Not an operator myself, by I'm in the industry. There's a TON of growth in this arena which I'm sure is no secret. Baby boomers are retiring and ExxonMobil as well as Chevron both out in Baytown among others are building new units. I was just at a plant yesterday in Deer Park that had posters all over the walls inside of the security shack at the gate offering cash incentives for referrals. There's a shortage of skilled workers in this field at the moment, but that won't last for long. Tons of kids are enrolling in P-Tech programs at community colleges and some high schools in the area are even putting together programs. Not to mention those getting chemical and petroleum engineering degrees at four year universities. Even now it'll still take a perfect mix of education, experience, and luck (who you know, timing, etc) but it's definitely not a bad career choice. As long as you're not opposed to working in potentially hazardous environments, shift work schedules, and long hours. +/- $30/hr is very common for first year operators. There's tons of growth locally from Houston to Lake Charles, so now's the time to put a game plan in motion if you're interested.
Currently enrolled at San Jac for this and will have a certificate by spring, heard it really doesn't have any pull so i will keep working towards my degree.
I start beginning of the year, it was 3 separate interviews. Just sale yourself and kill them with safety.
Don't assume the Ops Superintendent cares more about non-degree Processing Certificates than military or relevant industry experience or a good attitude. Do assume there are another 200-300 applications for the same slot. I think you want look up FIT and COBRA testing to see if you can do basic math and operational problem solving very quickly.
