mechanic offshore ?
Discussion
Laplace said:
So, people shouldn't ask?
Maybe it so often ends up in a dead end because getting offshore is notoriously difficult and therefore people come here to ask for advice.
I knew exactly what you meant but therein lies my issue. People are here for advice, if it turns into nothing, so what? What exactly was the point in your remark? I guess I'm taking offence at the "lol" tagged on at the end. It just makes it look like a snide remark and added no value.
In the interest of adding to the topic I've been trying to get offshore recently as an electrician. I have my svq lvl3, 2391 inspection & testing, 17th edition, CompEx ex01-04, HNC electrical & electronic engineering and I have good friends who work for several companies offshore including sbm, chevron, technip, conoco philips and total.
The door keeps getting closed on my face due to having no offshore experience regardless of who I know. It gets a bit demoralising but I guess you just have to be persistent.
I've been put forward from a friend as a rousty and it looks like a certain job and route in to offshore work. I'll be the bum of the rig for a while but it gets my foot in the door and hopefully in time I should be able to walk into a sparky role. As far as im aware many a spark, mechanic, <insert any trade> has got offshore via this route.
Ok, it might take knowing someone to get a greenhand role but my point being there are other routes there I guess if you're willing to take a "lesser" job to begin with.
Alright mate what is your previous employment sector? I.e construction, petro-chemical etc. depending on this may be able to give you a little bit of luck this time!! Maybe it so often ends up in a dead end because getting offshore is notoriously difficult and therefore people come here to ask for advice.
I knew exactly what you meant but therein lies my issue. People are here for advice, if it turns into nothing, so what? What exactly was the point in your remark? I guess I'm taking offence at the "lol" tagged on at the end. It just makes it look like a snide remark and added no value.
In the interest of adding to the topic I've been trying to get offshore recently as an electrician. I have my svq lvl3, 2391 inspection & testing, 17th edition, CompEx ex01-04, HNC electrical & electronic engineering and I have good friends who work for several companies offshore including sbm, chevron, technip, conoco philips and total.
The door keeps getting closed on my face due to having no offshore experience regardless of who I know. It gets a bit demoralising but I guess you just have to be persistent.
I've been put forward from a friend as a rousty and it looks like a certain job and route in to offshore work. I'll be the bum of the rig for a while but it gets my foot in the door and hopefully in time I should be able to walk into a sparky role. As far as im aware many a spark, mechanic, <insert any trade> has got offshore via this route.
Ok, it might take knowing someone to get a greenhand role but my point being there are other routes there I guess if you're willing to take a "lesser" job to begin with.
hbzboy said:
Alright mate what is your previous employment sector? I.e construction, petro-chemical etc. depending on this may be able to give you a little bit of luck this time!!
Construction im afraid; bars, shops, hotels, factories etc, which I guess is possibly the wrong answer 
I've just started applying for positions in Grangemouth, also. Again, the lack of hazardous environment experience may be holding me back there, too.
The last 5 years have been in the telecoms sector installing DC power solutions for the most part.
Probably the best place for guys with "land" based mechanical experience to get a start with is with the companies that provide construction/shut down labour. Every summer most major installations shut down to do maintenance work that cannot be done online. They need manpower for the less technical work that the technicians offshore don't have time to do for themselves but still require mechanical skills.
Companies such as AMEC, Wood Group, Global Energy, etc all are a good place to start. Leak testing and bolt tensioning is also another good place to look. Hydratight, BJ, etc used to be the main guys for this type of work. (the names may have changed since my days) For the leak testing work, the main players normally run a training course every so often, to take guys with transferable skills in so worth asking are the courses going to be offered soon.
One thing for sure, if you have your £1000 pounds worth of training before you apply, you will be in a favorable position over someone without!
For more technical roles, a good starting point is to show you are doing your petroleum open learning courses (google opito modules). They are not cheap, and are to a fairly high level.
There actually is an acute demand for skilled labor around the world in oil and gas, and a lot of brits are leaving the north sea to get even better paid jobs abroad. Combine this with an ageing workforce that has seen little ingress for youngsters in the last 20 years, your chances of getting a start are better than ever!!
Its not all doom and gloom!
Companies such as AMEC, Wood Group, Global Energy, etc all are a good place to start. Leak testing and bolt tensioning is also another good place to look. Hydratight, BJ, etc used to be the main guys for this type of work. (the names may have changed since my days) For the leak testing work, the main players normally run a training course every so often, to take guys with transferable skills in so worth asking are the courses going to be offered soon.
One thing for sure, if you have your £1000 pounds worth of training before you apply, you will be in a favorable position over someone without!
For more technical roles, a good starting point is to show you are doing your petroleum open learning courses (google opito modules). They are not cheap, and are to a fairly high level.
There actually is an acute demand for skilled labor around the world in oil and gas, and a lot of brits are leaving the north sea to get even better paid jobs abroad. Combine this with an ageing workforce that has seen little ingress for youngsters in the last 20 years, your chances of getting a start are better than ever!!
Its not all doom and gloom!
Well done, keep it up. I'd meet up for a pint if I wasn't away
I'm in the sector but looking to move back into an engineering role as my project engineering position has morphed into Senior Field Engi (tool running guy) :/
Anyway, some not soo useful advice, bottles of spirits are cheap in paramount bar on Monday and there are lots of student gurls (if you're soon inclined)
I'm in the sector but looking to move back into an engineering role as my project engineering position has morphed into Senior Field Engi (tool running guy) :/
Anyway, some not soo useful advice, bottles of spirits are cheap in paramount bar on Monday and there are lots of student gurls (if you're soon inclined)
Well I thought that was a pretty productive day at that recruitment fair, lots of jobs going by the looks of it, handed out quite a few CV's, got alot of positive feedback even though I have no offshore experience or certs. Hopefully should get an interview or two out of it at best. Quite buys, alot busier than I was expecting it to be.
Alright guys , I have emailed loads of companies , recruitment company's, sent off cv, cover letters , applied for lots of jobs always get same reply , no experience ! Before I done my coursesI read loads about a shortfall of workers , transferable skills , but the reality is with no experience I think it will be extremely difficult to get a start . I haven't seen many entry level positions advertised . I don't know anyone in the industry so am struggling to get anywhere !!!
evov111 said:
Alright guys , I have emailed loads of companies , recruitment company's, sent off cv, cover letters , applied for lots of jobs always get same reply , no experience ! Before I done my coursesI read loads about a shortfall of workers , transferable skills , but the reality is with no experience I think it will be extremely difficult to get a start . I haven't seen many entry level positions advertised . I don't know anyone in the industry so am struggling to get anywhere !!!
It's a struggle to get on the rigs,try the wind industry. One of the best techs on our site is an ex HGV mechanic. Loads of jobs coming up with us but also in the industry as a whole....Good luck.
It is possible. I know a few ex hgv fitters who I've worked with who are now working offshore. It took one of them two years from doing his bosiet but he just kept on pestering them and eventually got a start with KCA. key is not to give up. Got my bosiet and mist starting Monday so just about to start the long search for a job
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff