Getting Offshore… Trainees

[Andrew Martin]

Wow I never imagined it would be this hard to get a Trainee position in a industry that (from what I have read up on) is crying out for ROV Pilot Techs? Ive got my mechanical and electrical back ground I’ve done the courses Ive worked in some of the most arduous countries in the world. But with my 7 whole hours of flight time I might as well be invisible… I have applied for numerous positions… trawled the interweb for trainee positions… very rarely do i hear back from them…

Someone somewhere tell me where im gong wrong!

Or have I more chance of winning the Lotto?

[deepseacon]

Dont limit your self too just too applying for ROV Trainee positions apply for all Jobs with your Mech and Elec Trade background for Offshore.

[Adrian]

Your not the only one in this position.

But remember there are hundreds if not over the thousand mark applying for each job. We may be well experienced in our trades but there is always someone that’s either better or luckier.

All we can do is keep applying until someone gives us a chance.

And Deepseacon is right about applying for other jobs. I’ve started to do that for the last few weeks. Fingers crossed

[Ray Shields]

Discochimp,

as all the companies have thousands of people chasing a handful of positions, most do not need to advertise.

Yes, there is an industry shortage, because it takes a number of YEARS (not a 2 week course and 10 hours of flying an Eyeball) to become a proper Pilot Tech.

Companies take on trainees and spread them out across their systems to slot in with existing teams so that they can get the training/experience while not slowing or stopping the job the teams are being paid to do.

This means the number of Trainees that can be taken on is limited, my company takes on I think about 25 a year, out of a workforce of maybe 2-300 which itself is always turning over with people joining and leaving.

Unfortunately this has led to Training Companies and Agencies popping up all over the place recently to exploit the poor saps who are willing to pay thousands of pounds on courses that they "need" in order to get that job offshore (which of course you don’t).

The problem with that many people trying to get a start is that the pure tone note of someone who is perfect for the job gets swamped out by the white noise of all the others who are completely unsuitable (but have a shiny piece of paper to wave about that says they are).

Alas, there is no magic formula to getting a start, you will always hear stories of bakers, taxi drivers, who go and do a course and get a job straight away. Equally there are butchers and shelf stackers who also get jobs with no courses or qualifications! The ROV industry is not regulated, there is no formal qualification, there is no legal course or structure, so it is left to individual companies to decide who they take on.

I feel luck is the biggest qualification right now in getting a job. As others have said, do not limit yourself to ROVs, there are a LOT of other offshore jobs out there – most of which are better paid than ROV!

[Adrian]

That feeling of wasting money I know, but at least I know a bit more about a small part of the job. Yes I know it’s only the faintest of knowledge but it’s something that looking up stuff on the net can not tell you.

Again guys cheers for the help, hope sooner than later I get to learn the real job.

[Ray Shields]

Which is why I would tell people to think carefully before paying money towards an ROV Introduction course.

The biggest problem with it is that is is specifically for a job in ROVs, whereas many other courses (e.g. on electronics, hydraulics or fibre optics) on which the same training money may be spent can count towards MANY jobs offshore.

[Jens Harris]

If you REALLY want to be an ROV pilot then keep that goal in mind!! I went without work from last October through to May this year, sending CV’s, updating my CV, updating my cover letter for every different company, chasing up CV’s with phone calls or visits in person. If I had of taken my focus off being an ROV pilot then I don’t think I would have found something.

And as Ray said, every company has a constant need for ROV PT’s at the minute. SS7/i-tech, Fugro, Oceaneering will all be recruiting again at the beginning of next year. In fact I have heard that, globally, Oceaneering are recruiting for 250 places. Not sure how true that is BUT, I would certainly be all over that if I wanted a position.

Anyway…good luck.

[Author]

Posts