ABOUT LEAVING OIL

Have you ever thought about leaving your corporate job in the oil & gas industry and trying something new?

Leaving Oil is a resource to discuss personal and business strategies to transition away from a 30-year career plan at a major oil and gas company.  This includes developing new opportunities at smaller companies, creating new businesses, and finding personal growth through these challenges.  Leaving Oil includes a personal blog documenting my own growth through this change, stories from others on their own journey, and a forum to discuss these ideas with the larger community.

WHAT WE ARE NOT

This is not a blog against the oil industry.  Some of the greatest successes in human history have been made due to cheap energy, and in recent decades these companies have developed world-class safety and environmental programs to limit their potential impact.  Everyone’s life, including yours and mine, has been significantly improved by this industry, and it is important to understand this.

But the world is changing, and technology is moving so fast that the impact is strong.  In the next 30, 20, or even 10 years, society will demand full implementation of alternative energy sources as we move away from traditional methods.  The world will leave a hydrocarbon focused energy system sooner rather than later, and this will impact the millions of people who have based their whole career on that development.

WHO IS THE AUTHOR

I am a family guy in my late thirties that became frustrated with my job and path in life.  Working at a major oil and gas company, I realized my creativity and passion had been sidelined through a series of job moves and big company process constraints.  After realizing I had become depressed and seeing the impact on my family, I decided it was time for a change.  I took a leave of absence from my job, and spent time reevaluating my life.

While I still work in the industry, I have found a new perspective on life and am excited to wake up every day.

HOW LEAVING OIL BEGAN

As I started to become more frustrated at work and seeing the impact in my personal life, I started talking with my coworkers about the situation.  Many expressed similar frustrations, and wanted to “punch the clock” to receive the benefits, including the pension at the end.But many of the stories came from 30+ year veterans in the industry, that said they wished they had done things differently.

What does it feel like to get to the end of a career and wished for something different?  The money is good, but