By Maria Angela Capello, SPE; C. Susan Howes, SPE; Jennifer Calderin, SPE; Monique Schlanger, SPE; and Jamie Marzonie, SPE.
On 7 May, at the NRG Center in Houston, Room 700 buzzed with energy as professionals, recruiters, and volunteers gathered for the SPE Gulf Coast Section (SPE-GCS) Career Advancement Network's (CAN) latest Energy Professionals Hiring Event, which was held in conjunction with the 2026 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the room became a hub of possibility, where résumés exchanged hands, conversations flowed, and careers found new direction. In a sector where agility and connection define success, CAN once again delivered both.
The event drew 174 job-seeking participants in total, with 165 completing their registration payment. This is a testament to the continued relevance and organic reach of CAN's open-door and collaborative model. Notably, 55 of those attendees arrived as walk-ins, underscoring the initiative's defining principle: access should never be a barrier. No OTC registration was required to attend the hiring event, which was a deliberate choice that ensured the gathering remained inclusive and wide-reaching. Walk-in participants registered through CAN's job-seeker page, a light but necessary step that allowed organizers to capture valuable data while keeping the entry threshold low. The only requisite for the job seekers was that they show proof of their current professional membership from one of the 47 professional associations and organizations that endorsed this new edition of CAN Energy Professionals Hiring Events.
Chaired by Monique Schlanger within the broader framework of the CAN Committee, led by CAN Chair Jennifer Calderin, the event was the product of months of volunteer effort, employer outreach, and meticulous coordination. The committee's approach has long been rooted in the belief that career transition is a natural part of the evolution of active professional journeys in the energy sector. Whether someone is between positions or simply exploring new directions in an evolving industry, CAN's Energy Professionals Hiring Events are designed to meet them where they are.
A Volunteer Force That Makes It Possible
No CAN event happens without the dedication of its volunteers, and the OTC 2026 Energy Professionals Hiring Event was no exception. More than 20 volunteers contributed their time and expertise to make the event run smoothly. Volunteers arrived by 9 a.m. for the morning shift, the busiest hours of the day—or by 12 p.m. to cover the afternoon hours. And they arrived, dressed in their SPE or other societies’ shirts, in a festive environment to support new horizons for the careers of peers and colleagues on site that day.
The volunteer culture within CAN is one of reciprocity. Many of those who give their time have previously attended the event as job seekers themselves; volunteers were in fact explicitly encouraged to wear dual hats—participating as job seekers while supporting event operations. This fluidity is one of CAN's most human qualities: the line between giver and receiver is permeable, and the community is stronger for it. One practical note for future attendees: lines can grow considerably longer in the later afternoon, so earlier arrival is advisable for job seekers hoping for meaningful one-on-one time with recruiters.
A special remark should be made about the years of experience represented at the event. Attendees ranged from 2 to 20 years of professional trajectory. This diversity offered employers a broad spectrum of recruitment opportunities, from early‑career talent to seasoned experts.
Another noteworthy insight is the wide variety of professional profiles among registered attendees. While petroleum engineers were strongly represented, the event also attracted professionals from accounting, finance, safety, environmental and sustainability, project management, and many other disciplines. This reflects the evolving, multidisciplinary nature of today’s energy workforce.
The CAN Hiring Events continue to expand opportunities for members of the more than 40 endorsing professional associations that have consistently supported this initiative over the years. Our mission remains the same: to connect skilled professionals with meaningful opportunities in a dynamic labor market.
Six Employers, Forty-Seven Endorsing Associations
The employer presence at this edition was focused and purposeful. Six companies participated as hiring employers: ComAp, Enerset Electric Ltd., Promethean Energy, Servox LLC, Subsurface Consultants & Associates LLC, and Westpaq International, bringing a diverse range of technical disciplines and organizational cultures to the room. Recruiters at their booths engaged candidates across a range of experience levels, from early-career professionals to seasoned engineers looking to pivot or reenter the workforce.
Behind every employer booth stood a broader ecosystem of support. Forty-seven professional associations endorsed the event, spanning disciplines from geology and geophysics to environmental science, mechanical engineering, data analytics, and beyond. This coalition includes organizations such as AAPG, AADE, AIChE, ASME, AWG, BJM, GET, GSH, HGS, IMarEST, MTS, NSBE, PIFNP, PMI-Houston, PPDM, SEG, SPE, SPEE, SPWLA, SUT, SWE-HA, TBP, VAPA, and Women Offshore, among many others, demonstrating the cross-sectoral reach of CAN and the shared conviction that workforce mobility is an industrywide responsibility.
A Network Built on Resilience and Evolution
CAN's Energy Professionals Hiring Events have always drawn strength from their context. Attaching them to major professional conferences like OTC, one of the most prominent gatherings in the offshore energy world, attracts a density of qualified candidates and employers that standalone events rarely achieve. The OTC 2026 alignment brought global visibility to a community rooted in both local and global expertise and personal connection.
With more than 4,000 job seekers served since CAN's founding as "Members in Transition" in 2015, the initiative has proven both resilient and adaptive. Its rebranding in 2023 to "Career Advancement Network" marked an intentional evolution to reflect a broader mission: empowering professionals at every stage of their careers. Having hosted 17 semiannual Energy Professional Hiring Events, CAN has reached a level of maturity that positions it for meaningful expansion beyond Texas and beyond SPE.
Looking Ahead: IMAGE 2026
The momentum does not pause. The next CAN Energy Professionals Hiring Event is scheduled for August 2026, in conjunction with IMAGE 2026 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Energy professionals, recruiters, and volunteers alike are encouraged to mark their calendars and engage whether as job seekers, employers, or the dedicated volunteers who make it all possible. The chair of IMAGE 2026 CAN Energy Professionals Hiring Event, Lorenzo Izarra, invites all to attend and monitor the Call for Registration as employer, job seeker, or volunteer that will be shared via 2026 IMAGE event’s social media and social media channels managed by the CAN Committee.