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General information:

 

There there are pro’s (benefits), there must be con’s

* You’ll be away from home for long periods of time.

 

* Contacting home is a rare occasion – if there is contact it is expensive to phone.

 

* No drugs or alcohol allowed

 

* You will work long, hard hours (14 days, 12 hour shifts – even longer).

 

* No democracy on the rig – what the Boss says, is LAW!

 

* You can become morbid with water and steel around you all day.

 

* Your living quarters is a communal (Eat, shower, sleep in close proximity of your buddies).

 

* Work-time drags – time-off flies!

 

* You are going to work in rugged conditions, in all kinds of weather. It’s oily, dirty, cold, wet, hazardous  and it smells!

 

Training:

Advancing on an offshore rig will mainly depend on two things:

*The company you work for

*Your own abilities

 

As there are many rigs with a shortage of experienced hands caused by people changing jobs or rigs looking for better money, benefits and opportunities, many companies will want you to advance - thus training is provided, giving you the chance to be promoted. This makes you a greater asset to them. I believe any person will do almost anything he wanted to, given half the chance. If a company sends you ashore to study, you get your full salary (as if you were working on the rig) plus board and lodging. The length of the courses range from a few days to several weeks.

Courses normally cover the following areas of work:

The first course you will have to attend is the Offshore Survival course. This is usually done at your own expense. Do not do this course yet, as it will not guarantee you a job, if you state this fact in your CV.

Other courses will be for: Able Seaman, Life Boatman, Master, Offshore Drilling Units, Marine Firefighting, Electric Motor Division Maintenance and Operation, BOP (Blow Out Prevention) schools, Hydraulics plus many more. Thus you can qualify yourself in many areas of work. I'd recommend you to do as many courses as possible, as this will benefit you regarding promotion, salary and of course, when you apply for a job at another company.

 

Profit sharing and stock ownership:

Many companies offer this scheme where a portion of your salary (usually about 6%) is taken and put in a special account. If the company had a good year, you will get a 100% return on your investment. This is an excellent way to save for your future.

Some companies, after you have been with them for a while, will give you a pre-arranged number of shares of their stock, each year. This is normally for hourly paid workers. Besides the above, permanent employees get other benefits as well, such as medical aid, disability insurance and paid vacations.

Summary:

* Find out if the industry is in a boom period (if they are recruiting new crew)

* Apply for your Survival course (if there is a GOOD chance of getting the job)

* Apply for your medical (if you wish)

* Prepare your CV and send it out

* Prepare a folder to keep all information about the different companies you applied to

* Keep contacting them regularly (minimum of 6 week periods)

* Ask the companies if they do appoint Greenhands/ Entry level personnel.

 

Tips (if you got the job on a rig)

* Report to the Toolpusher or Captain as soon as you board the rig.

* Show up with enough personal supplies – you could stay longer than your stint.

* Don’t whine!

* Work safely – consider it a favour if someone points out your unsafe act

* Some rigs do not get regular newspapers, thus if you depart for the rig via helicopter, take two or three different local and/or national papers with you. You will have three instant friends! Keep one for your direct boss. This will NOT be regarded as sucking up, as everyone will eventually get to read the paper.

* A common payment for favours done or to say thank you is to buy a can of Coke and a Mars bar. (Code for any confectionery and any can of soft drink).

* If you want to get promoted quickly, KEEP ON MOVING at all times. In slack periods, grab a tool or something and walk around with it. DO NOT stand around and talk with nothing in your hands. Look busy.

* You can expect rapid advancement on the rig – if you show initiative and hard work. It is recommended to “network” with other workers and finding out about their posts. If such an opening occurs, you can apply for it.

* Don’t take kidding or pranks seriously – it’s the guy’s way to relieve frustration.

* Talk to someone if you feel down. Remember why you joined the rig – to make LOTS of money – that should cheer you up in a jiffy!

* Do not gossip

* Do not talk ill of anyone on the rig – especially the BOSS! Walls have ears…

* Every piece of equipment is colour coded (which shows it has be safety-tested). Get to know these codes…quickly. Only equipment with the current code should be used.

*Remember your hard hat, safety glasses, and steel-capped boots!

 

What are my chances of a job offshore?

If you are unskilled; out of work; just getting started and just WANT TO GET OUT THERE, we have a list available of over 820 company names and addresses (as well as a list of over 1070 oil-related websites), most of which hire “entry-level” candidates or try one of the many CATERING contractors. They require little or no experience generally. Pay scales start around minimum wage (about US$1000 per week), but there are plenty of hours that add up quickly as well as the “built-in” benefits that go with offshore work. Other work options include the TANK CLEANING, PAINTING and SAMPLE CATCHING jobs etc. For “deckhands” aboard crewboats, workboats, tugs, towboats, anchor barges and pipeline barges, we recommend first inquiring with the Maritime personnel agencies. Secondly, search the newspaper classifieds, of the areas that have oil rigs (The Advocate(Lafayette), The Houston Chronicle, New Orleans Times, Khaleej Times (Dubai) – to name a few. These newspapers are on the web, as well). Age is not a critical factor as over 65% of the workforce in the oil industry is between 35 and 54 years of age. You need to be physically fit (and be able to pass a physical exam), be subject to an aptitude test. You will also have to do a drug screen test. If you know of someone already working on a rig (or someone in middle to upper management), your chances has just increased to land that job if that person nominates your name to the Personnel Department.

 

Employment scams:

The main reason why you are reading this, is because you have an uncontrollable urge to work in the “patch”. Why? Maybe you’ve heard of tales of “easy money”. These tales also give scamsters the fuel to fire up their ambition to milk you out of your money. It is not easy to spot a scam! You are new to this game and don’t know who’s who in the industry. You see a glossy ad in a glossy magazine….this MUST be a legitimate company, right! Not always, my friend. Look out for the telltale signs:

They ask for money upfront, promising you a job.

  • They use post box addresses only (instead of an office address).

  • They guarantee refunds

  • They charge fees for giving you a job lead

  • They located employers interested in hiring entry-level recruits

  • They basically guarantee you a job

  • They derive their income from the fees that companies are paying them – and not from you

  • They have access to the addresses of thousands of companies

     

    How to protect yourself against scamsters:

      Ask for references

  • Check their address (if they list one)

  • Get everything in writing

  • Avoid companies that require money up front

  • Don’t let fancy/legitimate company names fool you

  • Refrain from giving your Credit Card number (or even banking details) to these people

  • Don’t do business with a company without a street address

  • If it sounds “too good to be true”, it probably is

  • Ask the company management awkward questions

  • Don’t make hasty decisions. Be careful if they tell you “If you don’t respond immediately, the post will be given to another candidate”

  • Watch out for companies who don’t have any contractual papers to offer

  • IF you get some kind of a contract, read it through carefully. Get your attorney to scrutinise it

  • Keep copies of all your correspondence with any company

     

    Final Word:

    I hope, after reading through this, that you are more positive about getting that job….or you might decide that you are not suited for the job. People of all shapes and sizes, backgrounds etc. have found jobs on rigs. NEVER give up trying to get that first job.

    Trust me, it is NOT easy to get a job on an oil rig. Your chances are as good as anybody else's, considering that oil companies are constantly hiring new people as it is a high turnover of labour business - no one wants to stay on a rig for a long time - there are other rigs that have better posts, better salaries, etc. Another critical factor is that many applicants send in incomplete/ shoddy/ inaccurate etc. applications and CV's. These get discarded immediately. Everyone that lands in the dirtbin gives you a better chance IF your application is as we suggested.

     

    DO NOT TURN DOWN ANY REASONABLE OFFER!!!!!!

     

    Just in case you are still hesitant about an oil rig job, I want to make a statement that will go against what you were led to believe - the people working on rigs are NOT all the tattooed, rough-hewn macho guys you see in movies. There are some of them of course, but 90% of the crew are decent, educated and polite people like you and me. Best of luck with your application(s) and we sincerely hope that you are successful.

 

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NOTE: I am in no way connected to any oil company or agency DO NOT send me money to get you a job, DO NOT send me your CV. I cannot get you any kind of job on any rig…sorry about this. You will have to do all the “footwork” yourself.

 

What I DO have, is a 54 page list (in MS Excel) of 820 oil company names with addresses and phone/fax numbers (some even with contact names). A list of over 1070 oil related websites are included in this list PLUS extensive info about Getting a Fish Packing Job in Alaska (plus address list) AND Getting a job on Cruise Ships (plus address list).

It took me years of research to compile (including many, many hours scouring the internet for the info). I am prepared to make it available to you for only US$10.00 via Paypal (even if you do not have Paypal). I can assure you it is worth every penny. (You can click on the Paypal logo below to open free account, if so wished). South African residents can contact me if they do not want to use Paypal

 

This list is NOT compulsory to buy. I have given you all the info you need to apply for an offshore job. You can search for addresses and websites yourself, but it will take a looong time and you most probably will use more airtime than the $10.00 asked.

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