Offshore Jobs - What are they?
When people say that they are looking for or hiring for an offshore job, it can mean different things depending on the person that is saying it. In the most general of terms an offshore job is one that is not on the mainland of wherever you live. This can mean that you are working on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, or that you are employed on an island that is owned by another country. To some, if you live in the United States and work in Singapore or the Cayman Islands you are working an offshore job.
With that being said, the vast majority of people hear the term "offshore job" and immediately think of the men and women working on a oil rig. This type of offshore job is an ideal position for those that want to use their strength and energy. Typically people that work in this field started their career in a similar position onshore oil fields. After a few years once they have gained the experience they need and honed their skills, they tend to move to the offshore position. The reason being is that the offshore jobs tend to pay better.
If you are considering an offshore job, especially those on oil rigs, you need to be in the absolute best health possible and you need to be physically fit and strong. Having those qualities allows you to make more money and have more opportunities than those that are working on the mainland. There is another contributing factor to the high salaries, and that is because the demand for these workers far surpasses the number of people looking for these jobs.
If you don't have any experience in the oil and gas sector you can still expect to make anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000 a year which translates into $700 to $1000 a week. Typically you will only work for about 6 months out of the year. There are other benefits to working an offshore job though. You get good food while you are on the rig, you have clean and comfortable rooms to live in while on the rig and there are excellent promotion opportunities.
With that being said, offshore jobs are not for everyone. You will have to be away from your home and your family for weeks and possibly months at a time. Working an oil rig also means that you are out in the middle of the ocean, which means that it is highly likely that you will be working outside in the elements. Bad weather that can make the job hazardous, while the rigs of today are safer then rigs of 50 years ago, there is only so much a solid structure can do against an earthquake, tsunami, major storm or hurricane.
There is a misconception though that if you work an offshore job on oil rigs that the company will work you to death. They don't work you to death, but you are expected to work and work hard. This is part of the reason that in order to get a position on a rig you need to be in peak physical condition and be very healthy. Offshore jobs are very physically and mentally demanding and are not for the faint of heart.
