Anyone worked in energy - what's it like?

[DodgyAgent]

Generally for SAP projects they have a consultancy partner (logica, IBM etc) who source everyone and usually through their prefered agency (Elan), who farm it out to everyone else.

Thanks Pondlife. With SAP skills in such short supply can they afford to confine the market thus? and are Elan hiring through other agencies?

[BoredBloke]

When I worked at BP it was through a small agency - Spencer Rose. Don't know if that was subbed through a bigger one though. I found out the margin and so I suspect that it wasn't

[NotAllThere]

How do the agency supplier arrangements work at these companies?

I just talk to the guy at BP who I used to manage, and then I get a nice direct contract.

[arthur_cider]

I just talk to the guy at BP who I used to manage, and then I get a nice direct contract.

Have you got the brains?

[NotAllThere]

The brains for which particular numpty?

[beaker]

What is the bp role? Performance analyst at Stockley Park? If it is I'd avoid it. I did it for 11 months and it was horrible. If it is, PM me and I'll give you the low down.

It was Quality mgt stuff at BP. BA/PM work at Shell...

[hyperD]

One of my clients is a major oil & explor company.

Quite a challenge getting the apps to live.

Biggest pain in the arse is the big boy global it services company there whose sole raison d'etre is to implement more and more stifling bureaucratic jobsworth bulltulip but keep turning in the ££££££ by spending 4 years and £1m to develop a £300k database web app.

Those monkey boys there are fecking useless and just add to all the delays that stop innovation and increase time to market.

They don't want some small time, entrepeneurial business like me showing them up for the incompetent, zero added value overheads that they are...

[someone has my name]

It can be quite hair raising I hear...

[WindyAnna]

Worked for Shell for a while. IT system was locked down. Building looked like it hadn't been refurbished since the 1960s. Essentially, they make money if they do things good or if they do things bad. Conservative, political environment.

But you get a free lunch!

[Tensai]

No such thing as a free lunch...

... 'cos Shell shut down the canteen at Shell Centre a while back (I hear from an old colleague.)

The IT group at BP is about to get a big kick up the butt, word is it's being (at least partly) de-centralised and pushed into the businesses. Also, in theory, it shouldn't take as long to get things approved, fewer people to butter up to get the nod.

If you can, try and work in one of the business units directly - rates can be better and there's less bull.