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Have
you ever felt the urge to find a REALLY EXCITING
occupation that pays well, offers challenge, adventure,
lots of opportunity and requires you to work only
six months out of the year?
-
Are you ready
to say goodbye to the monotony of the typical 5 days
on, 2 days off, day after day, week after boring week
of your mediocre, no chance for advancement, land
locked job?
-
Are you
willing to go where the work is and are you willing to
work? How would you like to
get around a bit and put some excitement in your life
for a change?
-
Maybe even a
little international travel?
What
would it be like to:
- Fly
to your job in a helicopter?
- Earn
high wages. US entry level roustabout wages start
between $1600 up to $2200 per week, depending on who
you work for and thee are always wage wars going on
between companies.
- Most land based jobs don't pay
anything near that much just starting out AND,
if you are motivated you can move up much faster than
with regular jobs.
- Work
in an industry most people know very little about?
- Get
off the beaten path. One thing you will not have to
deal with on a daily basis is traffic. For some of
you, this is reason enough to go. You can be at
your job in 2 minutes flat.
- If you commute many
miles to work every day, think of how much money you
can save on gas.
- Enjoy
free meals (4 times a day) with snacks in between.
Tuesdays and Saturdays are steak day, Friday is
seafood. Take all you want just be sure to eat all you
take.
- The
best rigs have top of the line gym equipment, saunas,
hot tubs and usually a pool table or two.
- Internet and phone
connections to family and loved ones are readily
available on all rigs.
- Pay
$0 for rent? Look at the money you can save by not
having to pay for food, lodging and cable. All of the
newer rigs have VCR's, cable and internet in every
room. Popcorn and movies start one hour after every
hitch.
- Imagine
for a moment what it would be like if you only had to
work six months out of the year. Think of all the
things you could do with that much time off. Rig
schedules are usually one day off for every day
worked.
For example, if your schedule is 14/14 that means you
get a two week vacation every month. (Yes, if you
want to make extra money you can work extra time.)
- Work
with a variety of motivated people in a multitude of
different job environments and locations.
- Have
the opportunity / training to learn other offshore oil
rig jobs (cross train).
- Work
with state of the art equipment (most of the time).
- Have
access to the best
training available so you can get promoted to the next
level in the shortest amount of time?
"ENTRY
LEVEL" makes it all possible
Don't
be dismayed if you don't live near the Gulf of Mexico or
even in the US. Most offshore oil rig work is structured so
you get a week off for every week worked. Maritime and
special service companies follow different
schedules. Whether you get travel pay or not depends on what
your job is and who you work for.
US rig hands live in every state of the union and don't mind an
interstate commute once a month (sometimes less) in order to
live in their native areas.
The
same is true with Canadians and foreign rig hands. Known as
expats, they work all over the world, fly back and forth
to the rig (usually on a 28/28 rotation) and enjoy a
truly unique lifestyle.
-
Offshore
oil rig jobs usually pay TWICE AS MUCH as
comparable land based jobs. Most US entry level rig jobs
start between $1,600.00 to $2200 per week . Some pay more, some pay
less.
-
Upper
level positions pay that much per day. At one time
everyone was entry level looking at their first hitch.
If this is your first attempt for this kind of work,
don't feel alone.
You are not going to find
a better time to get in than right now. With crude now
topping $125 per barrel, more offshore jobs are available
today than ever before. A recent article in the Houston
Chronicle, entitled "Good
oil-field help is still hard to find" made
these industry statements:
- "The oil and gas industry is contending with a
labor shortage"
- "Especially hard to find are people to fill
entry-level jobs as roustabouts, rig hands, pumpers
and service personnel."
- "Now that oil prices have climbed above
$125 a
barrel, rusty rigs that nobody wanted just a few years
ago are being dragged out of equipment yards. New
drilling companies are popping up everywhere."
Don't
be too proud to take an entry-level position. It's well
worth the effort to tuff it out for 3-6 months, get the
training and experience you need (to be considered a
good rig hand) and then concentrate on moving up.
Offshore oil rig jobs are more available now than ever
before.
The more common entry level positions
are with:
- Drilling
contractors / service companies as roustabouts
- Maritime
companies as deckhands / ordinary seamen
- Mudlogging companies as trainees
- Catering
companies as utility hands
If
you want to apply for something other than entry level, by
all means do so. Keep in mind you might well have the skills
required for the job, but until you can say yes to "do
you have any prior offshore experience" more than
likely you be required to start at entry level.
Even
at the most basic of entry level positions you have two
excellent additional career benefits:
- You
will be on the rig. You can observe day to day rig
operations and get to talk first hand with other rig
personnel, including management personnel who can hire
you
- Should
an upper level position (roughneck, crane operator,
mechanic, welder, electrician, etc) become available on the rig,
you are right there to apply for it.
After
just six months of basic entry level you will be able to
answer the most important question a recruiter will ask.
"Do you have prior offshore experience?"
Even if you are working as as a
utility hand for the catering department, being
on the rig will give you access to the tool pusher or
offshore installation manager. They have the authority to hire you right on the spot.
Every
now and then a rig hand gets "run off" (fired) in
the middle of the hitch. Others get fed up and quit. If you
think you can do the job, go to the pusher and tell him you
want to give it a try.
Many
a roustabout has been hired in this very manner. Being on
the rig as any type of entry level is a BIG step in getting
a job more suited to your qualifications.
If
you take a maritime entry level job as a deckhand on a crew
boat, supply or utility vessel, you will spend a lot of time
offshore unloading and loading equipment and supplies.
Again,
this will allow you to observe drilling / production
operations and give you a chance to talk to the guys on the
rig about any available rig jobs.
If
you want a job in the patch, there a plenty of them out
there at this time. Hundreds of new jobs are being added to
the roster every week; both entry level and experienced
alike.
There is no reason for anyone not to be
working at the job of their choice. Whether you live in the
US, Canada or elsewhere there has never been a better time
to get into this high paying and rewarding career than right
now.
All
it takes is motivation and a good go getter attitude. For
those of you suited for this kind of work, a job on an
offshore drilling rig or crew / supply vessel will be right
up your alley.
Others
of you will turn into modern day sailors working the crew /
supply boats servicing the rigs worldwide. This is the type
of adventure Jimmy Buffet sings about in several of his
songs. Find out first hand what it's all about!
Accommodations
Accommodations,
like salaries, vary from company to company, location to
location and even job to job. One thing which will remain
the same is the cost. It will cost you nothing,
accommodation and meal wise, to work offshore.
Food
and lodging are provided by the employer. Here are the
experiences and advice of one young man from Texas who
successfully used the resources of this site and got himself
an entry level position. This individual had no prior
offshore / oilfield / maritime experience.
- Automotive
background, no prior offshore experience
- "You
have got to sell yourself"
- Be
prepared to take a back x-ray and MRI
- One
day of hard labor at training camp in South Louisiana
- Hired
as a roustabout, Gulf of Mexico
- 14/14
schedule, $2500 per month salary
- Working
on a new semi, less than one year old
- Excellent
living facilities / meals
On board home gym
HBO, Show time and lots of movies
4 men to a room with TV, VCR and DVD
Keep
in mind this good fortune does not happen to everyone. Some
new hires end up on a rust bucket six months away from the
scrap yard.
Bottom
line, especially for all who live in Canada and the US, if
you are not working in the oilfield - it is NOT because
there are no jobs.
These
pages were written to give the green hand a realistic look
as what to expect in getting an offshore, oilfield, oil rig
or maritime job. They come from many years of personal
experience, working in both US and international waters.
Beginning
as a worm (green hand) and working my way up to rig welder,
welding inspector, crane operator, crane superintendent in
charge of other crane operators and ending as a maintenance
foreman.
At
one time I was just as green as you, had NOT A CLUE as to
what this was all about but knew it was something I wanted
to do. I am living testimony my recommendations work. Not
only work, but work well. Requirements are simple:
- A
positive attitude
- Good
work ethics - slackers don't last long
- The
ability to get along with others of different cultures
while working in isolated environments
- A
sense good sense of humor is most helpful
- A
bit of luck is always welcome
Looking
back over the years I see I was quite fortunate to have
been able to travel as much as I did, to work at all the
different places I've worked at, in such a variety of
interesting and rewarding jobs with some really great
people.
There
were challenges to meet and overcome. Not to mention
numerous near tragedies - horrific North sea storms,
numerous Gulf of Mexico hurricanes and even catastrophic
rig blowouts - a rig hand's worst nightmare.
I
was fortunate enough to not only have experienced it but
to have lived through it and can now tell my story in a
way that helps others who want to give it a try.
I've
seen a lot and done a lot of things many will only dream
of. I am most grateful for that and would not have had it
any other way.
Now,
in my golden years of retirement, my job is passing these
tried and true experiences / recommendations on to you and
others having the same desires and dreams I had when I
left for my first hitch many years ago:
-
Having
a decent job that I enjoyed
-
Earning
the big bucks in an honest way
-
Being
part of something that is important
-
And
MOST IMPORTANT to me was the opportunity to move up
the ladder
There
is one thing I can tell you that is 100% true and can be
verified by anyone who has ever worked out there.
Working
offshore is like NOTHING you will experience in any other
type of job.
Age Requirements
Minimum
- 18 in the US and Canada. For the rest of the world I don't
have clue.
Maximum
- I get this a lot. How old is too old? Some of you are on
up in your years and are wondering if you might be a bit
over the hill. I can share some light on this from my
personal experiences.
The
last time I worked in the patch was 2002. I was 52. It was a
land based job but offered the same pay and benefits as
offshore.
I
took it because I wanted to get the feel of the industry one
last time before I retired and this was exactly the
opportunity I needed:
- Worked
7 and 7 out of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, USA
- Classified
as a "utility hand" - worked as a rigger,
fork lift operator, pupmer, crane operator,
mechanic-welder and roustabout supervisor.
I
was fortunate to get the job, having had major back and
knee surgery from an accident I sustained while working as
a crane operator on a jack up working offshore West Africa
in 97.
I
got teased a lot about what an old guy I was to still be
working and that I needed to be in a home for the aged, etc.
On
my first yearly evaluation I was told "I was old, slow
and tired out easy." How bout that for input from
management? Goes to show the mentality of those in charge.
If
you choose this as your career you will run into some very
backward thinking individuals. Hunker down, do your job and
let your actions speak for you.
Work
is work. Pull your share of the load and everything else
will be OK.
Regardless
of my age, I could still go toe to toe with the young bucks
and could do so again if required.
Whether
you are too old are not depends on you as a person. Entry
level is not an easy job, unless you work in the galley. You
know your capabilities and limitations better than anyone.
There
are times of inactivity, sometimes even days of it. Mostly
there is day after grueling day of 12 hour plus shifts,
doing hard ass manual labor. Depending on your location and
the time of year, it will be:
-
Not
too hot, not too cold with a nice breeze and good
cloud cover - perfect conditions
-
Hotter
than hell's kitchen and not a breeze for days
-
Nonstop
rain, freezing temperatures and 50 MPH plus winds
-
And
that is just the weather
If
you think you can do it, give it a try!
Catch
22 - And this will be THE
KICKER
for a lot of you
If
you are like the average person working in the typical land
locked job you are probably chomping at the bits to get out
there.
The
trouble is, no matter where you apply and how much you plead
your case about what a great hand you will make if given the
chance, the answer you most likely will hear is "Sorry,
but since you have no PREVIOUS offshore / maritime
experience we will not be able to hire you at this
time." A bummer for sure.
I've
got 23 more exciting and information packed chapters on how
to make this happen. Step by step on the do's and don'ts.
Others have tried to copy this work but so far none have
been able to present it the way we do.
I've
put my years of experiences and all my tried and true
recommendations together in "The Complete
Offshore Employment Handbook." This one of a
kind publication is offered as a FREE BONUS for all who
subscribe to Direct
Access.
If
you try and try and try and just cannot find anyone to give
you that all important first change, have a look at what MERCY
SHIPS has to offer.
They
operate three volunteer hospital ships around the globe and
bring Hope, Help and Charity to the poor and those less
fortunate than you or I.
Mercy
Ships is not a paying job . If
you are in it just for the money it will not work for you.
If, on the other hand you will do whatever it takes to get
that all important first six month's worth of experience,
give these people a try.
It
is a great way to get some qualified sea time under your
belt, see parts of the world you would not normally see and
help those less fortunate.
Naturally,
this is not for everyone, but if you want to find out
more...
Marleene
Keffeler
Mercy Ships
Marine Staffing Manager
Marine Operations
For
additional free information from Offshore Guides on entry
level positions, who to contact, etc., make sure you are registered.
Registration is FREE.
Once
you are registered, you will want to get your own personal
copy of "The Complete Offshore Employment
Handbook" which will provide you with step by
step instructions on how to get yourself a good paying
offshore, oilfield, oil rig or maritime job.
Thanks
again and have a great day!
Cpt
Ron
OffshoreGuides.com
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