Multiple Opportunities
One thing that should be clarified upfront is that everyone working on an oil rig is not part of the deck crew. The personnel on an oil rig consists of numerous positions, everything from cooks to engineers. The quarters are similar to those on a ship and the rig functions much in the same way. Everyone has certain responsibilities to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Maximum Flexibility
One of the primary distinctions associated with oil rig work is the flexibility. It is important to define the term “flexibility” here. Because crews are normally on rigs for weeks at a time, this is not the type of flexibility associated with some other industries. The flexibility of oil rig work is associated with the amount of time on and off the rig and that may be regulated. Once you go out, you are normally there for a full shift. You can work two weeks on and two week off or any of a number of variations.
Exceptional Compensation
Even entry level personnel on a rig will be well-compensated when considering the work that they are doing. Most companies pay special premiums due to the fact that workers are away from home for extended periods. These premiums can be elevated by working extra shifts while on the rig. Most oil rig salaries are double the national average.
Tough but Rewarding
There are jobs that challenge a person physically and there are others that push people to their mental brink, but rarely are their jobs that do both and present such an immense reward to those who able to master the challenge. There is no hiding the fact that working on an oil rig comes with its challenges and risks. The job requires that you be sharp and alert at all time. The work is physically demanding at the call for alertness taxes you mentally and emotionally. However the sense of accomplishment that you feel at the end of the day is hard to parallel with any other field or type of work.
Life’s Training Ground
Working on a rig will challenge your resolve and character, but it will also develop character and fortitude. If you have ever met a career rig hand, you will have noticed that there is just something distinctively different. Much in the way of encountering a person who served in the U.S. Special Forces. There is just something different about them that only their reality can produce. Working on an oil rig produces a unique type of character in the same way.
Oil rig work is not for everyone, but for the person that finds it to be a good fit, the possibilities are quite extensive.