This is one carried over from the old forum
To start in the industry it’s not easy, usually people come from an electronic or mechanical/hydraulic background coming straight from uni, military or from other similar time served areas of the industry.
Not sure how the history degree will help, but if you’re determined enough, you can make anything happen.
To work offshore is not an easy thing to do: 12 hour shifts (sometimes more) every day that you are away: no trip to the local for a few beers after work on a Friday night with the lads, no weekend off.
If you are serious about getting into this, then read through the FAQ’s and other areas of the site for Rookies, this will help. Then you have to go off and do some research yourself, look at companies who are looking to hire trainees, and check out the qualities employers want to see (electronic, hydraulic experience/training). Look at all the certification you will need as well as offshore survival, medical/dental. It’s an expensive thing to undertake, you’ve got to be sure this is what you want to do before you go down the path of spending that much money before you’ve even get a look in.
As far as how much ROV work is around, it’s on the up again, but how long it will last is a difficult thing to answer. The Oil & Gas and the Cable industries are very volatile, on the ROV front. Last year we saw an influx of Rookies into the ROV industry, some of them have stuck with it and are now working offshore, some of them have bitten the bullet and moved on to something else through lack of work.
Tip, if you do want to get into the ROV industry, have something else as a back up, for when things get quiet, because every few years they will.
Hope that helps
Gina Mc