Anybody done the BOSIET training

[oneandonlyian]

Hey guys and girls

I'm looking at changing career as being a vehicle mechanic is starting to realy do my head in.

I have the opportunity to take the BOSIET courses for working offshore. Just wondering if there was any sound, HELPFUL advice on here.

Is working the Rigs or Relief ships something you have done/doing, is it enjoyable and rewarding. I know the hours are long and the money is good.


I only have one fun obstacle I am not the strongest swimmer. I can swim and dive but im terrible when im out of my depth. Advice on this too.

Thanks for your time.
Ian.

[Bob H]

You don't need to be a particularly strong swimmer to pass the sea survival stuff but you do need to be comfortable in and especially under water. There's going to be some jumping into water, feet first as well. The main requirement you'll need is good strength and dexterity for the life raft stuff and a good sense of orientation for the helicopter drills. You will be out of your depth - at best 60 metres, possibly 1500 metres or so out of your depth when off shore so you will need to be happy treading water and floating on the surface at the deep end of a pool. Not necessarily proficient treading water but you will need to be able to do it and not be panicky about it in deep water.

I haven't worked the rigs but I have done the ships and the environment is going to be similar. You are going to be sharing the equivalent space of 5 or 6 large houses that are interconnected but have no external doors with up to 150 other people for 28 days. You won't be able to leave that space for any reason other than serious I'll health/major family trauma and you will have minimal personal space and privacy sharing a room with between 1 and 7, possibly up to 15 other men depending on the rig. Your wok routine will normally be 12 hours on/off every day you're on rig making your working week 84 hours. You will effectively be either working, eating or sleeping. You do need to be a socialiser but you do also need to be able to, if not get on with, at least be civil with anyone and everyone. You're going to be thrown in with a lot of people into a very small space with no way of avoiding any of them. Thick skin and civil tongue at all times regardless of your own mood and temperament. Life on board will be tiring, monotonous, confining and constricting once you're past the novelty factor but you will be working 4 weeks on, 4 weeks off normally which means a 6 month working year which is where it comes into its own. If you think you can cope with the above and more then the time off is well worth it but the work itself is a pain on many, many levels.

By far the biggest impact it will have is on your personal/family life. Many people who start off in the business married end up divorced inside 2 years while those that get married while working offshore tend to end up divorced 2 years after finishing their offshore career. If you are married or with a long term partner you need to sit down together and properly discuss this and how being alternately away from each other and in each others pockets for weeks at a time is going to affect your home life and relationship.

[oneandonlyian]

Re: Anybody done the BOSIET training

Wow, thanks Bob. Thats the kind of info I was looking for.
Thanks for taking the time to help.

At the moment its still just an idea. But you have definitely given me lots to think about.

Thanks.

[Mike W]

Ian,
My brother used to work on the standby boats and I have taken my offshore tickets as well to work on the boats and did actually get offered a job but after speaking to the wife we decided it was beneficial if I stayed onshore and not at sea. I think for most its not the job or not even the long hours and not even the same thing day in day out but the fact you are away a month at a time and home a month at a time. Both can be good and both can be bad depending on the personal situation of the person it attains to. I stayed for my kids as when they where very young I did work away alot but on land and came home one weekend and my daughter had grown soo much I just decided I would rather watch my kids grow up than just see it now and again which is why I decided to stay that time. Only reason I was going standby boats was the fact my work had finished and it was the prospect of being on the dole hence the courses and the decision to go away again. Got the job I have now and even though the standby boats where more money we decided it was better for me to stay at home.

There are pro's and con's for doing working away. Why not write down pro's and cons and see which one wins out. If a change of career is what your after then look for something else ?

[Scotvar]

Ian,

I have been in the offshore industry all my working life and to be honest couldn't imagine myself working anywhere else. I work on the vessel side of things and absolutely love it. I do 6 weeks away and 6 weeks at home and class myself as semi retired. There are so many career opportunities available to you once you get your foot in the door. Just look at oilcareers.com for example.

The BOSIET course was good fun in my opinion but then again I enjoy all that kind of thing. It all depends on how confident you are in the water.

Bob H is definitely correct about the effect it can have on your personal life but things have changed massively since I've been in the offshore industry. When I started on the ship it was all letters and phone cards when you got ashore. Now we have internet, skype, facetime etc and it has made the world so much a smaller place. I would say give it a shot. If you're away for 28 days and don't like it then at least you've tried it and you know. What I love about the job is the time off is my own. Everyday is like the weekend. No stress or hassle and living a life of leisure. Like I say, I can't see me changing my career (and yes I am married!).

Paul

[Tim Procter]

You only got married last year Ian.

Choosing a career where you spend weeks away from home often spells disaster, the job may be good, the money will be good.

If yourself and Charlotte has discussed this at length then sit on it a while.

Working away from home and loved ones isn't for everyone.;)

[Boggy]

Think carefully about the consequences of working away from home Ian.If your planning a family you will miss so much.After 30 years driving HGVs given the choice again I would run a mile!

[Tim Procter]

[QUOTE=Boggy;997388]Think carefully about the consequences of working away from home Ian.If your planning a family you will miss so much.After 30 years driving HGVs given the choice again I would run a mile![/QUOTE]

34 years in my case but ditto

[Bob H]

Sorry, I'm not trying to scare you off this choice I'm just trying to paint a realistic picture of what you'll be getting into. As Scotvar says, offshore work can be extremely rewarding if you have the right temperament for it. Scotvar and I however being from the ships side of the industry aren't exactly the right people to talk about the work side of things on rigs though. The ships tend to move about quite a bit so you have that curiosity factor of where you're going to be tomorrow to throw in the mix and keep things interesting that you just don't have on an oil/gas rig but it's the time on shore that is the rewarding part of it all not the time off shore. that's just an end to a means and really should be treated as such.

As Scotvar also said you will become the ultimate part time or on/off husband/father/friend being part of their lives 24/7 for weeks on end then being completely missing from their lives for an equal number of weeks on end. Communications to/from the rigs and ships have improved dramatically but for a young child or lover Skype is no substitute really. You will see and be involved in so much more of your family's lives than any other working father will be while you're at home but you will also miss and be cut off from so much more of your family's lives than any other working father will have to endure as well.

The work has a massive amount to offer but it also takes a massive amount away. It's a career choice that you cannot make alone.

[1chris]

I work in the Offshore Industry, Maintenance on the Offshore Gas production platforms off East Anglia, remember, just because you have done the survival course does not get you a job, but the course is very expensive and you could end up paying out and still with no job. I have seen it happen more than once

[oneandonlyian]

Again wow, Thanks everyone for your input and all of what you have said has given me lots to think about. I am newly wed and love spending every minute with Charlotte. We did have a talk about it last night and although we both say it will be ok I know it would be hard to be away from family and friends mostly Lottie. I'm quite a softy and need friends and family close all the time. It was just an offer I had passed to me a couple of days ago and thought it was worth a look. I Left my job this morning and walked straight into a new one with better prospects and pay, Hopefully this could put the Spark back. Thanks again to all who have taken the time to comment on here, Its nice to still see grown up conversations can be had. (please excuse the lack of paragraphs the ENTER button won't start new lines on here for some reason.)

[Sheldrake]

Congrats on the new job! Is it in a similar field or are you having a career change? It is good to be able to walk straight into another. I am facing redundancy at the moment and have just a few months (luckily I know) to find something else.
Enjoy the family though as others have said you only get one chance to watch your children grow up.

Best of luck.

[oneandonlyian]

[QUOTE=Sheldrake;997588]Congrats on the new job! Is it in a similar field or are you having a career change? It is good to be able to walk straight into another. I am facing redundancy at the moment and have just a few months (luckily I know) to find something else.
Enjoy the family though as others have said you only get one chance to watch your children grow up.

Best of luck.[/QUOTE]Thanks, yeah same field back into another dealership. Sorry to hear about the redundancy hope something turns up sharpish for you.

[cjs]

BOSIET course for foreigners?

Hi, my husband has been offered the chance to work off shore bu this English is basic-medium.How basic is the BOSIET courseplease? Thank you.