In my last post to this blog one week ago, I said that I would try to provide an update by the end of last week regarding what I learned at West Virginia's first geothermal energy conference on May 22, 2012 in Flatwoods, West Virginia. I must report today, however, that such plans hit a few road bumps along the way. Paraphrasing Robert Burns, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. First, I was traveling most of last week for depositions. Second, the three-day holiday weekend just plain made me lazy. Third, I felt compelled to honor the military veterans who protect this great country of ours with a Memorial Day post about veterans in the oil and gas industry. Accordingly, you will have to await my next post to learn more about the role that geothermal energy could play in solving America's energy puzzle, and instead wind down your Memorial Day reading about the opportunities that exist for our military veterans in the oil and gas industry.
Efforts of American corporations to target and hire military veterans have steadily increased and gained national media attention over the last several years. It seems that the oil and gas industry has not been immune to this trend. According to the American Oil and Gas Reporter ("Reporter"), the leadership qualities, work ethic, and team goal-oriented focus exhibited by many veterans make them invaluable in many positions in the oil and gas fields. An article appearing in the on-line version of the Reporter provides a nice road map for oil and gas firms to follow in developing a strategic plan to successfully target and hire the best and brightest veterans.
There are also resources available for veterans who are actively seeking out employment in the oil and gas industry. An organization called Veterans to Energy has launched a job search website dedicated exclusively to helping U.S. military veterans find careers in the oil and natural gas industry. The site was developed by the American Petroleum Institute, a trade organization representing all aspects of the American oil and natural gas industry. Veterans to Energy boasts an impressive list of participating companies, including such oil and gas industry "heavy hitters" as BP, Shell, Marathon, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Conoco Phillips. In addition to job listings, the site contains a page that allows veterans to match the skills they obtained during the course of their military service to possible careers in the oil and gas industry based upon their military occupation/classification.
So the next time you see one of our military veterans, please thank them, buy them dinner, or, if you have such power, give them a well-paying job in the oil and gas industry! Since I cannot do the latter, I will just use this space to express my appreciation for our men and women in uniform, especially my brother-in-law Robert Thompson, who is a proud veteran of the Second Iraq War. Happy Memorial Day!
