Roustabout Jobs - How to Get Hired As an Offshore Roustabout

By Calvin Loh

Roustabout jobs are the entry-level jobs on oil rigs. On most oil rigs, you work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 2 to 3 weeks at a stretch. Working as a roustabout is back-breaking and dirty - you do everything from cleaning and painting the oil rig to mixing the drilling mud and even moving supplies and equipment around the oil rig. On the other hand, practically everyone who matters on board the oil rig starts out as a roustabout, so you have no right to complain.

For English-speaking workers, there are three main places which hire people for roustabout jobs - Canada, US and UK. Alberta in Canada is still short of people, so it is easiest to get hired there. As long as you are tough enough and show the right attitude, many companies will be willing to pay for any courses or certifications which are required.

At the moment, it is also fairly easy to get offshore roustabout jobs in the US, especially in the Gulf Coast region. In some places, it is as simple as showing up at the temp agency. As in Canada, many companies badly need workers and are willing to pay for any training and certifications required. As a rough guide, your employer will send you to get your in offshore medical certificate, offshore survival certificate and helicopter underwater escape training certificate before you even set foot on the oil rig. After that will probably be a 2 or 3 week course induction course on your duties aboard the oil rig.

UK residents have it tougher. Most employers want you to show your BOSIET offshore survival training certificate, offshore medical certificate, and what the Brits call a GreenHand course. All told, taking getting all of these could set you back 3500 pounds, depending on where you take these course, and there is no guarantee of a job. The offshore scene there is surprisingly small - you really need to know the right people. Most of the jobs are off Aberdeen, so if you live elsewhere you really do not have a chance at all. For new hires without connections, the ex-armed forces personnel find it easiest to break in. British servicemen have a kind of skills conversion course which helps them get offshore oil jobs. Frankly, UK residents who want to break into the oil industry are better off looking for jobs in Alberta or the US Gulf Coast states.

When you apply for roustabout jobs, remember to highlight work experience which involves manual work and mechanical work. If you have any survival training or something like the BOSIET or HUET certificates, highlight these as well. Remember that roustabouts do a lot of manual labor, so do NOT brag about your university degree or some other highly technical skill - the employer may reject you for being over-qualified. Some companies now want you to prove that you have completed your high school education. Regardless of who you work for, there will be frequent drug-testing, especially if any accidents happen.

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Oil Field Jobs - What Are Working Conditions Like On The Oil Field?

By Calvin Loh

Oil field jobs form their own niche in the oil and gas industry. For example, their job responsibilities, workload and scope are very different from jobs in an oil trading company. Their closest relative would be offshore oil rig jobs. Nevertheless, a roustabout on an oil field will have different ways to do his job compared to a roustabout on an offshore oil rig. In fact, a roustabout on an Alaskan oil field will also do his job differently from a roustabout on a Saudi Arabian oil field.

That said, the current boom in the oil sector is a great boon to anyone who wants to start in this industry. If you are young, fit and willing to work hard, you should be able to easily find an entry level oil field job. Note that working hard does not mean spending 12 hours every day, 7 days a week sitting on your backside in front the computer in the office. On an oil field, working hard means you engage in a lot of intense physical labor outdoors in all weathers. For example, you may need to stack 100-pound pallets during a storm.

On an oil field, you will do a lot of hard physical work. However, unlike a common construction laborer, you can expect to get the best food and lodgings as part of your salary. In terms of cash, most of you will be getting $50,000 to $80,000 per year. Of course, if you have a relevant technical or professional skill, your salary will very likely top $100,000 per year. All this is just your base salary. Don't forget overtime. Depending on how your company pays you for overtime, you can expect another 50% to 100% on top of your base salary. A roustabout or roughneck could easily take home as much as a typical mid-level department manager of a multi-national corporation while getting as much as 6 months off every year.

Nowadays, many oil field jobs are offering conditions and perks which were only given to oil rig jobs. Oil companies are not doing this out of generosity. Due to the slump in prices in the 1990s, they laid off too many experienced workers and failed to train new replacements. They are now paying for their lack of foresight and you will be benefiting for the next decade. As most of their experienced workers are in their late 40s and 50s, you can expect very good opportunities for advancement.

However, desperate or not, be warned that oil field jobs do not welcome drug addicts and enforce this by compulsory drug testing both during the hiring process and randomly on the job. Don't be surprised if you are suddenly called up for a urine test or blood test. If you think this sort of thing violates your civil liberties, you should look for a different job.

Much like jobs on oil rigs, oil field jobs demand a lot of physical hard work. In compensation, you get a very good salary and benefits package for all your sweat and time. If you have the physical strength for it, this is quite a profitable exchange for you.