Hello Guys.

I am currently looking for my best shot into the Oil & Gas Industry specifically Offshore.

I am in my 20s and have a Bachelors in Electronics Engineering , I have booked for my BOSIET + MIST training which I understand are the fundamentals in going offshore.

I am willing to pay and enroll for any extra role specific training or certification that will increase my chances of getting a foot in the door.

I believe that I just lack the necessary insight or information on the right agencies or contacts to kick start my pursuit.

I will like to get some advice and suggestion from people that are in the industry already on my best approach to getting hired or what specifically should I do to increase my chances.

Thank you all for your responses and suggestions cos I will really need them.

Bachelors in Electronics Engineering

Scrumple it up and get an HNC? I’m joking a little, but that would make you look rather overqualified out here. I’d certainlly bee looking for an instrumentation or telecoms role rather than an electrician

Applying directly to the big employers (wood group PSN, petrofac etc.) might get you somewhere – but they often look for industry specific experience over qualifications. If you don’t fancy trying to wheedle your way onto an appreticeship, the best place to find experience might be onshore at a terminal or refinery. Alternativelly try some of the specialist companies providing field service technicians to the Industry (Rolls Wood Group, Solar Turbines) They seem to provide pretty good training and it’s interesting work.

The Operators (Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips etc.) might be interested in taking you through a graduate scheme – but that would lead you to the office, not the rig…

Oh another course that’s likely to be essential is Compex. If you’re not used to working with armoured cable, barrier glands and I.S circuits it will be heavy going, but it’s fundamental to instrument and electrical work in explosive atmospheres.

where are you doing your Mist and Bosiet? I could mibbe get you a discount if in Aberdeen

You might want to register with this outfit – http://www.oc99.com

Have you tried SS7.

Thanks alot guys.

@Oliverd1981, I have already tried applying to all those but I haven’t been successful, I am thinking on getting training on Instrumentation & control but my problem is I dont know which agencies or company that would hire me with that having no prior O&G experience.

@bruneep thx man but I’ve already finished the payment and all.

@woody21, I have done that already, cheers

@maddyutah..SS7 u mean Subsea 7? I have done that in the past and wasnt successful.

The standard for getting offshore now is through OPITO approved courses and apprenticeships.
Although it appears that the applications for 2013 are closed, apply as people drop out. There is also a page on the site below that has a list of the employers, get in touch with them all with your CV.

OPITO apprenticeships

TIP: make sure your CV is no more than one side of an A4 sheet. You haven’t got enough relevant experience for anything more than that and many employers will instantly throw out any CV’s more than one A4 side before looking at it.

Best of luck!

Aye Subsea 7.They always seem to be on the hunt for electrical Techs usually time served electricians dont know if you degree would qualify you for this

when have you been applying ?

things have been a little quiet the last couple of years but things are in boom just now , reapply for everything you might get lucky.

Thx guys, I will do that straight away.

I wanted to ask, arent there agencies that seldom take up guys for offshore jobs?

I hear people getting lucky once in a while being offered opportunities even without degrees.

@trail rat, I applied around feb – March this year

There are loads of agencies in Aberdeen.
Many employers use Linkedin to look for people, through both methods are usually for people with experience.

Worth a try though.

Thx Stats, do u have any you might recommend to follow up, I Live in London which is one of my setbacks but planning on coming a day or two in Aberdeen for job hunt.

It’s a few months away, but a trip to Offshore Europe in September (it’s at the conference centre in Aberdeen) would be worth a shot if you’re still looking.

Edit: also get your CV on oilcareers, oilandgasjobsearch and the like

It may be an easier route to get an onshore oil and gas job first (as that could get a lot of experience that is required) then once you have a couple years experience it would be far easier to go offshore (most of my colleagues that want to go offshore manage to get offshore without too much difficulty,process operator in oil refinery).

OP, i work for these guys:

http://www.stena-drilling.com/

Basically send your CV in and see what they say. I suspect with your qualifications something along the lines of Electronics Technician would be on the right track. The only real way into the offshore world is to keep banging your CV in to any company or agency you can find on Google and be persistant and flexible.

Email me in profile if you want me to organise a chat to our instruments guys – why offshore? You want the rotation? Otherwise think project if prepared to go where the work is.

Thx guys, My day has been excellent with all these insights and suggestions.

@Rugbydick, Yea I saw their advert on Oilcareer in the past, I will attend if am still searching by September.

@Falkirk, I wouldnt mind an Onshore job, it musnt be offshore for now, The reason I wanted the offshore was just because of the additional leave days and the Pay. But if I see an Onshore thing now, I will take it with both hands.

@Smogmaster, I applied Stena in March and wasnt successful reason I believe was that the positions I applied for then where Derrickman and Assistant Driller and I dont have required tickets to get me onboard.

I could PM my CV to you or if u could chip in a word or two to the HR for me and see how it goes.

Some of the smaller contracting firms won’t be getting bombared with as many CV’s ass they big boys, so they might be worth a try. There are firms here now doing tasks like simple instrument calibrations, EX inspections and updating drawings.
Because their remit isn’t as wide as a platform tech these roles don’t need as much experience and can be a good foot in the door might be worth seeing if there are any small consultancies local to you who offer these services.

@Sugdenr Email sent

@Oliverd1981, I Concur to that, Locally here in London, I do search sometimes online but dont seem to get enough results.

It made me in the past to consider going for something like Instrumentation & Metering training or NDT Inspection training.. what put me of in the later was the fee for the course and the required months of experience before I could be awarded the certificate.

I still feel my best bet is to pay Aberdeen a visit soon and see how lucky I might get. ( even though I dont know any specific agency)

your location probably isnt helping

i struggled for ages to get a job offshore

moved to aberdeen in a bike mechanics job

within weeks i had an offer for a completions project engineer trainee .

i was fresh fish with mech eng degree.

@trail rat, definitely the location isnt helping matters, I will check cost and make out time to Aberdeen and see how it goes for me.

Thanks man!

There are jobs going at my work place in Rotherham. It wouldn’t be regular rotation offshore work – more like when the project requires it but from what you’ve said, you may be interested in the project/commissioning engineer work that we do.

http://www.s3-id.com/careers/

Can you email me? paul dot wilkinson @ the web address in the url above. I’ll get back to you on Monday.

@Paul, That will be great, I’ve just sent you an email.

I’m surprised you’re struggling to get a job in the industry, they’re screaming out for people. You should consider an onshore design role with some of the contractors like KBR, Foster Wheeler etc, with a degree you should get in as a design engineer and be London based, not that I know much about the electronic bits. You could also try someone like Konsberg, possibly as a trainee ship systems technician or something.

If you’re still set on going offshore then I remember reading something about a recruitment fair sometime soon up here in Aberdeen, probably at the AECC, if I come across the details I’ll post them up here.

@Squirreled, I dont have any preference be it offshore or Onshore. I have tried the companies you have mentioned except Konsberg which I will try to do now.

Yes, It amazes me too, cos I keep on hearing people saying of the staff shortage but the companies are a bit reluctant with the Fresh blood.

If you get any more info or suggestion pls dont hesitate to contact me please.

Many thanks.

I’m from an electronics and comms background and have been trying for years to get into the gas and oil industry with no luck what so ever.
then bumped into an old mate who sent my cv to his boss, a week later I had an interview then was offered a job the next day.
My mate and his boss had nothing to do with the electronics side of things either.

I had applied several times to the company before this too, seems knowing someone and being referred carries some weight

In the interview they made a big thing about starting from the bottom and making sure I was happy with being a trainee, learning from guys who were possibly younger than me etc

Not much help to you but thought I would share my experience.

OP, applying for Derrickman and AD roles maybe half your problem..no one ever walks into those roles off the street. You need to start off as a Roustabout (get your Greenhands and Banksman courses), you can move upto Roughneck in 2-3 years, then Derrickman another 2-3 years after that as long as you possess half a brain cell. Everyone starts at the bottom in the offshore world…i know guys earning £200k per year who started as cleaners and galley hands before working their way up through the ranks.

Service hand is another way in…..running completion, well testing , wireline engineer etc etc

Imo with a degree unless you really want to be on the hard work side your barking up the wrong tree unless you really want the driller experiance for going to be oim or drilling superintendant

Halliburton

Weatherford

Schlumberger

Kca deutag / aker solutions – what ever they are called these days

Baker hughes

Have you tried them ? I know most are looking as i get emails weekly asking me to apply for jobs with them.

With electrical engineering try the wireline or MWD companies Schlumberger, Halliburton/sperry or baker hughes,you could even go as low as Pathfinder or Weatherford MWD (though I am not sure how much longer Pathfinder will be in existence with the big blue owning them). Beware though, working in wireline you will be signing your life away for the forseable future. Forget all this production tech nonsense get in to the drilling side of things. You wont get a job as a derrick man, assisant driller without doing the time working upthe ranks, unless you sign on as a drilling engineer with one of the drilling companies, then you would be sent offshore as a graduate trainee.

Go onto any of the above companies websites look up MWD or wirleine and find a contact via that route, I suspect you will find yourself in a mucky pair of coveralls before you can blink.

Top tip , be willing to travel.

Much easier to get experiance abroad than in northsea. – and youll learn more quicker 😉

Thanks Guys for your feedback, I do appreciate them.

@All, I am more than Willing to start from the lowest and least position in a rig or an Oil & Gas company. I have in ceaselessly looked for Roustabout jobs online but I didnt find.

The only time I did was on KCADEUTAG website and they required some offshore experience.

The thing is that, I am more than willing to go for a Greenhand course so far it will get me a Roustabout job, being self sponsor , I dont want to invest in something and still back to zero.

These stuffs are quite harder to get a chance than its being said believe me.

@Smog, I used the Derrickman and AD as examples, cos they were the least positions I saw on your company’s website and moreover Stena Vacancies is always Dated 2012 and I dont know when they are recruiting.

@North East Andy, You are really blessed, I pray that I can be offered such an opportunity as you had.

@ Edward, I have applied to the companies mentioned except Pathfinder which I will look up now and apply.

@trail rat, I have applied to those companies you mentioned.

About the travel stuff, I have tried applying to jobs outside especially The US but am always put off due to the Visa requirement.

I am trying to get offshore aswell. I have no degree though, I have a list of drilling companies that I will be trying, aswell as a good heads up from a guy I work with about a company who take on people with no experience..

I am currently an HGV driver with no real relevant experience, however I am very keen to learn, willing to start at the bottom and wanting to progress my career, I’m also used to working away from home so I suppose that’s a plus, used to long hours aswell.

I have also heard that in alot of cases knowing somebody on the inside who can fast track you CV to the top of the pile can help, however I’m determined to do this so ill shall crack on and bombard them with CV’s. I have an idea where I want to go with career progression aswell, just need somebody to give me a shot..

Bruneep.. If its ok I may email you and pick your brains about the courses?

EdwardH.. That sounds like good advice, I’ll be looking into that.

Sorry to thread hi-jack but some very useful info on here.

If anybody has any pointers I’m open to suggestions and advice, my email is mikedonald@hotmaildotcom.

Your other option is to try Great Yarmouth as most of the service companies have bases there. TBH you are better off gaining experience in an onshore position before going offshore, especially if you want to work in electronics.

As mentioned previously, LinkedIn is a useful tool so make sure you have an up to date profile and follow the companies you would like to work for. Almost all of them post jobs there when they become available.

There is a huge skills shortage in the industry just now so don’t give up, something will happen.

@Chief, Thx for the heads up and encouragement, I believe that I will be successful in the end.

@1981Miked, Am glad you gained from my thread, I will email you, hope you dont mind sharing some insight with me

You mention S club 7, have you also tried Technip, Integrated Subsea Services, Bibby offshore for the Stauration diving Industry they employ electronics techs and train them up to be dive technicians for looking after the ever more complex vessel based saturation/hyperbaric dive spreads.
Also the ROV/RSE industry is busy at the moment but every body is trying to get into that at the moment, and generally they only take on degree qualified techs if they have hands on experience 5-10 years on relevant trade hydraulics or electronics.

Technip
S club
Saipem/Sonsub
ISS
Fugro
DOF subsea
EMAS
Canyon
Deep ocean
Hallin
S3
ROV op
Mermaid
C Innovation
And many more

Cheers,

Scotsman.

@ Scotsman, Wonderful Man, Thank You Very Much!