[Closed] Offshore Guidance

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

+1

A few guys I joined with jumped ship after 2-3 years and now work offshore.

Having said that one came back tail between legs after realizing that despite the money and how good rotations sounded, the reality seemed to be hard work, long shifts, canceled leave, and if you got a boss you didn't get on with you were ****ed (as it meant longer shifts, and more canceled leave).

That and there's only so many instagram photos of oil rig sunsets and posts whining about the food you can post before all your facebook friends start taking the piss.

1981miked, on-line where possible and by post, you say you drive an HGV at the moment, what did you do before that, any mechanical or electrical or hydraulic skills, fixing tractors, heavy machinery, generators, pumps, trucks, cars etc.
Subsea construction from vessels have a varied base of positions from deck riggers through to offshore construction managers.
Yes all those companies take on non graduates, most of the time it is luck, if you send in your CV at the correct time and they have just landed a huge contract they will no doubt be looking for lots of people and if your CV has just landed on HR's desk you have a chance of getting a phone call, perseverance pays off in the offshore game.

Dunno tinas it is what you make it , ive had some grim times and equally some great times. Gne to places i never dreamed of going and places ill never go back to.

Beats sitting at a desk all day every day

Thanks Scotsman,

I transport Bitumen, fuel oil, Kerosene and other hazardous liquids so I have an ADR certificate to do this. This may help me as I understand the importance of appropriate safety procedures, I also use Hydraulic tipping gear for some loads, although I don't repair or advice them i have a reasonable knowledge of how they work and could easy get an insight from the technicians at work.. Not official I know but may be enough to show I have a transferable skill.

Mechanically wise.. I have worked in a bike shop, carries out basic maintenance on my truck at previous employers, again I know the basics of car maintenance.

How I wish I had a trade right now!!!

Thanks again for the feedback Scotsman, alot of companies seem to want you to apply online and upload CV's.. If that's what the want I assume that's the best way to go about it?

@trail rat, I can imagine how nice the experience and exposure.

@thisisnotaspoon, As I've said earlier, So far it is in the Energy Industry, I dont mind the Location ( Be it Offshore or Onshore ) cos am flexible

interesting thread chaps!

anez247 - good advice above. the best thing i have heard from you is that you are flexible and will take a start anywhere. Thats the attitude that will get you where you want to be.

Right now you are at the hardest stage, getting people to notice you. Perseverance is the key. Become a pest. Follow your CV up with a phone call and keep trying.

This job has some massive downsides but for me the time off keeps me doing it.

Im an NDT / Rope Access tech. I'm at the stage now where i don't look for work. Most companies know me and the way the industry is at the moment the supply and demand is working in my favour. BUT i had to do a couple of years abroad getting experience before i got a look in the North Sea. Saudi land rigs were probably the lowest point 🙂 but i was happy to do this as my long term plan was always to be in Scotland.

Good luck 🙂

@Mactheknife, Its good to see an NDT chap, Wanted to do MPI & LPI but the months of required experience put me off plus that I didnt know where to get them from also.

How did you succeed to get experience abroad? I wanted to try the US but the visa was a hurdle.

Check out the Offshore Europe website and look at the Exhibitor-Directory for company names and what they do; its a huge list of companies involved in the Oil and Gas game... [url= http://www.offshore-europe.co.uk/Exhibitor-Directory/# ]Linky[/url].

With an electronics background you should be able to target your calls and CV to companies who use these skills.

It pays to research what the company does so you can target the letter and CV to stand out from other applicants.

Thumbs up Messiah..

I worked for a company called OES for s while and they have contracts worldwide. TBH mate you are overqualified for this type of work. It's actually easy to do the courses and then get your tickets signed off after a year.

If down the line you do need more info on NDT drop me an email and I'll point you in the direction of training providers and companies they may give you a start with no experience. But again ours pretty hard work getting that first start.

@ Mactheknife, I will send u an email soon

@snegdnr,haven't gotten any reply from you yet man

This company has a London office, http://www.xodusgroup.com/careers/jobs.php

Thx BigJim

A vacancy for an assitant Engineer has been posted at my company in Aberdeen. This would not specifically be offshore work but may include some. Job is with one of the biggest verification companies in the UK/world.

Minimum requirements for applicants are HNC/HND (degree prefered).

If you are interested in the job spec or more info on the company my email is in my profile.

**For full disclosure my company operates a refer a friend scheme and if I wast to refer a sucsessfull applicant I would recieve a reward for this. **

Hey Rusty, YGM

Have a look at the classification societies e.g. LR, DNV, BV, it will typically be more onshore than offshore based, but they are a good start into the industry.

They key for me though is that you need to convince someone at interview why you want that specific role, saying you want to get into offshore / O&G isn't going to be enough.

@Dragon, Thx for the suggestion, I will look into them.

I wouldnt be applying to a company at the first place if I dont find anything specific that interests me about the company & its values :).

Still though, thanks again.

anez247 YHM back.

Copy dat Rusty

Email me in profile if you want me to organise a chat to our instruments guys

Just out of interest, if you wanted to get a job (any job) in off-shore oilrig work and were starting from scratch, what would be a good college/university course to attend?

I have a list of drilling companies that I will be trying

miked1981, good chance that i work for one of the drilling companies you are going to try.

Can't give you any promises, but if you want some advice my email is in my profile.

if you want some advice my email is in my profile.

Can I pick one or two info from you Futureboy?

anez, I just had this through from OilCareers:

Saudi Aramco, Shell, Fugro, Technip, and Transocean are some of the companies from across the oil and gas supply chain who have confirmed they are recruiting at the [url= http://comms.jobsite.co.uk/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=936df6046c2d04540f ]Global Energy Career Expo Aberdeen[/url] taking place from 12th - 13th June 2013 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC).

Fantastic cos I will be in Aberdeen on the 12th, Thx Caspian

Just booked my place!

Just to re-ignite my thread, still open to suggestions and advice. feel free to email me ( My id is on my profile)

Rowan are currently looking for Roustabouts:

http://www.rowancompanies.com/fw/main/Career-Opportunities-334.html

They have a couple of rigs going in for upgrades and then out to Norway and a few drill ships coming online soon so there would be loads of opportunities to progress fast with them (and hence earn very good money). Currently working on one of their rigs and the crew is fantastic.

Not to rain on your parade but I think you will struggle to get a position with an operator without a masters or a fair bit of experience.

@Iceman8, thx on the info, I will check them out

I think you will struggle to get a position with an operator without a masters or a fair bit of experience

YGM Iceman8

I went round oil and gas exhibition in 2011, got a job within 2 months. My wife followed soon after and got a job within 3 months. Everyone I know who has moved up to Aberdeen has got a 25k+ job within 3 months. (unemployment rate is below 2%) Once you're in, you move up, sideways and along. Annual pay rises are decent and if you live in the countryside and don't mind a commute, rents are below 500pm. I live within 5 miles of Pitfichie and have a 30 minute drive in. The trails up here are e m p t y and you can almost literally ride anywhere you want.

Try the smaller service contractor companies. I hear BP is still after people though. Look at Fircroft (recruiting agency) or Genesis.

Thx Dev, I will be in Aberdeen on tuesday for a week, coming for my trainings, I also want to attend the exhibition on the 12th as well, I hope to find a job as u did during the exhibition.

I've heard alot of success stories about the city, I hope to have one soon. Any advice on the exhibition day will be much appreciated too.

all good advice... 🙂

Thx Hill

I'm going up to Aberdeen for the conference too - I've got 13 years experience on ships in an electrical role, but as I've not actively looked for a job before, I'm not sure where to look/how to go about it, so I figure this is a good way to find out what industry is looking for.

Hope to meet you there Mate

YGM Iceman8

Haven't received anything bud, could you resend it?

Sure, Just resent it again, let me know if you saw it

Advice for Oil and Gas:
Park at Pittodrie and get the bus.
Dress smart but not in a Tux!
Have paper CVs ready and take names and email addresses of contacts you make there.
I may actually be on the stand myself this year unless there is a big rush of quotations to get out that week. I may just have a walk around and try and win stuff.
Oh yeah, almost forgot: my sister got a job at BP via the exhibition as well!
You don't have to have an engineering degree to get a job up here, just a mature attitude and a bit of a 'can-do' type of cv with plenty of experience. I know someone who worked in a supermarket as a checkout person got a job as a finance assistant within 4 weeks. There are jobs for admin, receptionists, finance assistants, tech assistants etc. If you can't get a 25k pa job in Aberdeen then you are unemployable! 😆
Btw, Aker seemed to be a waste of time, their recruitment process runs at a snails pace.

Most service cos are slow deveron

What you find is your name goes into a pool and they just draw at random.....

I got a call from schlumberger 14 months after i started with my co. id applied to schlum 3 months before i started with my co ....

Glad they move slow , dont fancy working for big blue.

Thx for the heads up Dev, will not be coming with my Car to Aberdeen, About the exhibition, I hope to nail it and relocate to the Oil city.

Seems ur family has found the right trick to land the job 😉 hope to see you on the stands too.

I arrived 22 years ago after serving my apprenticeship. This city has done me proud and I'm grateful each day for what it's given me.
I love the solitude in the hills and as said, trails are generally empty. Wondrous. Good luck.

Thx the_lecht_rocks, am looking forward to my adventurous visit next week 🙂 I need the luck too.

YGM Lecht