Andy's Blog
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Andy approached us back in February to spend his 'civilian work attachment' with us. We were interested to see the parallels between the forces and the oil and gas industry from both sides. Here's how Andy found his time on civvy street.
Life In Civvy Street
When companies with different work ethics come together to collaborate on a project the effect can be life changing. The personnel representing each group are responsible for making this situation a success or failure and with this in mind my decision to take the opportunity of a work placement with Red Spider made me very aware that my background in the Royal Air Force was contradictory to the vision of a creative technology company.
For Red Spider, I am the first work placement the company has entertained from an industry background (previously they had only received university students). For myself, I have only ever been employed in the RAF and am now looking to start a new career in the oil industry in 2009. For both parties this is a huge opportunity to learn and share ideas about business, engineering and personal relationships.
My preparation for my work placement left me feeling unsure as to how I would fit into a new environment and if the civilian work place was radically different to my own experiences in the military. My aims for the fortnight were to research how the oil industry operates, where and what type of specialist skills are employed and what opportunities there are for operations engineers.
Red Spider’s products are absolutely niche in the oil industry, providing future solutions to drilling operators. The tooling they supply is innovative and problem specific. The issues that they address require rapid resolution which is not easy when you are designing a tool from scratch to operate in a tube down hole 2000 meters below an oil rig. The Red Spider team thrives on teamwork, sound knowledge of oil production systems, in depth knowledge of the market and creative thinking to see beyond problems. The greatest asset I have found in the company is openness.
I was welcomed into the company as if I were a new employee. The new office and factory complex is an impressive site that sets the tone for the environment within. As I was introduced to the various departments, a warm welcome was extended by all and I immediately felt I could relax and concentrate on my work placement goals. I identified many work processes to be similar to those incorporated in the RAF and the standards of work, quality assurance and pride in the product to be above anything I’d imagined.
In my first week I have spent time with project managers, sales representatives, production engineers and technicians. The information they have imparted has been invaluable and relevant. I was unsure as to my career path prior to undertaking this work placement but now have a clear idea of my preferred future employment. This has been made possible through the clear goal setting each department has and the open communication lines that are evident at every level of the company. Red Spider utilise psychometric tests in their recruiting strategy and I have been fortunate enough to be evaluated under this strategy. The results have given me the clarity to define my career goals and understand how people interact with one another. I am looking forward to my second week at Red Spider with eager anticipation which is an unexpected but highly re-assuring outcome to my work placement. If this is civilian life, I can’t wait for it to start!!
Week two of my experience has shown me how finance works in private industry, an area I have had very little contact with in my current employment. I have also spent valuable time with the operations department and have identified that the skills I possess from my time in the RAF are most closely aligned to this type of work. Finally, time on the shop floor assembling the tools that are to be shipped all over the world has given me an insight into the challenges faced in heavy engineering industries.
I came to Red Spider to discover how some elements of the oil industry work and how private industry undertakes its’ business. I am leaving with a positive feeling about the future of the oil industry and my ability to find the right job for me within it. This has been made possible by the wealth of knowledge of everyone involved with Red Spider and their willingness to share their individual experience. To each member of the Red Spider team I extend a heart felt thank you and wish you all continued success.
