"The one thing I like about being a project engineer is that it's different every day. Maybe you're in the scoping phase...or maybe you're in detailed design and drafting...or maybe you're in the construction phase. I'm happy to say there's not a definite routine."

Both Mike and I ended up in the world of oil & gas project management by accident. Coming out of our undergrad, both of us had planned to enter the industry focusing on mechanical engineering. Instead, we ended up running projects. Project engineering is a key role in the oil & gas industry. While not all project management roles are occupied by engineers, a large portion of them are comprised of former discipline engineers. 

In this episode, we discuss our experiences operating in project management within the oil & gas industry. Some of the topics we discuss include how project engineers get to influence an entire project, the ebbs and flows of the oil & gas industry and why projects often change in both scope and schedule and balancing quality, schedule, and cost for the client. We also touch on the nuances of communicating with project teams and how being a project engineer brings something new to your desk every day. 

Additional Information:

Freaknomics Radio Episode: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/project-management/