Oil and Gas Community

Hi All. Just registered with this site as I’m in need of some friendly advice. I have been looking at the oil and gas industry for the last 12 months. I’ve actually been looking at a few industries as I am currently in the food industry and have been since I left the armed forces 5 years ago. My wife and I have been looking at emigrating to Australia as she has family well established over there (20yrs) but I said to her I wouldn’t want to emigrate whilst in the food industry as I already feel stale as an electrical engineer. In the forces I was used to heavy engineering work , i.e. bridge building/ demolitions, and electrical installations (construction and rewiring), since leaving I had to get a job and it just happened to be in the food industry. I don’t regret it as I have a great knowledge/experience of PLCs which I didn’t before but its time to focus on where I would like to be in a couple years time now. I have narrowed all the various fields available to an apprentice trained fully qualified experienced electrical engineer/technician down to petro checmical industry. I feel this industry would best suit me and so I have just recently took my Compex ex01-ex04 course. I now have a problem of trying to get into this industry. I have no friends who are currently working In this industry and I know that can go a long way. I have been in contact with petro-fac and strategic resources but they send me info on jobs that all requires 5+ years experience in oil and gas which I simply do not have. I am currently in the job interview process for a gas producing plant which I would be actively using my compex knowledge which I feel would help a little. Any advice from anyone who managed to get some doors open to this industry would be most welcome and appreciated. I’m a hard worker and feel its time for a new challenge and I’m only 31 so have 10 years experience under my belt but 35 years of career to give to a company too. I feel like the next opportunity/decision I make could be a vital one for me and my family (wife and 3 kids). Cheers Steve