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How to become an offshore Oil & Gas worker

Ever wondered what offshore working life is like? Hearing the constant sound of the ocean day and night? Enjoying views like no other whilst you work? In today’s blog, we’ll go through what jobs are available, whilst running through the different options on how to begin your career offshore.

First things first, do you fit the bill?

Before even thinking about a career offshore, there are multiple boxes candidates must tick based on who they are. This includes…

Being able to complete offshore survival training, which includes testing how physically and mentally fit you are
Being a minimum height of 5’ 5”
Being at least 18 years old.
The kind of person fitted to a role offshore would be someone who does not smoke and/or drink alcohol and are not afraid of heights.

Generally speaking, as an offshore worker you’ll quickly find out that the typical working pattern is very different from the traditional 9-5 job. For example, a typical shift pattern would be 3 weeks offshore and back onshore for 2 weeks in rotation. You must be prepared to leave family and friends for long periods but although this seems daunting, the better than average salary and benefits do make up for it.

What kinds of jobs are available?

To give you an idea of what kinds of jobs you could work towards in your offshore career, we have put together an infographic outlining 10 of the top jobs required on an offshore platform.

We used our current knowledge of the Oil & Gas market, as well as trusted site, Glassdoor to determine an average salary for each role. If we were to rank these, it would be as follows.

1.Drilling Engineer - £59,000 per year
2.Helicopter Pilot - £58,000 per year
3.Subsea Engineer - £48,000 per year
4.Geologist - £47,000 per year
5.Marine Engineer - £37,000 per year
6.Naval Architect - £36,000 per year
7.Mechanical Engineer - £35,000 per year
8.Diver - £30,000 per year
9.Mudlogger - £23,000 per year
10.Roustabout - £18–30,000 per year

Of course, these figures do differ depending on the company, location etc.

How to get your foot in the door

There are multiple ways of getting your foot in the door when it comes to a career offshore. The most popular at the moment is to go down the apprenticeship route. To do this, you can either search online for current apprenticeship programs, or to first determine exactly which job you would like to apply for, www.myoilandgascareer.com/roles have some excellent guidance on the ins and outs of each job.

If you don’t feel like an apprenticeship is the right option for you, you can also start out as a Maintenance Technician and work your way up the ladder from there. Or alternatively, if you have previous experience in the likes of welding, scaffolding, painting or medical work, these could all be additional opportunity routes to a career offshore.

If you’d like more guidance on how to become an offshore worker, our team are more than happy to have a conversation to help progress your career. You can contact us on 01925 907000 or email recruit@firstrg.com.

Alternatively, if you are currently seeking a more senior role within Oil & Gas, you can take a look at our latest jobs here: https://bit.ly/30250u1

Testimonials

"Their knowledge of the industry, our organisation and candidates is one of the leaders in the market. They have always been able to supply us with the right calibre of engineering candidate no matter what the discipline or regional location is.

"First Recruitment Group’s service delivery has always been to a high standard and the customer service provided by the team has ensured that First Recruitment Group will remain a preferred supplier of engineering personnel to WorleyParsons on our future engineering projects."

WorleyParsons

"In my dealings with First I have found them to be responsive, knowledgeable, quality-focused and engaging in their approach. I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of First Recruitment Group to any prospective customers."

Global Engineering Consultancy

"We have a good working relationship with First Recruitment and they always put every effort in to filling our positions whether it's on a permanent or contract basis. First have an honest and open approach to recruitment and their clients which is refreshing. First offer an excellent payroll service which compliments their overall delivery service to MWH Treatment."

MWH Treatment

“As the biggest services supplier to the nuclear industry our demand for personnel is significant, when I have an urgent requirement I know I can rely on First Recruitment to rise to the challenge.

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Veolia Nuclear Solutions

"It’s great to work with a recruitment agency we trust. The team at First Recruitment Group are friendly and straight talking and they continue to provide an excellent service. We’re proud to still be working with them after 20 years."

Simon Carves Engineering Ltd

"First Recruitment are on the 1st Tier of Sweett Europe’s preferred supplier list. We have found First recruitment to be hugely supportive and value adding partners to Sweett, helping us source a wide range of roles. The consultants at First are hugely knowledgeable and have a real desire to listen to, and understand, our needs. They have shown an unrivalled desire to work on hard to fill roles using innovative methods to ensure they always supply us with CVs.

"I have been hugely impressed by their willingness to support us, even when we have simply been after guidance which would not attract them a fee. I would be more than happy to recommend First Recruitment Group to any prospective organisation, and to discuss in more detail their capabilities."

Sweett Group

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Haden Freeman Limited

"We have used First Recruitment to support the recruitment of several key roles within our business. The quality of the candidates put forward were extremely high which helped enormously in our ability to fill all roles, also the candidates have all been a success since joining our business. They were prompt, knowledgeable and very professional and made the recruitment process for us extremely simple. The service we have received has been first class and I would highly recommend the services of First Recruitment to any Company looking to fill a vacancy."

Meadow Vale Food Group

“I have worked with First Recruitment frequently over the last couple of years. Their ability to understand our business and support me in terms of recruitment has been excellent. Candidates are screened initially to meet our requirements and taken through the process in a professional way. I would have no hesitation in recommending First Recruitment to any employer who needs that little extra support in their recruitment process."

Bokomo Foods (UK) Limited

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AAK

"First Group are one of the key suppliers to Cobham. The team are quick to respond, friendly and professional, and as such have made a massive difference to the account. The team have supported and filled a variety of roles. Without hestitation I would recommend First."

Cobham

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