A Day in the Life – The Offshore Oil Rig Experience

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Have you been looking for offshore oil rig jobs hiring now? Before you apply, it’s important to know what you’re getting into. Working on an offshore oil rig can be a rewarding experience, and it pays well, but it’s also far different than most other jobs. Here’s what you can expect if you do end up working on an offshore oil rig:

The Ride Over

You’ll take a helicopter over to the offshore oil rig. It’s going to be loud, which is why you’ll be required to wear ear muffs to protect your hearing. This is an exciting experience the first few times you go, but veterans tend to sleep through these flights.

Shifts

When you work on an offshore oil rig, you spend a set amount of days on and off the rig. A standard split is 14 days on the rig and then 21 days off, repeated throughout the year. Since the job usually pays about $300 per day at the entry level, you make a good living while only working two out of five weeks. You’re obviously not working the entire time you’re on the rig, as you’ll still have shifts. Sometimes you’ll have a day shift, and other times you’ll have a night shift, since oil rigs operate around the clock. Shifts are typically 12 hours long.

What you do during your shift depends entirely on your position. Many, but not all, of the jobs on an offshore oil rig are physical in nature.

The Accommodations

While working on an offshore oil rig can be demanding, the accommodations themselves are extremely nice and often meet the same standards as a 4 or 5-star hotel. You don’t need to pay for your room, your food or your laundry, as the company handles all that for you. Meals also tend to be high quality, so most offshore oil rig workers enjoy the food. The oil rig company supplies you with all the safety gear you need, and you take that off when you go to the galley for meals.

Socializing

An offshore oil rig usually has about 180 to 200 people on it, so you’ll definitely get to know some of your coworkers. While you’ll be working every day that you’re on the oil rig, you’ll also have quite a bit of time off, and there are plenty of places to hang out onboard.

Even though you’re on an oil rig, there will be smoking areas available. These rooms also include safety matches to prevent any issues.

Succeeding on an Offshore Oil Rig

There are plenty of offshore oil rig jobs hiring, and it may be a smart career choice if you’re cut out for the job. The most important factor in your success on an offshore oil rig is your attitude. As long as you maintain a positive attitude and remember why you took the job in the first place, you’ll do fine.