luckynzo:

Without mincing words, this is a very irrational post.
Are you kidding me? Do you know how many people will kill to have an oil job.
All that money and they choose to live a lavish and reckless lifestyle?
Any oil worker that finds him/herself in the situation you've just painted will be in the same situation even if they're Bill Gates. The money will never be enough because the more money they make, the more lavish their lifestyle
People are crying for a $5000 annual income and somebody with a $40000 -$120,000 annual income is crying.
Oya na. Let's switch places. I make N100k monthly and I still have dependents.

joedams:

Yeah, everyone does. But then, there are so many other silent money spinning jobs out there.

Jarus:
I have worked in the oil and gas sector all my post-NYSC career of over 8 years. I think what the OP said is largely true.

A number of points I want to make

1, There is tendency to be ostentatious among oil and gas workers to live up to societal expectation of "oyel" worker. But personal discipline makes a difference. I have a junior colleague that was earning less than me and living in a 2.5m rented apartment in Lekki Phase 1, while I lived in a 500k per annum house in inner Ajah while doing projects.Although we can argue these are personal choices, convenience comparison etc. Unfortunately, the friend was affected by a recent job cut.

2, There is pressure from friends and family, but this is the case for every working person irrespective of sector. In fact, maybe bankers even have more pressure (well, until recently).

3, Banks chase you with personal loans because they know you have a means to pay back.

4, Many oil and gas worker feel too arrogant to engage in side businesses. I spent the first 6 years of my career having that mentality too. It was only recently that I converted. Despite earning a seven digit figure per month, I run 2 small businesses (career consulting and a barbing salon), whose combined annual turnover is less than my 2 months salary. But I know I have something by the side.

Many oil workers "pity" me. A colleague, an HR person that knows my pay, reading my personal text (on my career consulting) saw where I sent sms to someone to pay 3k for CV review service and was shocked. She doesn't know what the little drops from side business can do.

Overall, I think if you get a good job in an oil and gas company, especially upstream, with proper discipline, you can do wonders with your life in few years. To God be the glory, in just 8 years of work, I'm a proud owner of 2 houses.

Ralphlauren:


you are always 'dropping' your salary at any given opportunity. alfa, who asked you how much you earn grow up dude. this is getting boring.

i was expecting you to come and fart on this thread and you didnt dissapoint.

Jarus:


Even though you're a long time stalker, with intention that are far from corrective, I stand corrected.

Ralphlauren:


you are always 'dropping' your salary at any given opportunity. alfa, who asked you how much you earn grow up dude. this is getting boring.

i was expecting you to come and fart on this thread and you didnt dissapoint.

Ralphlauren:


you are always 'dropping' your salary at any given opportunity. alfa, who asked you how much you earn grow up dude. this is getting boring.

i was expecting you to come and fart on this thread and you didnt dissapoint.

charlove:
if illusion means i have land in lekki
cars, wife and girlfriends
omo, i want am oooo

CzarChris:
I was smiling as I was going through the tread . The best decision I made was leaving a oil industry after 5years of working with a multinational(as a contract staff) I had opportunities of renewing my contract or even being made a full staff when life got a bit tough, but I stood my grounds.

Now... Life keeps getting better and better.

Afritop:

An illusionary comment

Kakamorufu:
Why should i spend 5million bills on wedding? Where am from, 100k is enough if you plan well, no be by force to make noise for weddings abeg.

And, if i can be earning 1 million naira per month, i will have no second tought about obtaining loan from anybody, i knw the way i manage and spend the little i have for now, not to talk of millions.
In the end, with my savings, its to start my own bussiness and make more cash

joedams:
The life we’re made to live, the perception friends and even foes have of us is an illusion, the more you look, the less you see. Those were the words of Rachael Kada as I asked about her job and monthly earnings in one of Nigeria’s foremost multinational Oil and Gas companies.

Irrespective of being a mid-management staff of a renowned multinational Oil and Gas company, Rachael is a restless entrepreneur with 3 flourishing small businesses and intent to invest in more. For what we know or perceive of the average Nigerian oil worker, they are comfortable enough to avoid the headaches of the entrepreneurial life. Depending on the company, average industry salaries starts at $45,000 to $140,000 per annum, this is enough to make them an envy in a country like Nigeria.

For so long, Nigerian Oil and Gas workers have been the uber-loved citizens of any Nigerian community or city, they are our favorite aunty and uncles, the ones whose advice our parents will gladly take at the expense of their own wisdom, their children were a delight to the teachers in school, they are seen as the most enlightened in our villages, benevolent spirits, they paid the fees of most members of their extended family, every one looked up to them for survival and livelihood, they received the most respect, were accorded highest privileges and positions in churches. They were easily accorded the positions of deacon and deaconess in church than other members, donation and fund raising events usually would be put off if they happened to be unavailable. They lived the good life everyone else desired, they are the ones who fly abroad often for vacation, their kids attended the best of schools, when they die, everyone who crossed their path during their lifetime ensures to attend their funeral. Even in death, they enjoyed the privileges of reverence.

Somehow they happened to live longer and healthier than anyone else, they stayed longer on their jobs, some putting in twenty five to thirty years before retiring. Job security is usually guaranteed or so we were made to believe.

Rachael thinks those were the good old days, she says everything we think or know about the current generation of Oil workers is a hoax. “They rather envy you and would love to be in your shoes, hustling with certainty that it’s your money at the end of the day”. She argues that this current crop are not staying longer on their jobs because of Job security but because they are bound by loans that need many years to service, they no longer interact freely or even let you know where they work because they are burdened with outstretched arms asking for support from their salaries. They no longer want to be the benevolent spirits we once knew and here is why:

You get this job, everyone thinks it’s fantastic. It actually is, especially if you look around you and consider the economic situation and unemployment rate but its only fantastic for the first 5 years so you start out, making millions every year, opportunity to travel the world, free food from the office cafeteria. For men; girls following you, for women; men afraid to follow you.

You have this career built up in your head, and you plan on working hard to achieve it, then your family members start making demands, you have social, community and even spiritual demands etc. Cost of living continues to build up (only for you), you get married, have children and need a good car for yourself, wife and a good house that befits your ‘status’ and dreams

Then you notice you cant cough out 15 million to buy a land to build house because even if your salary is N1m per month and allowances are another 6 to 8m annually, you have living expenses and so you don’t have bulk money.

This is the point where cooperatives and banks cash in on you. They tell you to take loans to achieve these dreams, Don’t forget, the guy that married needed to spend at least N5m on the wedding, he needs to set up a business for his wife, have girlfriends with expenses in addition to having a wife.

Back to the issue of housing, you finally get the loan to buy a land and you are under pressure to build. Don’t forget that you also need to rent an apartment, pay for 2 years and furnish. Suddenly, you realize that to buy a car for yourself and your wife plus build up the house, you need a second loan probably more than N15m so you try to get N30m so u can build, furnish and buy cars. Your parents and siblings will possibly be on standby with problems and most times, their problems will eat into these loans or your salary, then you have your church and social commitments always on standby.

At this point you are indebted to a bank and Coop for a total of 50m which will take you at least 5 to 7 years to pay off if you are strict (with an Interest rate of 20%.)

With this, you have a picture of the first 10 years of the life of an oil worker, let’s move on to phase two.

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Just when you think you are about to rest, you have to make bigger commitments. You may be transferred to another city and may need to get a house there. Some may want to build in the village, others want to invest in properties etc, and so you take the next set of loans… another 8 to 10 years hustle.

After 15 to 20 years, you suddenly realize that you have only been working to pay off loans and live an average life. If you want to travel abroad on vacation, that’s another topic.

You remember that career I told you about? The initial plan?

At this point you realize that the kind of politics you need to play to get it may overwhelm you or even change you to someone else. You may also need to spend some more money and invest a lot of emotions and still will not get there. All these while, you were boxed into a small community, an illusion, thinking you’ve attained elite status, cut off from the reality of the outside world, 20 years after, you realize you will soon retire but then your kids start getting into college so you have to double up, you start getting frustrated.

For most people, it always ends like a sad movie, you turn to look around you and your friends on the outside who hustled for the first 10 years of his or her life can afford to give you a loan, they’re more relevant in their communities than you are, better satisfaction and fulfillment because they are in touch with reality. There is a high probability that we die soon after we retire due to our inability to readjust to a normal life.

This is the life of today’s ‘oil worker’, it’s the reason I’m neck deep in running small businesses aside my job in a multinational.

*Rachael Kada: Real names substituted to conceal her identity.

http://thenerveafrica.com/7491/the-illusion-of-big-pay-nigerian-oil-gas-workers-aint-exactly-what-you-think/

Mypeople2:
My guy,your money never long that is why. When your money done long, by the time u finish spending that 5million, you won't know. You will be the one telling people, "I don't want to spend much "… ..after u have finished spending the millions

CzarChris:
Well, young man, I have absolutely nothing to prove to you, but my record in less than 1 year of service in SPDC is still there(probably beaten by now, but the record is still there). I run an engineering consultancy firm now and lecture in a Federal University.
So not everybody on nairaland is your mate.

CzarChris:
Well, young man, I have absolutely nothing to prove to you, but my record in less than 1 year of service in SPDC is still there(probably beaten by now, but the record is still there). I run an engineering consultancy firm now and lecture in a Federal University.
So not everybody on nairaland is your mate.

ciwi:


Please do u still have the connection to link someone up?

I just need a place I can work for a while, plan my life and move on

I'd really appreciate your response

ewa20buredi100:



Don't mind him.

Please can you allow or take someone who wishes to do a volunteering job in your firm?

CzarChris:
We are mainly into geotechnical and structural engineering jobs. For now not possible.

Good luck though.