dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

I've been offered the opportunity of a lifetime with a 2 year contract in Baku.

The package is substantial includes all my costs of getting there. House paid for and Private schooling for my son (4 in December). Private medical etc

I know some of you here may have experience of the place.

My question is what's it really like and is it safe to take my family out there.

I shall be working for a large UK based PLC

Peedee

iTrader: (4)

Hi mate,

Cant say ive been, but I would take the oppotunity with open arms. Dont get 10 years down the line and regret not doing it. Will also look good for any future employers....shows your flexible and arent afraid of a challenge (or being away from home for more than 5 mins like most people are!). Go for it!!!

tony de wonderful

What industry are you in? I did one job there in 2006. Seemed fairly safe compared to many countries I have worked in. I didn't mind it there.

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

Im an ex Bootneck mate, never been afraid of being away from home. Having now been a civvie for far too long Im itching for some adventure.

The family's safety is paramount though.

Tony,

It will be for one of the Oil companies on shore based.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

2 years isn't very long though is it? is there a potential to go on from there i.e. once you've taken this position will it raise you to the next 'grade'?
Private schooling for a 4 year old wouldn't be a plus or a negative unless you expect to put him in to private schooling when you come back? If not then he'll be just getting used to the system and ways they do things only to be brought back to the UK and effectively start again?
Does your other half share in your itch for adventure? or will she have to leave her job, friends and family behind to be in a foreign country alone for the most part of the day?

tony de wonderful

What do you do if you don't mind me asking? I work for a service company doing directional work.

Baku is relatively undeveloped, fairly quiet and safe IMHO. Has some expensive shops though because there is oil money there.

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

All stuff we've talked at great length about. My other half will be offered work as part of the deal so that's covered.

Tony don't want to give too much away as it's a sensitive issue but it's a complete change of direction for me career wise and it's an interesting challenge.

Luan Pra bang

I used to know some guys who worked there sometimes fixing stuff on oil exploration rigs and they loved Baku, lots of drinking, debauchery and Russian ******. Place has lots of money but not sure if it will be ideal for kids.

tony de wonderful

Not many oil field places are good for kids.

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

He's four soon so its not like he's going to be roaming the streets on his own while we are out there.

davyboy

I knew someone who worked there, and seemed to like it.

2 years is nothing, go for it!

CrisPDuk

As stated above, it's only two years, what's the worst that can happen

As someone once said, 'It's better to regret something you did, than something you didn't'.

Haven't been myself, but people I work with have, and they all speak well of the place and the people.

GC8

Its got to be better than Donny Mate!

tony de wonderful

Personally - If I had a wife and kids (and I don't) - I wouldn't want them to be a part of the whole oilfield-expat way of life. It sucks basically.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

My mrs worked all over that region and loved it although she was a tour guide, i'll have a chat with her tomorrow and find out the current situation on the streets, she has some good contacts, may take a couple of days though.

P.S it's more dangerous in donny than a lot of these places that the general public think is a "bad" place, we were in cashmere recently and wife and kids watched changing of the guard on the Pakistan border 2 months ago, safe as houses.

donny andi

iTrader: (3)

I'd be gone in a heartbeat

davegtt

I understand Azerbaijan to be very under developed and poor but Baku is on a different level and doesnt appear to be in the same country. Ive done extensive reading on peoples blogs who have been there recently (Im looking at going next year) and it has rave reviews. Quite developed and fairly rich compared to its counterparts.

As others have said, Id urge you to go for it. Whats the worse that can happen? You do it and if you hate it you come back. Better to have experienced it rather than talk about that chance you had that you didnt bother with

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

Nail on head here. I know if I don't go I will always regret it.

It can't be much worse than Doncaster that's for sure!!

davegtt

Well thats settled then, you lucky bugger. Enjoy!

RobJenks

Its a dump - Don't take your kids there .
The pollution is horrendous .

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

^^ obviously never been to donny. ^^

Cammy5106

iTrader: (3)

I am in Baku right now mate I do 28 days on and off here the place is quality love it here.

It beats my last place in ****ty Alexandria in Egypt and West Africa before that.

If you want any info just PM me

SirFozzalot

Might be different now but I grew up in the oilfield-expat way of life and it was awesome, loved it. Lived overseas for 6 years permanently and then on and off for the next couple, wouldn't change it, was a great way of life.

tony de wonderful

I see unhappy wives and kids who grow up to be brats and alienated from the countries of their births, but it does work for some people sure. For me it isn't a great industry to be in, too many arseholes, seems to attract them. It's also a changing industry too, pay is slowly going down, less and less westerners.

Cammy5106

iTrader: (3)

Pay is not going down

There is a huge shortage of skilled personnel in the industry, if you are good at what you do you can pick your price and company to work for these days. My pay has more than doubled in the last two years and I was not exactly on rubbish money to start with.

100% correct on the Aholes though plenty of them but also plenty of really good guys too.

tony de wonderful

What do you do out of interest? I do directional work.

For experienced consultants doing what I do, they were getting maybe $800 a day in 2006 now $1200, but the pay as staff (me) seems to have flatlined. I'll consult next year if I can't get a grade rise.

Cammy5106

iTrader: (3)

ROV services company Project Engineer mate

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

I would agree with Peedee - I passed up an opportunity in 2005 as my father was terminally ill. A couple of years later, I got married, had kids, and often wish I had taken the opportunity. I couldn't quite rationalise at the time, that my dad was going to die regardless of my choice, I was more concerned about what other people might think of my decision.

It was a change of employment as a result of my decision that caused my path to cross with my now wife, so I can balance this up against what is now just a minor tinge of regret.

Leslie

Don't lose that chance!

Les

LEO-RS

Expat way of life and moving from pillar to post is good if you are single but I do not understand those that move kids out to shi*ehole countries just to earn a few extra pennies. To put it bluntly, in my opinion, it's a mega selfish act and you're on your way down a slippery slope. Once you start earning tax free or substantial salaries in these shi*hole countries, do you honestly think you'll ever come back to a normal job to earn half or a 1/3 of what you were earning before?

Kids need families, they need friends, they need security, they need a stable life and a good education and healthcare system, they 100% do not need moved from pillar to post all around the world especially in 3rd world countries.

I also work in the oil industry and only 3 weeks ago I got an offer to work in Miri (Malaysia) in a salaried Mon-Fri role taking home around £10k per month (£120kpa tax free), it was more than double what I'm currently taking home in the UK each month. I thought about it for about 24hrs, talked it over with the missus and rejected it. Why? I have a 6yr old, 5yr old, and a 3yr old. Both boys are in school and all 3 kids are really close to our familes. There's not a lot that we cant offer them already on our joint salaries so moving to earn even more money would be for pure greed reasons, nothing else.

All these countries are absolute sh*teholes with no good quality of life, I was out in Atyrau (Kazakhstan) for a few weeks not that long back and it's a proper 3rd world hell hole, Azerbaijan is the same, most oil related destinations are. I don't care what anyone says about the UK, it has its problems yes, but it is an awesome place to live, we have a good education and healthcare system, there's no 'real' poverty, there's no real lawlessness, no corruption, our emergency services can be relied upon, our transport links are good and we are all very wealthy in comparison to a great portion of the worlds population. I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else on this planet.

For me, there's more, far more to life than the amount of money you take to your grave. Family, friends, security and a good lifestyle, UK, yes please, every single time.

As for the oil industry, cheap 3rd world labour is bringing down day rates for sure, the industry is a working class industry full of absolute fu**wits with a high proportion of the workforce having little or no education. Yes, it pays well, but that goes part and parcel for spending literally half of your life away from home working in shi*hole conditions in remote locations so the pay has to be catered for.

Single, go for it, see a bit of the world and come back after you've earned some money, kiddies, not a hope in hell, you need your head looking at.

My views anyway from someone that's been there, done it, got the T-Shirt and has went from onshore-offshore and back to onshore.

All the best anyway with whatever you decide.