Engineer title has became a "everyone can use" name is Malaysia nowadays. Even Customer Service also has Engineer? Seriously... Engineer title is a respectable title in Europeen countries (except UK), but Malaysia has totally ruin it. It's sad.

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Added on May 13, 2010, 10:42 pmYes, I work in the O&G industrial, in this industry you are worth NOTHING until your 3rd or 4th year. My company starting pay for fresh graduate engineer is only RM2200, but offshore allowance is RM300 per day. Don't see only basic pay, see overall.

This post has been edited by yvanser: May 13 2010, 10:42 PM

I know a fresh grad from UK even lowered his pay to RM1800 to enter to my company. Starting pay is really not that important. In this industry, I have never met a guy with 4 years experience that earns less than 10k a month, of course I mean Engineers (exclude the Customer Service Engineer). If you have 4 years experience and still earn less than 10k in O&G, then you might want to change company because you are consider as underpaid.

Yep even the riggers I met Offshore drive Perdana V6...

Yep the oil will end one day, but no one knows when, someone said in 30 years, or in 50 years. Anyway this industry probably won't pass to the next generation, so I guess we will maybe be the last batch that involved in this sector. The pay is high because O&G consists huge project, hence require higher technic and higher risk, it doesn't mean that once you enter you will earn money like crazy, it depends on your performance also.

You will be required to work 12 hours a day offshore, either day shift or night shift. It's not easy. And no life or not it depends on people, my manager always carry 30+ novel books with him when he goes offshore, so I don't think he feels no life.

It depends on Operators (Shell, Petronas, BP...), if Shell is the operator, offshore is usually 45 days, but it could be extended to 60 days maximum. Then you will need to go back onshore.

It depends on company also, some companies are 2 months offshore + 1 month office, or even worse like 2 months offshore + 2 weeks office, then go offshore again, if you want a break after offshore then u will need to apply before you go offshore. Not every companies will automatically let you have a break after offshore, you will need to negociate during your interview.

Read my post again before asking me to get my fact right. I said "if Shell is the operator", they fix the offshore period to 45 days to 60 days for their contractors. I'm not saying if you work directly under Shell.

That's abit low for O&G. Try to negociate for an increment after 1 year.

I don't know what newspaper you read that says 'it killed all workers', but my newspaper told me that 100 among 126 workers were saved by the life boat. Every job has its risk, the higher the risk is, the better the pay will be, that's the rule of living. Offshore is not that dangerous as you think, I have seen 3 accidents happened infront of me, but for me these accidents are avoidable.

I think it's reasonable that an overseas graduate demand more, even RM2500 is a bit less, they should be paid around the range of RM3000-RM4000 depends on location. Please bear in mind that those who graduated from overseas have certain qualities that local graduates don't have, you can't hire someone ONLY based on their results. For example an overseas graduate need to stay far from his family, be independent, interact with people with totally different background, settle most of the stuff by himself (find a place to stay, pay electrical bills, cook by himself... etc), and some of them even work as cleaners in restaurants during summer holiday. These experience might not be significant, but certainly will develope the capabilities of someone in terms of handling problems and difficulties... Of course my statements are exclude those who are super rich and their parents flew to see them 5 times a year and settle everything for them.

And a typical chinaman company problem: Always press down someone's salary. I told my boss last time that money maybe is not everything, but it CERTAINLY will motivate the employees, the more you pay, the more the employees feel appreciated (tell me if I'm wrong!), don't expect to pay a price of a kancil and hope to drive it like a ferrari... you pay the price of a kancil, you will get a kancil (even if you boost the engine you will need to add more money). Always keep that in mind.

If you are the boss and you have a budget for your employees' salary, my advise to you is to hire less people and increase their salary, rather than hire a bunch of people and everyone getting very little pay.