I worked at National Oilwell Varco for nearly three years and gave far more than was ever asked of me. I consistently worked overtime, stepped up whenever needed, and sacrificed my own time to support the company. That dedication meant absolutely nothing in the end. There is no real path for growth here—no clear outline for advancement, no meaningful raises, and no incentive to actually perform at a higher level. Unless you are part of the “good ol’ boy” club, you will remain stuck in the same position indefinitely while promotions are handed out based on favoritism instead of merit.
I was passed up for a promotion in favor of someone who left the company for an extended period of time and was simply allowed to come back and leapfrog others who had stayed loyal and continued to carry the workload. When layoffs came, the decision was not based on skill, value, or contribution, but on a so-called “totem pole” system. This is especially insulting considering I was part of a very small team and knew how to do everyone’s job, making me far more valuable than others who were retained.
To make matters worse, the company chose to lay off someone who showed up every single day, never abused time off, and consistently did the work, while keeping employees who regularly burned through PTO, had attendance problems, and had even been written up for not showing up. That decision alone speaks volumes about how NOV truly operates.
National Oilwell Varco does not live up to the values it proudly claims to stand for. Loyalty, hard work, and accountability are clearly not rewarded here. Instead, favoritism and internal politics determine who moves forward and who gets pushed out. I genuinely hope the company collapses or is completely sold off to another organization that actually values its employees and operates with integrity—because in its current state, NOV does not deserve the people who give their time and effort to it.