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.

Are you looking for work as an offshore roustabout? Click here to learn how RigWorker.com can help you to quickly and easily find roustabout jobs.

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.

Offshore Oil Rig Jobs

While many of the offshore oil rig jobs are physical in nature, many of the rig companies go out of their way to make sure your time spent onboard is an enjoyable one. For instance employees may find themselves living in accommodation wings that meet 4 or 5 star hotel standards - despite the fact that you a living in the middle of the ocean. While you are on board the company will usually meet all food, board and laundry expenses, along with travel and transfer costs.
There are a large number of offshore oil rig jobs that are available. The range of employment opportunities include:
Driller, Derrickman, Shakerhand or Mudman, Toolpusher, Floormen or Roughnecks, Motorman, Assistant Driller, Crane Operator, Roustabouts, Cleaner/Painter, Storekeeper, Mechanic/Electrician, Sub Sea Engineer, Rig Mechanic, Rig Electrician, Rig Welder, Barge Engineer, Ballast Controlman or Watchstander, Captain and Chief Engineer, Rig Medic and Safety Man.
Most offshore oil rig jobs call for a 14/21 day rotation that means you work for 14 days and have 21 off. This equates to you having approximately 3/5 of the year off on holiday.
In the offshore oil rig industry, there are opportunities for drilling employment and travel to countries such as: Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, the United States, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Mexico, Russia, Norway, China, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Typically salaries for roustabouts and roughnecks (drill deck workers) are approximately US $300 per day. Annual salaries work out to be approximately US $47,000.
More specialized jobs such as that of Driller is likely to make around $56,000 per annum, which Toolpushers, Drill Leaders and Supervisors are likely to earn around the US $75,000 - $100,000 mark per year.
Entry level positions typically make between US $50,000 - US $80,000 per annum. Trades, technical and professional positions will likely earn between US $70,000 - US $220,000 per annum.
Life Offshore
- You will be issued with safety boots hard hat safety glasses and coveralls.
- Keep a good attitude and be focused on why you wanted to work offshore.
- There are smoking rooms at various places on a rig where safety matches will be supplied.
- For meals you take off your work gear and eat in the galley.
- You may have to work a night shift or two as an oil rig is a 24 hour operation.
- Don't upset the radio operator, medic or chef. Helicopters, medical attention and food are most important.
Aboard an oil rig every piece of lifting equipment has a color code on it - this is an indication that it was tested as safe to use on the last lifting equipment check. Only items with the current color code on them should be used.
When working in the petroleum industry, don't bring alcohol, illegal drugs, weapons (of any description) including knives, flammable items, lighters and matches (safety matches will be provided in the smokers room) when working on energy jobs.
If working aboard an offshore rig, remove batteries from electrical equipment before checking in you luggage. If you are to be transported by helicopter your mobile phone may be taken from you before you board the helicopter.
A number of people working aboard oil rigs work are in support roles such as catering crew and doctors, etc. The following is an outline of what may be expected for doctors or medics. Because of the physical size of rigs, many of these types of roles are sole charged and one must be able to make do with the facilities and resources at end. In the case of doctors or medics based aboard oil rigs, it may be necessary to treat patients suffering from a huge variety of ailments and illnesses. Issues can arise as a lot of the workers aboard oil rig installations may speak foreign languages, so it is critical for the medical personnel to be able to quickly and effectively diagnose the problem. Generally medical staff will work one of two shifts, either day or night. Their role can often also include checking and maintaining stocks of emergency supplies, testing and verifying drinking water supplies are clean, as well as inspecting both raw and cooked foods from the kitchen. They are also often responsible for conducting weekly first aid seminars for all workers aboard the oil rig.

Claire Calkin has been working in the oil rig employment industry for over 5 years and during this time has provided countless people with advice and assistance on how to best get jobs in the oil industry.

http://www.oil-rig-job.com

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Offshore Oil Rig Jobs - A Great Opportunity For The Chosen Ones

These are some of the characteristics you can expect from a job in the offshore oilfield. This job requires you to travel often and be away from home and your family for long periods of time. You will find that many times it will be a hard job that has to be accomplished in harsh weather conditions. But before you run away you should also know that despite all this, growth opportunities are tremendous. Starting salary for a person with no previous experience is anything between $40,000 to $60,000 annually and that too for working only for six months in a year. This can only sound great. Additionally once the workers have made a good job at the lower positions in the rig, they are usually promoted to higher posts depending on their performance.

There are many types of jobs available while working offshore in an oil rig. For instance, people are recruited in the control room, at the deck, for drilling, rig management, mechanical and electrical department, catering. Others are hired as rig welders, scaffolders, radio operators, medic, rig safety and training coordinator, mud engineer, painters.

Control room personnel include barge engineers who are in charge of the control room; control room operators and assistant CROs control the stability of the rigs and make liquid transfers. On the deck, people are recruited as maintenance roustabout and foreman who looks after the deck area. Crane operators whose main duties includes crane operations.

Drill crew includes positions such as roughnecks, pumpman, dereckman and drillers. Roughnecks and pumpman takes mud weights and looks after the machinery required by the particular operation. The Dereckman's main duty is the maintenance of the machinery in the mud pump room. Drillers occupy one of the most important positions on the rig. He is responsible for the drilling in the seabed.

There are many types of jobs you can perform in an offshore rig. Tool pushers and offshore installation managers are part of what is considered the rig management crew. Tool pushers work in the rig offices and rig floors. Offshore installation managers are responsible for the entire rig.

There is also the mechanical department that hires motorman, mechanics and maintenance supervisors who are responsible for all mechanical operations in the rig. In the electrical department you will find positions like electricians, electronics technician and maintenance supervisors who will take care of all repairs needed for the electrical equipment in the oil rig. And of course there is also the catering team that is made up of the stewardess, cook and the camp boss who are in charge of the catering, laundry and cleaning for the entire crew.

There are certain points that you should consider while you are thinking about joining an oil rig crew and start a career in this industry. For example; one needs to keep in mind things like health, age, experience, education and interests. The job in the rig requires you to be in a good physical condition, and you need to pass a number of medical examinations. The average age is 27 for offshore jobs in oilrigs, but there are also jobs for people less than 18 years old. Experience in a particular field will help you to gain a better position and wage, but by and large, no previous experience or skill is required to be hired in the offshore oil rig crews.

Apply For An Offshore Oil Rig Job

Oilfield Jobs - A Booming Field Even In This Bad Economy.

Considering the state of our economies around the world, if you want to find a job that pays you good money then you should seriously consider the oil fields and offshore rigs in your serach. The oil industry is booming, if you have watched the news lately the big oil companies are the only ones really making a profit (and a big one) this year. Oil rig jobs are needed to crew the new drilling rigs being opened by these big companies around the world. Top economists project the oil boom to last the next 14 to 20 years, which will likely lead to oil jobs outstripping financial and IT jobs. While many people are puzzled about how to get started, the truth is that if you are young, fit, hardworking and willing to get your hands dirty, you should have no trouble getting started.

Many people think that you should have lots of experience inthis field to get started, but that's not true. The best way to get started is to get a job on a land-based oil rig. You can get hired as a roustabout, basically a general laborer, work hard for 6 months and climb up the ladder to the position of roughneck. Once you have reached this post, you will still do a lot of manual labor, but you may also have a chance to supervise a few roustabouts and help out the more specialized positions like the derrickhands and drillers. Show the right attitude, work hard and you may find yourself promoted all the way up to driller (2nd highest rank on the oil rig) in a few years.

A university degree is good but not much useful in an oil rig. On the other hand, a useful technical certificate or diploma, for example as an electrician or mechanic, could land you a job in the motor room or electrical department. But these are not the only useful trade skills on board an offshore oil rig. The rig crew need to eat (and eat well), so a good cook is always welcome on board. A medic also plays a valuable part on the rig. An oil rig job is still a pretty hazardous place to work in. Accidents happen, and a medic will always be necessary.

One thing you should keep in mind is that an offshore oil rig is covered under maritime law. Hence, it is good if you take the trouble to get a basic working knowledge of how it will affect you. Besides this, there are vaccinations and skills certifications specific to where the oil rig is located. For example, in the UK you need to take an offshore survival and firefighting course. Different Canadian provinces have their own First Aid certifications. And different US states have their own requirements.

There is little secret on getting started in offshore oil rig jobs. In short, there are many entry-level positions available. No formal education is required at the lower positions. Higher education is required only at the higher levels. Oil industry is continuing to grow rapidly and hence a career in this industry is very prosperous and bright. It gives you an opportunity to work anywhere in the world in a work environment which has very high standards of safety. Besides, enjoying very high salaries, the other benefit that workers enjoy is working only for 14 days in a month. Major oil companies also provide medical and life insurance. It is a very rewarding and exciting career.


Check this link to find all the offshore oil rig jobs available and much more information: Jobs Oilfield