Advice wanted from any oil workers please.
Discussion
Thanks for looking in . I'm at a stage of my life now where I really would like to change direction and start a new/more meaningful career.
Living in the north east of Scotland I've had friends/family who have been involved in the oil industry in one shape or another and it's something that I've always wanted to try myself. However in that time I've gotten married, have a family and managed to progress in my current career to be earning reasonably well enough to make it difficult to walk away from.
I've just turned 39 and have felt the urge to work offshore since an early age. At 17 I applied to both BP and Shell for a place on their apprenticeship schemes, and despite making it into the last handful of places with both companies, didn't make the final cut. I suppose since then I've always had a "what if" mentality about it and the idea of working offshore has been at the back of my mind.
For various reason I fell into a career in retailing. For almost 20 of those years , I've held a store managers position.
To cut to the chase , I'm looking for advice on how best to approach a career offshore. I'm a very hands on type of person, and enjoy dismantling and repairing things. Unfortunately I have no qualifications in this side of things though. What I'm saying is making the beds wouldn't be what I'm looking for.
I'd be looking to be getting involved on the deck and I believe a roustabout would be the best starting position whilst trying to get enough experience to move onto toolpusher / driller.
I've checked out petrofacs' website and see that they offer the BOSIET with free MIST. They are also offering 50% off of other specialist courses as well. Is there any courses missing from the above that would be beneficial and is there a lack of personnel in any hands on area of the rig that I could do a course on?
I know the above is a big read but I'd be more than grateful for any input any of you experienced guys could give.
Thanks, John.
Living in the north east of Scotland I've had friends/family who have been involved in the oil industry in one shape or another and it's something that I've always wanted to try myself. However in that time I've gotten married, have a family and managed to progress in my current career to be earning reasonably well enough to make it difficult to walk away from.
I've just turned 39 and have felt the urge to work offshore since an early age. At 17 I applied to both BP and Shell for a place on their apprenticeship schemes, and despite making it into the last handful of places with both companies, didn't make the final cut. I suppose since then I've always had a "what if" mentality about it and the idea of working offshore has been at the back of my mind.
For various reason I fell into a career in retailing. For almost 20 of those years , I've held a store managers position.
To cut to the chase , I'm looking for advice on how best to approach a career offshore. I'm a very hands on type of person, and enjoy dismantling and repairing things. Unfortunately I have no qualifications in this side of things though. What I'm saying is making the beds wouldn't be what I'm looking for.
I'd be looking to be getting involved on the deck and I believe a roustabout would be the best starting position whilst trying to get enough experience to move onto toolpusher / driller.
I've checked out petrofacs' website and see that they offer the BOSIET with free MIST. They are also offering 50% off of other specialist courses as well. Is there any courses missing from the above that would be beneficial and is there a lack of personnel in any hands on area of the rig that I could do a course on?
I know the above is a big read but I'd be more than grateful for any input any of you experienced guys could give.
Thanks, John.
I know it might not seem like the right place, but this Facebook group has lots of info about offshore and the different jobs available https://www.facebook.com/pages/Offshore-Jobs/11706... It's ran by a group of guys who work in the industry so can be pretty good.
To be fair, making the beds / stewarding may get you the couple of trips offshore required to get a start as a rousty. MIST notwithstanding, most contractors shy away from hiring complete new starts as the perception of risk is deemed too high (that you'll get yourself killed).
An alternative would be trying the service companies for someone looking to train up tool hands though you wouldn't get an even rotation as it's generally ad hoc. Again maybe enough to get you a start offshore though?
An alternative would be trying the service companies for someone looking to train up tool hands though you wouldn't get an even rotation as it's generally ad hoc. Again maybe enough to get you a start offshore though?
I would try and get something lined up before shelling out on the courses as I know of a few people who did them and just cannot seem to get that elusive first trip, some even offering to work for nothing to get it!
Still appears to be more who you know or just being in right place at the right time.
Still appears to be more who you know or just being in right place at the right time.
I'd really not bother with the BOSIET. Over the years I've come across many people who think this is the passport to working offshore but in reality if a company wants you then they will pay for you to go through it; it really is peanuts to them.
A better bet would be to get a qualification or skill that's required offshore but at 39 that's perhaps not what you want to hear.
A better bet would be to get a qualification or skill that's required offshore but at 39 that's perhaps not what you want to hear.
Thanks for the advice guys. A friend had said something similar recently as well. Its trying to fit the skills that my current job require into something that could be seen as desirable by an oil company just now. I had thought something like storeman, but it seems that a couple of years on the platform are required by all the companies so that you at least know what parts/ tools are being asked for.
Get into the world of Rope Access NDT?
http://www.eurondt.com/
http://www.aberdeenndecentre.com/
http://www.talonndt.co.uk/rope-access-training/
http://www.cangroup.net
A L1 rope access, UT and mpi/dpi would get you working with the likes of CAN, Oceaneering or BIS.
Few years of that and when the body tires of being a 'dope on a rope' switch to a more integrity role in the office.
http://www.eurondt.com/
http://www.aberdeenndecentre.com/
http://www.talonndt.co.uk/rope-access-training/
http://www.cangroup.net
A L1 rope access, UT and mpi/dpi would get you working with the likes of CAN, Oceaneering or BIS.
Few years of that and when the body tires of being a 'dope on a rope' switch to a more integrity role in the office.
Service companies are the best place to get your foot in the door by far. Drilling companies really don't tend to take on "greenhands" very often, as has been said before, due to the risk involved. The money is no object to not take someone on, it is all to do with the risk, and time wasted if you can't hack the offshore lifestyle.
Service companies will train you well, and then if you get yourself in about the drillfloor when you can, get chatting to the boys, and ask the drilling contractor if they are recruiting.
Service companies will train you well, and then if you get yourself in about the drillfloor when you can, get chatting to the boys, and ask the drilling contractor if they are recruiting.
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