RE: When I was selecting a major in college (1960s), I expressed an interest in petroleum engineering. My adviser told me in no uncertain terms that it was a dead-end job with no openings. Someone would have to die for there to be an opening.
I gather you took the adviser’s advise. What did you major in instead?
Languages. At the time there were government programs promoting all sorts of language learning/teaching. With the hippie movement and the elimination of many college requirements, language teaching became the 400 applicants for every college job opening. I ended up in insurance. :o)
The oil industry is of course infamously cycle—so your professor has been proven both right and wrong at least three times since then.