I want to be a roughneck!!
May 16, 2012 7:53 PM Subscribe
Roughneck/oil rig filter: Im trying to pursue a career change and working on an oil rig & doing the roughneck type work is something I'm interested in. Ive been a IT Support/Network administrator/Network engineer for the past 12 years and its time for a change and time to get out of the office environment. How do i get into this line of work? I see a lot of websites promising to "Help you" get into the industry but when i look closer they look like a bunch of crap. Anyways if anyone knows please let me know. BTW...Looking for something in Tx...Ideally working xxxx number of days on xxxx number of days off because i have a family. Really any foot in the door would be ideal i just don't know how to get there,
Oilfield hand here.
Post your resume on Rigzone. You'll get some bites that way. That's how I got the job I have now.
Also look at who's hiring now on the same site and send them a resume.
The best way is to go down to the company office wearing a Dickies shirt, jeans and steel-toe boots and ask for a job. This is a big part of oilfield culture, especially at the roughneck/roustabout level.
Please be aware this is going to be a huge culture change. You will be working with Obama-hatin', Fox-News-loving dudes who will casually discuss their past DUIs, present Parole Officers and future plans for drug and alcohol abuse.
These people are hard-working (or they would have been fired) and not shy of a fight. Follow my advice and keep your mouth shut completely for the first month. Don't try to make friends, just work as hard as you can.
Oilfield work can be rewarding to people coming from the office world in a way that is often written about, but it gets old. The work is repetitive and the conversations even more so after a while.
I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just be aware that you may end up migrating to a different job, even if you stay in the oilfield. That's what I've done: I am in MWD, which is like night and day compared to the other jobs I've had. Much more intellectually demanding, nicer people.
Leaving the oilfield can be hard to do. The money is hard to find elsewhere, or so it seems.
Good luck and feel free to PM me with any questions.
posted by atchafalaya at 5:19 AM on May 17, 2012 [9 favorites]
Post your resume on Rigzone. You'll get some bites that way. That's how I got the job I have now.
Also look at who's hiring now on the same site and send them a resume.
The best way is to go down to the company office wearing a Dickies shirt, jeans and steel-toe boots and ask for a job. This is a big part of oilfield culture, especially at the roughneck/roustabout level.
Please be aware this is going to be a huge culture change. You will be working with Obama-hatin', Fox-News-loving dudes who will casually discuss their past DUIs, present Parole Officers and future plans for drug and alcohol abuse.
These people are hard-working (or they would have been fired) and not shy of a fight. Follow my advice and keep your mouth shut completely for the first month. Don't try to make friends, just work as hard as you can.
Oilfield work can be rewarding to people coming from the office world in a way that is often written about, but it gets old. The work is repetitive and the conversations even more so after a while.
I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just be aware that you may end up migrating to a different job, even if you stay in the oilfield. That's what I've done: I am in MWD, which is like night and day compared to the other jobs I've had. Much more intellectually demanding, nicer people.
Leaving the oilfield can be hard to do. The money is hard to find elsewhere, or so it seems.
Good luck and feel free to PM me with any questions.
posted by atchafalaya at 5:19 AM on May 17, 2012 [9 favorites]
Atchafalaya is spot on. My cousin was a rig pig, and did very well financially, but had a pin in his arm ad the result of an accident. The oil field workers is a popular question on AskMe (along with Alaskan crab fisherman) so I'm sure you'll find plenty of old threads.
You might also consider geoscience or geomatics companies, wireless or downhole companies. The range of opportunity in oil and gas is a pretty big spectrum! Also, even average office positions tend to get a salary boost in the industry. I worked for an oilfield staffing company, so feel free to PM me.
posted by Calzephyr at 8:42 AM on May 26, 2012
You might also consider geoscience or geomatics companies, wireless or downhole companies. The range of opportunity in oil and gas is a pretty big spectrum! Also, even average office positions tend to get a salary boost in the industry. I worked for an oilfield staffing company, so feel free to PM me.
posted by Calzephyr at 8:42 AM on May 26, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
I think its a job where you would be intensively involved for a period, and then have time off untill the next assignment.
I've seen mud men lab trailers with their crusty old DOS technology, so maybe you could shine there.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:58 PM on May 16, 2012