Jimpreza

I currently have 2 jobs. One is during the day in an office and the other is on a night and some weekends delivery furniture for my mates business. As you can imagine I am working every hour god sends for little money. Because of this I am think about tring to do some courses for me to work offshore i.e rigging. I am not very gifted mechanically but I am a hard worker and have never been off sick in my 10 years of employment.

Can anyone give me advice on a course to complete and what the chances of getting a jon after would be?

Thanks

mrtheedge2u2

I have no idea matey, but good luck.

Start here though.... oilcareers.com - Training Courses

Mitchy260

As a chap that works in the oil and gas industry myself (luckily onshore) i can give you some advice if needs be. I have had short stints offshore with my job so know what its like and i wouldn't reccomend it if you've got a family or commitments onshore. Simple things like kids birthdays, xmas's etc...Even walking round the park with the dog becomes a 'luxury'

It is a boring life, once the novelty wears off of the chopper ride (after a few trips) you will soon become very bored. There's only so much you can do 150 miles out in the N.Sea.The days are long and exhausting, all you seem to do is work and sleep. You work more on an oil rig than what you do onshore...

4 wk work pattern onshore = 4 x 37.5hrs = 150hrs
4 wk work patten offshore = 2 x 84hrs = 168hrs

The 2wks on 2wks off/ 6 mths on, 6 mths off thing....When you calculate how many days you're actually in work its not as good as it seems (remember you work weekends offshore). An onshore worker will typically have 30 days holiday + 104 weekend days per year so 134 days off. An offshore worker will have 182 days off. So there's about 7wks of a difference here, it doesn't sound as appealing now when you put it like that especially considering you work for typically 18hrs more per every 4wks than your onshore counterpart.

This is a nice bonus of course, its 7 wks less working time but then again, its still 6 mths away at sea. Its just the way you look at it.

Total change in lifestyle.

If you decide that this lifestyle is for you, working offshore is very hard to get into. You can spend thousands upon thousands in courses in order to help get you offshore but yet never ever even getting an interview (With you not having an engineering background its likely) I know some people that have sent off hundreds of CV's and have been trying for 5+yrs.

Its highly unlikely you will even be considered if you do not have your RGIT (Offshore survival certificate) and in most cases your greenhand course. These 2 will set you back over £1000 straight away, not including time off work just now, travel and hotel costs in Aberdeen.

You would have to go in at the bottom more than likely as a roustabout. Salary isn't great for the amount of hours you work (hard hours) Current salary of a roustabout = £26/27k. Again, when you calculate the hours worked to get this, its not good at all. Family life suffers, its dangerous, its boring etc.

Couple of good points..

The moneys good the higher up you go, you are only at work ''6 months'' of the year. The food is good and its free.

Think thats about it

The Hoff

iTrader: (5)

I work for Schlumberger oilfield services. I am not a field based tech myself but we do have plenty of teams out on the rigs. Go to the Slb website and look in the career section, even phone them up to ask about what the requirements are to join up and how you can go about gaining them.

Mitchy260

Schlumberger are a field service company though not an offshore company, so the 2wk on 2wk off thing doesn't apply.

I.e...He would be employed as having an onshore job and will frequently go offshore depending on Schlumbergers contracts at the time. This would require a relocation to Aberdeen as he would be working both on and offshore. If he's not required offshore, he will be required in the workshop in Aberdeen at 8 every morning.

Okay if you live in the vicinity of Aberdeen but if you're from elsewhere it would be a bit of a nightmare.

Jimpreza

Thanks for the input folks. I am nort in the vicinity of Edinburgh and am not willing to move there. I don't mind the 2 week on 2 week of pattern though as this would suit my lifestyle perfectly.

coolangatta

Good luck mate!
I take my hat off to anyone that can do two jobs.
I'm completely knackered after one. I can't imagine starting a second job.
Your hard work will come good eventually. It's great to hear that there are better people than the spongers and slackers that we're used to hearing/reading about.
All the best to you.

Mitchy260

1st thing to do if your serious about this is book your RGIT, offshore medical and greenhand course.

This will give you the 1st step on the ladder.

Without engineering experience you may find it difficult, like i said i have known people to try for years without success even having these qualifications above.

You may get lucky, you may not.

Good luck anyway.