Choosing a career is never easy, especially in today’s uncertain job market. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for those who are willing to look a little further.
While a job in offshore oil drilling may not immediately come to mind when considering viable careers, for some people it may be ideal. For those who are hardworking and determined, the rewards and lifestyle can be enviable. Read on to find out if a career in offshore drilling is for you and how you can get a job in the oil industry with no prior work experience.
What is a rustabout?
A coolie is the first rung of the career ladder in the offshore drilling industry. Handymen perform all basic maintenance and heavy manual labor aboard an oil rig. If you want to pursue a career in offshore oil rigs, this will be your first job title. Handyman jobs require you to perform many different functions: one day you may be painting and cleaning the rig, the next you may be moving heavy equipment or repairing machinery.
As an entry-level position, pawns will naturally have to do much of the more grueling and dirty work on the platform, but there’s plenty of room to move forward. Virtually everyone you meet on an oil or gas rig began their career in an offshore laborer job.
Who can become a rustabout?
No formal qualifications are needed to get a job as a laborer. What is required is a hard work attitude, a certain level of strength and conditioning, and the ability to work long shifts in all weather conditions. This makes offshore laborer jobs ideal for those with intelligence and drive, but who have left school with few academic qualifications. It is also suitable for someone looking for a career change who is willing to make their way. As long as you are over the age of 18 and are at least 5’5″ tall, you can apply for a job as a laborer. Other than this, the most important thing is that you are willing to work hard in often difficult conditions.
How is the money and at what time will I do it?
As an entry-level position, a laborer job abroad is particularly well-paying: laborers can earn more than US$50,000. You’ll have to work long hours and spend long periods of time away from your family, but the general shift pattern maintained by oil rigs can mean you’re earning a substantial income while only working half the year. A common shift pattern for offshore laborer jobs is to work 12 hours and then have 12 hours off, over a period of 3-4 weeks, followed by an equal amount of time off.
What opportunities are there for career advancement?
After spending time in your starting role as a laborer, there are many opportunities to advance your career toward higher wages and more skilled jobs. There are several different career paths open to those who have gained experience in an entry-level position. If you work hard and show initiative, you may get promoted to “Thug” in your first year as a laborer. Goons perform more technical tasks within the rig, such as adding drill pipe, extracting and inserting the rig, and repairing the rig. From here you can eventually become a driller or crane operator – the best jobs aboard an oil rig. With experience, hard work, and training, it’s entirely possible to become a full-fledged driller in five years.
Oil has always been big business, and with global demand continuing to grow, there is unlikely to be a shortage of opportunities for offshore workers for the foreseeable future.
Where do I sign up to become a pawn?
To apply for offshore laborer jobs, you can contact the oil companies directly or sign up with a recruitment agency specializing in offshore rig jobs. The latter is probably the better option, as such agencies know what drilling companies expect from potential laborers and how to get your CV to the right people.
Certain certifications, such as medical certificates and emergency survival certificates, are often required for anyone working on a rig, but many companies will pay for you to obtain them.
Offshore laborer jobs are certainly not for everyone, and can be exhausting at times, but for some people they are a very lucrative first step in a lifelong career.
