Oil Rig Jobs

Oil employment is hot! Despite rhetoric from USA, Saudi Arabia as well Iran, the price of oil remains above $100. Is it any wonder that oil companies are still hiring? In the USA, unlike many countries, smaller independent companies are hiring for oil rig jobs. Oil rigs are mainly operated by wildcatters, the risk takers and entrepreneurs of the oil and gas industries. These lean, efficient companies find and produce oil, but do not refine or sell it.

With demand for oil remaining strong, every oil company is trying to gear up their production. Unfortunately, everyone is facing a critical worker shortage due to an aging workforce. Due to the oil busts in the 1980s and 1990s, oil employment was cut in half from nearly 600,000 workers in 1985 to just 300,000 workers in 2001. Most of the oil company jobs today are held by survivors of the last oil bust, around 40 to 50 years old. Considering the intense work schedule on most offshore drilling jobs – 12 hours a day for 14 days, followed by 14 days off – many of these workers are a bit too old to maintain the same punishing pace of work.

Thousands of offshore drilling jobs are in the Gulf Coast areas, the main oil producer in the US today. Oil employment requires very physically fit workers, independent, and able to handle being away from their families for extended periods. The work is physically demanding – workers in their 20s are preferred. If you have actual oil rig job experience, your chance of getting hired is virtually assured.

Due to the strong demand for workers in the oil and gas industry, oil rig job salaries are high and benefits are excellent. Accommodations on oil rigs are very good, with cable TV, gym facilities and free meals provided. However, the cabins can be cramped, with 4 persons sharing each cabin. While the jobs are undoubtedly exist, most oil companies still prefer to hire experienced workers. This means that competition for unskilled positions can be high. Even if you do not have relevant experience, you still need to show some familiarity with offshore drilling jobs in your cover letter and resume. In short, you need to do some reading up before you start looking for jobs. If possible, try to talk to workers already in the industry to get a feel for what life is really like on a an oil rig.

US job applicants will get their best start by using proven oil rig employment placement services. In contrast, UK oil rig job applicants have a harder time than their US counterparts. Placement services for oil rig jobs are less sophisticated. Having the right contacts and being known by the right people is still the most important factor to getting offshore drilling jobs. UK residents are probably better off if they look for jobs in the US and Canada.

With the price of oil remaining high, this is the best time for inexperienced persons to gain a foothold in oil employment. Thousands of oil company jobs in the Gulf Coast areas, with thousands more once Alaska is (re)opened up for exploitation. Go north to Canada and you will find even more oil rig jobs.

RigWorker.com has been helping people get oil employment since 1998.

Click here to find out how we can help you get your resume/cv in front of the hiring managers for the best offshore drilling jobs.

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