Guide · New to offshore
How to get your first offshore job
Offshore employers hire for skills you may already have, such as electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, welding, crane operation or marine engineering. What separates an offshore candidate from an onshore one is mostly paperwork: safety training, a medical and the right ID. Here's what to sort out before you apply.
Certifications you'll need
Which certificates you need depends on the sector. Many employers only shortlist candidates who already hold them, so getting certified first can make the difference.
BOSIET
OPITO's Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training covers helicopter underwater escape (HUET), sea survival, firefighting and first aid. It's valid for four years and renewed with the shorter FOET course. A tropical version, T-BOSIET, is common in warm-water regions such as the Gulf of Mexico.
GWO Basic Safety Training
The Global Wind Organisation's BST modules are First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness and Working at Heights, plus Sea Survival for offshore sites. Refresher training is due every two years.
TWIC card
The TSA's Transportation Worker Identification Credential gives unescorted access to secure areas of US maritime facilities and vessels. Many Gulf and East Coast employers expect you to have one on day one.
Merchant Mariner Credential
To crew a US-flagged vessel as a deckhand, engineer or officer, you need a US Coast Guard MMC with the right endorsements for the job.
Offshore medical
Expect a fitness-for-duty exam and drug test before your first trip. UK North Sea work needs an OEUK offshore medical. Elsewhere, employers usually arrange their own.
Requirements change, and every operator has its own rules. Check the job listing and the training provider before you book a course.
How rotations work
A rotation (also called a hitch) is written as days on / days off. On a 14/14 rotation you work 14 days offshore, usually 12-hour shifts, then have 14 days at home. Over a year that's roughly half the year off, packed into two-week blocks.
| Rotation | Typical for | What it means at home |
|---|---|---|
| 14/14 | Gulf of Mexico, wind service vessels, North Sea | Two weeks away, two weeks home |
| 21/21 | International oil & gas, drilling | Three weeks away, three weeks home |
| 28/28 | Remote and overseas postings, marine crews | A month away, a month home |
| Day work | Wind farms served by crew transfer vessels | Out by boat each morning, home most nights |
Travel to and from the heliport or port is often on your own time. Ask whether the employer pays travel days and covers flights before you accept.
Wind vs. oil & gas
Oil and gas is the established offshore industry, with platforms, drilling rigs and production vessels. Hitches are long, and roles range from roustabout up to offshore installation manager. See oil & gas jobs.
Offshore wind work centres on installing and servicing turbines. It draws heavily on electrical and mechanical technicians, and GWO certification is the entry ticket. See wind jobs.
Marine and subsea roles support both industries, from vessel crews and ROV pilots to divers and survey teams. See subsea jobs.
Next step
Browse the board to see which certifications employers are asking for right now, and book those first. Then read how to become an offshore wind technician or offshore jobs with no experience.