Best way of getting a position off shore with no experience!
Discussion
I am basically looking into going onto the rigs but as you all probably no with no experience offshore its hard to get a opertunity i am looking into doing BOSIET and what medicals are possible aswell i have done 2 years in electrical and engineering at college and also worked in the building/labouring trade for 3 years and im only 21 i dont want to just throw money at courses and get no were any feedback would be great!
you will need your off shore survival certificate(helicopter tumbles etc) before you start.have you any qualifications in electrical or engineering?its hard to get on and the best way to get on is through knowing someone,a lot of my mates work off shore and they got the work through word of mouth and agencys.
What sets you apart from all the others who are wanting to work offshore? What valuable skills have you got that they need?
Why do you want to work offshore? If its for the 2 on 2 off & money go do some research because it is not easy & definitely not a holiday camp like a lot seem to think
I'm sorry to be blunt but there is thread after thread of people wanting to go offshore at the moment who don't have the slightest clue & it numbers of people who have the domestic skills & experience (electrician, piping etc) who are relocating, paying to go through all their offshore survival courses etc never to get any further or be taken on
I have lost people out there, had people work their arses off & jump through hoops only to be stopped by something & have a number of friends working as technicians in various capacities who have got there eventually but has taken a great deal of hard work & a number of years to get there, knowing people helps but it doesn't guarantee you being able to waltz into a job.
If you are serious at your age looking at an apprenticeship that puts you through a directly angled course or doing a course that oil/asset management companies take on from may be your best bet, for example lowestoft college
& as I see your location is Kent the primary question is are you willing to move? (& do more studying)
Why do you want to work offshore? If its for the 2 on 2 off & money go do some research because it is not easy & definitely not a holiday camp like a lot seem to think
I'm sorry to be blunt but there is thread after thread of people wanting to go offshore at the moment who don't have the slightest clue & it numbers of people who have the domestic skills & experience (electrician, piping etc) who are relocating, paying to go through all their offshore survival courses etc never to get any further or be taken on
I have lost people out there, had people work their arses off & jump through hoops only to be stopped by something & have a number of friends working as technicians in various capacities who have got there eventually but has taken a great deal of hard work & a number of years to get there, knowing people helps but it doesn't guarantee you being able to waltz into a job.
If you are serious at your age looking at an apprenticeship that puts you through a directly angled course or doing a course that oil/asset management companies take on from may be your best bet, for example lowestoft college
& as I see your location is Kent the primary question is are you willing to move? (& do more studying)
Edited by trixical on Monday 16th July 07:29
AYW1- Yes i currently have nvq level 2 in electrical and engineering but no relivant practical experience that would be a major benifet i know 
i do have a couple of contacts on the rigs already but there saying to keep ears to ground keep searching and applying but just confirming which courses are most relevant the money isnt an issue when you have the potential to get into the career path you desire.
i do have a couple of contacts on the rigs already but there saying to keep ears to ground keep searching and applying but just confirming which courses are most relevant the money isnt an issue when you have the potential to get into the career path you desire.If you are serious at your age looking at an apprenticeship that puts you through a directly angled course or doing a course that oil/asset management companies take on from may be your best bet, for example lowestoft college
& as I see your location is Kent the primary question is are you willing to move? (& do more studying)
Trixical-I currently only have 2 things that set me apart not from every but from some have alot of experience in the labouring industry(not offshore) and have 2 years electrical and engineering experience and college and also fluent in both spanish and english which is a very transferable skill.
In terms of reasons for wanting to work offshore i like to be challenged and get stuck into it working 7 days awake and long hours doesnt phase me in the least otherwise i definatly wouldnt be looking into offshore work and yer money is good offshore but you need to enjoy your work and i love the engineering propsects offshore.
I know its not an easy place to get into but it is a career for life once you get your foot in the door if you put in the hours i have looked into this im not just thinking oh quick money and only work half a year like most people my age and most people who think like that also dont have the ambition to pursue a career offshore.
What your saying about apprenticeships is very true the only draw back on that front is most apprenticeships are funny about how old you are like 16 is to young 20 is to old kind of thing i have applied for many and spoke to many big companies about apprenticeships however i will definatly look into courses at lowestoft college relocating is definatly an option but i still need to be able to earn money to support myself whilst at colle thanks for your feedback.
I was looking to move into Oil and Gas and looked into paying my way through basic training. I found a company in Norwich called PETANS who do basic Opito certification for £750.
Didn't need to in the end as I got a good job before I forked out for it, so I don't know all the details.
Didn't need to in the end as I got a good job before I forked out for it, so I don't know all the details.
My son has just done this. He is a fully qualified plumber but with the recession there is not much work in that line so looked offshore. He paid for all of the necessary training qualifications himself, I'm not sure what they are but include survival,crane banks man, and several others.
On the course he was told that it is essential to have a backer already working for an oil company, and spent a bit of time on dedicated forums etc finding out a lot of detail about the work and various options. He managed to build a couple contacts, one of whom put his CV in for him to an oil worker recruitment agency and after around 6 months (with frequent calls to the agency to keep his name in mind) he was offered an interview for the position of Greenhand roustabout.
He did a lot of research on the oil company concerned and spent a day at a recruitment event, including inteview, assessment and some written papers. He came top and 2 weeks later was on a rig as Greenhand roustabout. He loves it and is already working towards the next role up.
So long winded but to sum up, his qualifications were not required but his self paid for training was essential coupled with putting in lots of effort to network and get his name noticed. Carpe diem and good luck !
On the course he was told that it is essential to have a backer already working for an oil company, and spent a bit of time on dedicated forums etc finding out a lot of detail about the work and various options. He managed to build a couple contacts, one of whom put his CV in for him to an oil worker recruitment agency and after around 6 months (with frequent calls to the agency to keep his name in mind) he was offered an interview for the position of Greenhand roustabout.
He did a lot of research on the oil company concerned and spent a day at a recruitment event, including inteview, assessment and some written papers. He came top and 2 weeks later was on a rig as Greenhand roustabout. He loves it and is already working towards the next role up.
So long winded but to sum up, his qualifications were not required but his self paid for training was essential coupled with putting in lots of effort to network and get his name noticed. Carpe diem and good luck !
You may be stuffed for any technical positions because of the recent and ongoing military redundancies. Working on the rigs seems to be the first port of call for a lot of my ex-colleagues in the RAF, and as they will have electrical, electronics and communications qualifications up to and including degree level, along with many years working in a relevant industry they'll be looked at before someone with NVQs. I know offshore jobs are top of the list when they're doing their resettlement courses - even I did ROV courses before deciding to get into the rail industry instead.
Having said that though, you are of an age where an apprenticeship may be a good option, and someone who has completed a good apprenticeship is worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned, (in my industry I'd much rather have a time-served apprentice working for me than a graduate straight out of university).
Fire off a few letters and emails to as many companies as you can find and ask them about placements. Be aware though that these placements will also be highly over-subscribed.
Having said that though, you are of an age where an apprenticeship may be a good option, and someone who has completed a good apprenticeship is worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned, (in my industry I'd much rather have a time-served apprentice working for me than a graduate straight out of university).
Fire off a few letters and emails to as many companies as you can find and ask them about placements. Be aware though that these placements will also be highly over-subscribed.
Dalecross1991 said:
I am basically looking into going onto the rigs but as you all probably no with no experience offshore its hard to get a opertunity i am looking into doing BOSIET and what medicals are possible aswell i have done 2 years in electrical and engineering at college and also worked in the building/labouring trade for 3 years and im only 21 i dont want to just throw money at courses and get no were any feedback would be great!
More than one way of skinning a cat. Why don't you contact some of the ROV companies like Fugro, Oceaneering, Sonsub etc and see if they are looking for ROV pilots/technician trainees? That may be a better way into the industry with an electrical background and if/when you get offshore you won't be sitting on a platform in one place in a crap area, but get to travel around on an ROV/Intervention/Installation/Support vessel and have a much more interesting career... Vessels have a much better 'air' about them without all the shyte politics too!jshell said:
More than one way of skinning a cat. Why don't you contact some of the ROV companies like Fugro, Oceaneering, Sonsub etc and see if they are looking for ROV pilots/technician trainees? That may be a better way into the industry with an electrical background and if/when you get offshore you won't be sitting on a platform in one place in a crap area, but get to travel around on an ROV/Intervention/Installation/Support vessel and have a much more interesting career... Vessels have a much better 'air' about them without all the shyte politics too!
Try Omega completion tools and other related electronic down hole tool firms.I have just recently passed my rope access level 1, and I have all my offshore health and safety certification, I also have my painting and blasting certificate. I have just recently started looking for jobs offshore. Could anyone help me in terms of agency's to contact or oil rig company's? Or do I even stand a chance of getting a job offshore? Any help or advise would be really appreciated. Cheers
You are coming in to this at the wrong time, i'm sure you know about the downturn.
Things are starting to pick up now but i believe about 400,000 people have been laid off from the industry. There are plenty of experienced people looking to get back to work who will be far higher up the pecking order.
As well as rope access companies try sending your CV to fabrication companies who also provide inspection services, a few companies to try below.
Harris Pye.
DSL.
3C Metal.
Things are starting to pick up now but i believe about 400,000 people have been laid off from the industry. There are plenty of experienced people looking to get back to work who will be far higher up the pecking order.
As well as rope access companies try sending your CV to fabrication companies who also provide inspection services, a few companies to try below.
Harris Pye.
DSL.
3C Metal.
TMcD said:
I have just recently passed my rope access level 1, and I have all my offshore health and safety certification, I also have my painting and blasting certificate. I have just recently started looking for jobs offshore. Could anyone help me in terms of agency's to contact or oil rig company's? Or do I even stand a chance of getting a job offshore? Any help or advise would be really appreciated. Cheers
Try contacting CAN Offshore, I think they're the rope access people. I’d get myself a decent LinkedIn profile and connect up with all/any oil related recruitment people you can find.
Echo the above though. Loads of people waiting to get back out there. In the mean time I would try and find a land based oil related gig in your field. Know a few guys who did it that way from servicing offshore equipment in Aberdeen yards to making the contacts and moving offshore from there.
Echo the above though. Loads of people waiting to get back out there. In the mean time I would try and find a land based oil related gig in your field. Know a few guys who did it that way from servicing offshore equipment in Aberdeen yards to making the contacts and moving offshore from there.
daveR6 said:
Majority of the time, it's not what you know, it's who you know.
Don't give up in your pursuit.
This x 100. Don't give up in your pursuit.
I work for an offshore training provider (oil and gas, maritime, renewables) and we get asked that question about ten times a day. I'd say one in ten pay for the courses and almost all of them expect an immediate start as a result. We tell them time and time again that it's who you know not what you know and you have to be in the right place at the right time and be persistent in your pro activity.
Research, research, research.
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