your salary by getting more and more tickets and experience. Look into welding inspection and see if you can get an entry level QC job in a shop, where ever you are now.

With a few API tickets (and some other misc. stuff), plus 5-10 years of experience in Canada and an engineering degree, you'll be able to work in the Middle East as well (better climate and you won't pay income tax over there).

1 more year if I don't fuck up to get the degree.

what type of engineering?

(04-04-2015 07:27 PM)komatiite Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 05:44 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 05:30 PM)Nima Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 04:34 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  Hey, looking for some advice. I'm an engineering student with some experience in quality assurance, and CAD.
What kind of opportunities should I be looking for in the oil field area, and when do I begin applying?

Do you have your degree?

Stay in the same field. There's always QA/QC work. If you have your degree, you can get your API inspection tickets even faster.
http://www.api.org/certification-program...quirements

This isn't an oilfield thing either. You can work all over the place and increase your salary by getting more and more tickets and experience. Look into welding inspection and see if you can get an entry level QC job in a shop, where ever you are now.

With a few API tickets (and some other misc. stuff), plus 5-10 years of experience in Canada and an engineering degree, you'll be able to work in the Middle East as well (better climate and you won't pay income tax over there).

1 more year if I don't fuck up to get the degree.

what type of engineering?

Aeronautical, completely unrelated. Though I don't see these jobs readily available in Canada. We're taught same as mechanical engineers, except for 4/5 courses in aerodynamics, gas dynamics, etc.

You probably have a good mechanical mind then. I'm a geology/reservoir guy, I can't visualize pumps or drilling rig issues but I have an aptitude for visualizing fluid flow in sandstone reservoirs. Different strokes for different folks. What interests you? With your mechanical mind you have lots of options: pipelines, production, drilling, surface facilities. Any of those interest you?

(04-04-2015 08:21 PM)komatiite Wrote:  You probably have a good mechanical mind then. I'm a geology/reservoir guy, I can't visualize pumps or drilling rig issues but I have an aptitude for visualizing fluid flow in sandstone reservoirs. Different strokes for different folks. What interests you? With your mechanical mind you have lots of options: pipelines, production, drilling, surface facilities. Any of those interest you?

Those do sound good. Would they require more education? College diplomas to specialize, etc.

I've been back in Etown for eight days now and its been a busy one, we had a fun meet-up at the Pint on Friday and about nine guys showed up including a few new faces like Seadog, TO2AB and Big Country, all great guys. Then I got wasted all weekend and as of Sunday I'm off the booze for at least a month, so stop asking me out for beers guys haha but if you want to have lunch or a coffee or something I"m good to go.

Now as for the work situation, I knew coming back after not working since last October that things have changed and I wouldn't have so many options. I made a few phone calls during the previous weeks to get an idea of how things were but didn't make any commitments to any one particular company so as to keep my options open. I had a few connections ask around and things were looking okay since its April and this is the busy shut down season, so was confident that they'd be looking for experienced guys with tickets like myself. So yesterday I had a formal interview (my first HR lady since working in the oil biz) and it went very well, they told me that they liked my CV and would call back once the references cleared, then I swung by another company who I worked with a couple of years ago and they offered me a job on the spot, I didn't commit telling them I'd call them back by tomorrow. I made another call to the company I've worked for over the past three years but they didn't have anything that I wanted but will still call them tomorrow just to let them know that I won't be taking their offer.

So anyway, I was offered a gig with the company I did the formal interview with and I accepted it and was told that I would begin their in-house safety training on Monday which takes 4-5 days. Then they called me a couple of hours later and offered to put me on a 5 day paid training course that's worth about $1800, so I said fuck ya, I will be starting that Monday then do the 4-5 day in house stuff. So I'll have a boring two weeks but I'll be working again after 6 long months, then hopefully heading out on a project to be making some decent cash again.

So that's my update, from asking around, all of my other union tradesmen friends are keeping busy, one pipefitter says that he hasn't seen the UA 488 hall this busy since he's been a member (six years), there's lots of shut downs going on (Suncor base plant, Suncor Edmonton, Agrium Fort Sask, Shell Albian, Syncrude, etc) and new construction (Suncor Fort Hills, NW Upgrader Redwater, Shell Scotford Carbon Capture plant, etc). There's still work out there guys, I hope you're out there looking for it!

Can you run down how to negotiate a job up there once you're proven?

I'm talking about shit talk only non formal.

Say hi to the rest of my relatives while you're in Canada.

Another muse.. There's Canadians all over down here like bees for some reason even the seasonal bar tenders at the resorts are working 90 hours a week and are in awe of the drinking the Ontario folks can pull off.

I'm also curious about them. How the fuck can you work for 40 years and come down here and out drink the locals ?? You have to have tolerance but how can you get that working an early morning Canadian gig for so many years???

(04-04-2015 05:30 PM)Nima Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 04:34 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  Hey, looking for some advice. I'm an engineering student with some experience in quality assurance, and CAD.
What kind of opportunities should I be looking for in the oil field area, and when do I begin applying?

Do you have your degree?

Stay in the same field. There's always QA/QC work. If you have your degree, you can get your API inspection tickets even faster.
http://www.api.org/certification-program...quirements

This isn't an oilfield thing either. You can work all over the place and increase your salary by getting more and more tickets and experience. Look into welding inspection and see if you can get an entry level QC job in a shop, where ever you are now.

With a few API tickets (and some other misc. stuff), plus 5-10 years of experience in Canada and an engineering degree, you'll be able to work in the Middle East as well (better climate and you won't pay income tax over there).

Have you worked in the Middle East?

Who has? Should I have used the search feature?

I will be trying to get over there after a few more years in the USA. Would love to hear some insights.

(04-04-2015 09:28 PM)SnowHugger Wrote:  

(04-04-2015 08:21 PM)komatiite Wrote:  You probably have a good mechanical mind then. I'm a geology/reservoir guy, I can't visualize pumps or drilling rig issues but I have an aptitude for visualizing fluid flow in sandstone reservoirs. Different strokes for different folks. What interests you? With your mechanical mind you have lots of options: pipelines, production, drilling, surface facilities. Any of those interest you?

Those do sound good. Would they require more education? College diplomas to specialize, etc.

Not with aeronautical engineering. Your knowledge of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, etc would be sought after in the oil industry. Pipelines and production surface facility design immediately come to mind.

On a related note, I was talking to a pretty high up guy at a company in Calgary the other day. He was explaining how they have fired a LOT of 60ish year old guys because they just demand too much money, and it's happening across the industry, not just isolated to that company. I personally think that the "Great Shift Change" when the old coots are finally pushed out of the industry in exchange for younger technical guys may be finally upon us thanks to this dry spell. All the guys who are just starting to hit their prime at age 35-40 are going to move into supervisory roles and they will need young guys like a lot of us to move in and fill the voids. I'm happy I'm in school right now (and hoping we are back in business when I graduate next year!) but to everyone with technical degrees who has been struggling to find something, don't fret- the seas of change should be coming.

If not, well, gotta stay optimistic during the slow times!

(04-09-2015 07:41 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  Can you run down how to negotiate a job up there once you're proven?

I'm talking about shit talk only non formal.

Say hi to the rest of my relatives while you're in Canada.

Another muse.. There's Canadians all over down here like bees for some reason even the seasonal bar tenders at the resorts are working 90 hours a week and are in awe of the drinking the Ontario folks can pull off.

I'm also curious about them. How the fuck can you work for 40 years and come down here and out drink the locals ?? You have to have tolerance but how can you get that working an early morning Canadian gig for so many years???

Emech its pretty straight forward, once I get back into Edmonton, I start making phone calls or just show up at a shop/office and ask to speak to a hiring manager, once I get my foot in the door I whip out my certifications and I bullshit with the guy for 5-10 minutes and before you know it, I have a job. This time, I was told that the company which I took the job with was on a hiring freeze, so I contacted a buddy who works for them, sent him my resume and they sent it up the ladder and I got an interview, then got the job. My first interview in the oil patch took place at an Irish pub and the guy got me drunk and I somehow managed to negotiate a $2/hour raise before it was over. Usually I just pick up the phone and call my buddies who are techs to ask if they are busy, if so, I go with them. Really its all about good work experience and tickets and being able to not come across as a complete retard, not until you're hired anyway.

As for all of the Canadian piss tanks down in Florida, we grow up drinking stronger beer then once those old fuckers like my dad retire they just don't give a shit anymore and go on benders all the time, their livers are pickled! My parents regret not staying down there an extra two weeks, when they got home their cars were covered in snow and the snow banks were 10 feet high and still haven't melted, nice and sunny here in Etown though, no snow.