Training is finished. CV’s looking good. Now you need a job. But how do you get employers to notice you and ensure you’re the successful applicant for that dream job in the global energy sector?
Every year AIS Survivex trains thousands of delegates to work in the global oil and gas and wind industries. We asked some of our successful delegates for their top tips on how to secure your first offshore job...
Greenhand Success Story Advice
Former handyman, Phil Green is scooped his first oil and gas ad hoc trip – which turned into a permanent position!
Phil said: "My friends are all in oil and gas so I had a good idea of what the work is like,” said Phil. “As I got a little older, the thought of an offshore career began to appeal and my friend Gary Morrison pointed out how easily transferrable my skillset was and persuaded me to train with AIS Survivex.
“After completing all the mandatory BOSIET and MIST courses, Gary suggested I add fire certs and Banksman Slinger Initial to make my CV more desirable because I had no previous offshore experience. I decided to go for it and paid with the interest free finance option to make the training more affordable.”
Read Phil's Story >>
Vehicle mechanic, Kyle Emmerson swapped cars for wind turbines after successfully changing careers to the wind industry.
Kyle says: “Everyone at AIS Survivex was extremely professional and very approachable and I got loads of tips and advice to help me get that first foot in the door. For anyone thinking about retraining for the wind sector I’d say give it a go. Although you need a bit of bottle to make that first move, it has been well worth it for me and has only taken one trip offshore to pay for all my training.”
Read Kyle's Story >>
Signing up to Atlas Professionals’ Greenhand Programme and adding fire and helideck tickets to his CV with AIS Survivex helped 21-year-old Harry Malins secure his first offshore role as a Roustabout after months of trying.
Harry said: “I’m really enjoying offshore work and my top tip for anyone else looking to get their first break is just go for it. For me, the fire and helideck tickets definitely helped. They might be expensive but they are something that employers are looking for, so really helped push my CV to the top of the pile.”
Read Harry's Story >>
Former salesman, Barry Boyle is enjoying a new career in the global wind industry after completing his GWO training with AIS Survivex.
Barry said: “It was definitely a case of right time, right place for me. My initial contract was in rope access but this led to a really varied role working on a wind farm with the same company.
I’ve now had months of experience in all aspects of wind technician work - from inspection to repair and upgrading wind turbine blades. Thanks to this experience, I’m about to start the new season having signed a contract working for one of the largest blade repair companies in the UK with a global workforce.
Anyone thinking about a new career in the wind sector, don’t give up. Keep contacting people. Make sure you take chances when they do crop up. Be ready to go at a moment’s notice. For me, it’s paid off. I never thought I would be able to transition from a sales job into wind but now I’ve got valuable experience under my belt and a proven track record - the sky’s the limit.”
Read Barry's Story >>
Former underground cable engineer and AIS Survivex trainee, Simon Carney secured his first job in the wind industry – before even finishing his course!
He said: “To anyone thinking of transferring into wind, I’d say stay positive and go for it. Make sure your CV is on-point and never give up.”
Read Simon's Story >>
#TopTip Round-up
So, to summarise:
- Don’t give up, perseverance pays off
- Keep contacting people and take any opportunity that comes up – you never know where it will lead
- Add in-demand tickets to your CV
- Ask those in the know for help and advice
- Utilise interest-free finance to spread the cost of training
- Be ready to go at a moment’s notice
- Just go for it!
Fabric Maintenance Training
We offer a wide range of maintenance-specific training courses and packages from offshore survival, medicals and all the baseline mandatory training required to work on a rig – all the way up to OPITO Blaster Sprayer, Train the Painter, Scaffolding, Rigging, Welding and Mechanical Joint Integrity (MJI) to name a few!
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