Look through the Web site (https://www.landman.org) of the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) to learn more about the different types of landmen and their job responsibilities. See if there are upcoming networking events that you can attend. You can also watch videos and take classes through AAPLs Web site. Additionally, the AAPL has developed an outreach video titled The Path of the Landman: Powering the World. You can view the video on the AAPLs YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasLandman

Another option is to get a part-time job or internship in a landman consulting company or at an oil or gas company that provides landman services. Search the AAPLs job listings section on its Web site as well as the careers sections of oil and gas companies Web sites for assistant landman positions to learn more about the required job duties and educational and personal qualifications for this field.

Talk with a landman about his or her career. Suggested interview questions include: What made you want to enter this career? What do you like most and least about your job? How did you train for this field? What are some key skills for success? What advice would you give to young people about preparing for the field and being successful on the job? How will advances in technology change the field? Perhaps you could even job-shadow a landman to learn even more about the field. Ask your school counselor to help arrange these exploration opportunities.

Landmen work for oil, gas, and mineral exploration and production companies. Their main responsibilities are to research property ownership and negotiate the rights (known as right of way) to drill for oil, gas, and minerals on those properties. They spend part of their work day researching courthouse records and using the Internet and other tools to research land titles, property owners, and mineral owners. They interact directly with the land and mineral owners to negotiate terms of the lease that align with the oil and gas companies terms as well as government regulations. Landmen also oversee the work of other staff members and the geological procedures that are used to identify sites for oil and gas exploration.

According to the American Association of Professional Landmen, there are three types of landmen: company landmen, independent field landmen, and independent land consultants. Company landmen work full time for oil and gas companies; they negotiate and draft the deals with other companies and individuals, and make sure the land is prepared for drilling and compliant with government laws. Independent field landmen are hired on a contract basis; they conduct land ownership research, prepare reports, negotiate leases, and may also conduct surface inspections before the drilling starts. Independent land consultants also work on a contract basis; their work is similar to that of field landman, but they focus primarily on due diligence exams that are required for the purchase and sale of properties and companies.