Oil & Gas · CV Guide

Drilling Engineer CV Guide

Drilling Engineers need CVs that demonstrate well planning authority and operational execution. ATS in operator companies filter for specific software, well types, and cost management keywords.

ATS Keywords to Include

These terms appear frequently in job descriptions for this role and are filtered by ATS systems before recruiter review. Ensure they appear naturally in your experience and skills sections.

well designAFEBHAdrilling programpore pressurefracture gradientcasing designcementing designdirectional drillingMWD/LWDWellPlanLandmarkOpenWellsNPT reductionwell costcontractor management

Required & Beneficial Certifications

  • IWCF Surface / Combined Drilling Well Control
  • BOSIET/FOET (for offshore roles)
  • H2S Awareness Certificate
  • SPE Membership (beneficial for senior roles)

Common CV Gaps That Cause Rejections

These are the gaps ClariCV most frequently flags when analysing CVs for this role type.

  • Well count and type not stated — specify number of wells designed and drilled (vertical, directional, horizontal, ERD)
  • AFE budget authority omitted — include AFE values managed or approved
  • No NPT reduction achievement — quantify non-productive time reduction
  • Software platform not named — specify Landmark, Halliburton WellPlan, or equivalent

ATS Parsing Warnings

These formatting and labelling issues specifically affect how ATS systems parse CVs for this role.

  • MWD and LWD should both appear — they are often searched separately
  • 'Drilling Engineer' vs 'Well Engineer' — check the JD title and match it exactly
  • Rig type (jackup, semi, drillship, land) must be stated for location-specific roles

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