The oil industry is booming right now, and it takes a lot of offshore oil rig jobs to man the new drilling rigs. Leading economists project the oil boom to last for the next 14 to 20 years, likely leading to oil jobs overtaking IT and finance jobs. While many people are baffled about how to get started, the truth is that if you’re young, fit, hard working, and willing to get your hands dirty, you should have no problem getting started.
If you have no experience, the best way to start is to get a job on an onshore oil rig. You can be hired as a laborer, basically a general worker, work hard for 6 months, and work your way up the ladder to the position of thug. As a thug, he will still do a lot of manual labor, but he may also have the opportunity to oversee some forced labor and help out in more specialized positions, such as laborers and drillers. Show the right attitude, work hard and you might get promoted to driller (second highest rank on the oil rig) in 5 years.
A college degree isn’t very useful aboard an oil rig. On the other hand, a useful technical certificate or diploma, for example, as an electrician or mechanic, could get you a job in the machine room or electrical department. These aren’t the only useful trading skills aboard an offshore oil rig. The rig crew needs to eat, so a good cook is always welcome on board. A doctor also plays an important role on the platform. Despite modern technology, a job on an oil rig is still a pretty dangerous place to work. Accidents happen and a doctor always has work to do.
An important point to note is that an offshore oil rig is covered by maritime law. So it’s good if you take the trouble to get a basic understanding of how it will affect you. In addition to this, there are vaccinations and skill certifications specific to where the oil rig is located. For example, in the UK, you need to take an offshore firefighting and survival course. Different Canadian provinces have their own First Aid certifications. And different US states have their own requirements.
As you can see, there is no secret to getting started in offshore oil rig work. Start little by little, on the ground, from below. Once you prove yourself, you can move to the most lucrative offshore drilling rigs.
