18 Pros and Cons of Working for Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil is the largest oil and gas company in America, and one of the largest in the world with annual revenues of over $300 Billion, and 72,000 employees.

It has a reputation as a company that pays well, but getting a job there is not easy.

Their headquarters is moving from Dallas to Houston, and they have operations around the world.

From an oil rig worker to a chemical engineer, there is tremendous diversity in jobs at Exxon Mobil.

Even with countries trying to move away from fossil fuels, the company is reporting its highest levels of profits in its history.

It is a strong company and should remain that way for years to come.

Pros of working for Exxon Mobil

1. Good paying job

Exxon Mobil has a reputation for paying its employees well, but there is a significant gap between the highest and lowest-paid workers.

The top 10 percent make more than $110,000, while the lowest 10 percent make $25,000 or less.

The overall average is $53,000, which is slightly higher than the national average for workers of all kinds.

Specialists are paid very well.

A geologist could make $150,000, for instance.

It pays better than Shell, for instance, but not as well as some other oil and gas companies.

2. Job security

For years, Exxon Mobil was known as a company you could easily stay with until you retired.

There were a lot of layoffs during the Covid-19 pandemic, and during some oil crashes, which has dampened this feeling.

Even so, employees rate the company high on job security for the most part.

3. Travel

For researchers and professional-level employees, there is a lot of international travel involved.

You can see a lot of the world while doing your job.

When you travel, there is usually some free time available for you to explore wherever you are.

This is a great positive if you like going to new places.

4. Great benefits

The company offers a good deal on health insurance and complete dental and vision coverage.

Life insurance is free.

There is a pension plan for some employees.

You can earn up to six weeks of paid vacation and the company offers flexible working arrangements.

There are also bonuses for doing great work.

You also get a discount on gas purchases.

Exxon Mobil still offers a pension, which fewer companies are doing these days.

You have to work there for 15 years to qualify for the pension.

5. Education assistance

Exxon Mobil will pay some, or all, of your tuition to continue your education, which will help you do your job better.

They will help you get a degree, which will help you get a promotion and higher pay within the company.

In some cases, you can get a leave of absence to continue your education.

6. Upward mobility

There are a lot of different jobs with this company, in different areas.

You can start at the bottom and advance within the ranks.

You could also transfer to another area and advance there as well.

Moving into a local supervisory role is something that happens often, and you can climb the corporate ladder as well.

The company likes to promote from within whenever possible.

7. Interesting work

Exxon Mobil is always looking for new ways to do things.

Oil and gas exploration continues and the company wants to find new ways to use its products.

While working at Exxon Mobil, you will get to explore new ways of doing things and will have the freedom to be creative at the same time.

It is a demanding job, but there are lots of ways it can be fulfilling and fun.

8. Diversity

Partly because it is a worldwide corporation, there is lots of diversity in the company from top to bottom.

A sizable number of employees are women.

There are also employees from many different cultures and nationalities.

The company has a good policy of promoting minorities and is accepting of all people.

There will be opportunities to work with people from many different backgrounds.

9. Internships

The company has internships for recent college graduates, and even college students, in several of its areas.

Interns are expected to contribute meaningful work, meaning you will get some really good experience.

A successful internship could result in a job with the company, and it would be a plus when applying to other companies.

Internships are not easy to get, but they can be a great boost for your career to have a successful one.

Cons of working for Exxon Mobil

1. Long hours

Many professional-level jobs are salaried, which means you don’t get paid overtime.

The company expects you to work on weekends, and after hours, without extra compensation.

Sometimes vacations are discouraged.

The pay is good, but they expect you to be very dedicated and to work a lot of hours.

They offer some flexible work situations, but they also demand you work long hours.

2. Expectations

In general, Exxon Mobil is rated as a good place to work, but they do have very high standards.

Excellence is expected at all times.

There are rewards for good work, but you can be let go if you don’t meet the high expectations.

Regardless of the job you have, you have high standards that have to be met to keep your job.

The high standards, along with demanding lots of hours, make this a negative for Exxon Mobil.

3. Hard to get hired

Especially at the professional level, getting hired is almost a job in itself.

There are often five rounds of interviews, and they are very selective.

Since it is a good-paying company, there are lots of applicants for most jobs, so they can choose who they like best.

Some say you have to know someone or have a relative working there, but it is not an easy place to get hired even then.

4. Away from home

For some, travel is a benefit, and for some, it is a detriment.

Some jobs require a lot of travel and it is not optional.

It can interfere with family plans and activities.

There are jobs like working on an off-shore rig, where you might be away from home for months at a time.

You could also be assigned to work in another country for a set amount of time.

5. Some jobs are dangerous

The company works hard for safety, but some jobs are dangerous.

Working on an off-shore rig, for instance, has a lot of dangers, and serious injuries and fatalities do happen.

Working on an oil rig inland is also dangerous.

Traveling to other countries can also have dangers.

Many jobs are very safe, but be aware that there are some that have risks for employees.

6. High turnover

Especially since the Covid 19 pandemic, there has been a high rate of turnover within the company.

As oil prices fell, the company felt the crunch, laid off some workers, and cut benefits to other workers.

When the economy is bad, the company makes decisions that are not always in the best interest of its employees.

The recent turnover rate could be a sign of problems within the culture.

7. Promotions are slow to come

A lot depends on the department or area you work in and the local situation, but sometimes promotions do not come fast enough for people.

More people have been leaving the company in recent years, but some people stay there for their entire careers.

Upward mobility is limited by long-term employees who are ahead of you in that particular operation.

8. The gap between the haves and have-nots

There is a sizable gap between the best jobs and the worst jobs at Exxon Mobil as far as pay is concerned.

The highest level employees are treated very well and get good pay and great benefits.

The lowest-level jobs are dangerous at times, and the pay is low.

The lower-level jobs with this company are not as desirable as some others.

The company seems to care more about the upper echelon of workers.

9. Just another number

With 72,000 employees around the world, it would be easy to get lost in the shuffle at Exxon Mobil.

Upward mobility is possible, but you will likely never be in touch, or noticed, by the upper echelon at the company.

In some ways, you would just be another face, or another number, among the countless faces in the organization.