While there are some oil rig jobs in less demand, qualified and skilled people to work oil rig welding jobs are always needed. Some regions of the country are not pumping out great volumes of oil while others are. For instance, the oil industry in the state of North Dakota is not only booming but exploding. Because this state has so much open land to drill and with a new horizontal drilling technology being used, oil coming from the Bakken formation has reached beyond four billion barrels.

The key in securing any of the oil rig welding jobs available is by having appropriate qualifications, which comes from education and training. One of the most common mistakes that people make specific to this type of job is the belief that training would be provided after being hired. In truth, oil rig companies are only interested in hiring people who already have all the required skills for the job. Even though some welding jobs are entry level, someone interested in oil rig welding jobs should complete necessary education and training prior to trying to secure a job.

On any level, companies looking to hire for oil rig welding jobs will test a person’s skill level before being hired. Therefore, to be offered a job such as this, an individual would need to come prepared. In fact, one of the best decisions a person could make to secure a welding job on an oil rig would be with certification. However, because rules for getting a certificate to work as an oil rig welder vary from state-to-state, it would be essential to determine requirements.

Another consideration specific to certification for oil rig welding jobs in the United States is that usually, this achievement cannot be transferred between companies. That means the individual would hold a certificate while welding for one company but in six months when renewal was needed, recertification would be required if staying with the current company or new certification if going to work for a different oil rig. Now as far as testing, this is usually taken through an accredited school or college so it would apply for work at any rigging company.

Obviously, having prior experience in the oil industry and especially having worked as a welder would certainly make an impression. While a well created resume would be necessary with or without experience, for the person looking at different types of oil rig welding jobs who had worked in the industry before and in the same position, the resume would speak volumes. Some of the specific things that would need to be highlighted include name of the previous employer, length of employment, position held, any processes responsible for, and materials used, and so on.

In addition to providing a potential employer with information about previous oil rig welding jobs, it would be beneficial to determine the types of jobs available and pertinent information about those jobs. That way, the person could be better prepared for the interview but also required testing.

Job Options

In regard to oil rig welding jobs, two primary options exist. For the first option, the welder would work on the oil rig full-time, being responsible for making needed repairs and creating things using new metalwork. For the second option, the main responsibility would be working on larger projects that need to stop drilling quickly. In both cases, welding of different types is performed as a means of keeping the rig and equipment in tip-top condition.

Although oil rig welding jobs can be worked by anyone, typically work of this type is physical demanding but also potentially dangerous. Because of this, oil rig welding jobs are usually secured by young men. Another consideration for work of this kind is that most workers spend time away from family so for married men or those in serious relationships, there should be on understanding on everyone’s part about the demands that go along with working as a welder on an oil rig.

Earning Potential

Welding is considered a blue collar job but even so, pay is actually good. For instance, entry level oil rig welding jobs typically pay around $42,000. However, if this person were to gain as much knowledge possible about welding techniques but also the oil industry and safety, and show dedication to the job, opportunities to grow and advance would be very real. Of course, the higher the ladder a person climbs the greater the potential for earning a higher salary.

A resume is supposed to be a brief summary of your abilities, education, experience, and skills. Its main job is to market yourself to an employer and get them to contact you and hopefully get an interview. In this guide we will give you some pointers on writing an effective resume.

Before You Begin
Before you begin writing your resume you should do a rough draft on paper, a sort of self assessment if you will. Outline your skills, abilities, education, and experience on this paper and go over it several times. This will make it easier for you do come up with a final draft on the computer.

Resume Content

1. Contact Information
The first thing you should include on your resume is your contact information, your name, address, telephone number, email address, and fax number should all be included in this section. It is important to use current and permanent information here, if this information is wrong your hopeful employers will have no way of contacting you. If you don’t have a permanent address or phone number use your parents or a friend’s.

2. Objective or Summary
This section is typically located under your contact information and before everything else. This section tells your prospective employers what you plan on doing for their company and what you hope to get from them. It is very important to include what you plan on doing for their company as well; leaving this out of your objective is a very common mistake people make with their resumes. It is also very important to tailor each objective to the specific job you are applying for.

3. Education
The third thing that should be listed on your resume depends on your educational and work history. If you have just recently graduated then you probably don’t have very much related work experience. If this is the case then you would list your education in your resumes third section. If you have a lot of related work experience or very little education then you should list your work experience in the third portion of your resume. In this section you are basically telling your potential employers about your educational background. Include your degrees (B.A., B.S., ect.), major, intuition attended, and your minors and/or concentration. You should list your grade point average if it is above 3.0 and should also mention any academic honors. Don’t forget to list your academic information starting with your most recent.

4. Work Experience
In this section you should describe your previous work experience and what you have gained through your work experiences. It is very important to use action words (see chart below) to describe what you have done for that company through your duties. Include the title of your position, the name of the company, location, dates of employment, and specific skills used and learned from that particular work experience. Start with your current or last job and work backwards.

5. Other Information
Including this section is optional and is dependant on your previous experiences. Here you can list any accomplishments, skills, or abilities you have learned, courses you have taken (first aid, cpr, ect.), awards you have won, or any volunteer work you have done.

6. References
It is important to list several references for your potential employers to contact, anywhere’s from three to five references will be sufficient. If you can have at least three business references, and no more then two personal. Make sure you ask your references if it is fine with them and if they will give you a positive reference before listing them on your resume. If you do not have any references add “References furnished on request” to this section.

7. Checking Your Resume
Before you submit your resume to any potential employers there are several things you should do to make sure it doesn’t contain any mistakes. Run your resume through a spell check program to see if there are any grammatical errors. Give your resume to several friends and family members and ask for their opinion on it and see if they can find any grammatical oversights.

8. Resume Design
Many people have great resumes content wise but ruin it in the design process. A resume should look very professional and doesn’t need to be visually stimulating. You should stick to a plain white or an off white 8.5” X 11” paper, use a non-decorative font, only use one typeface, avoid italicizing or underlining words, and don’t include any images, shading, or vertical lines. Out of courtesy you should staple or fold your resume, if you have to mail it then use a large envelope.

he most common resume mistakes people make and how to avoid them.

A well written resume and a poorly written one are usually the difference between getting a chance at getting an interview or not. In this guide we are going to go over the most common mistakes employers complain people constantly make on their resumes and how to avoid them.

1. Typos and other Grammatical Errors
People make this mistake all too often. When an employer reads a resume that has typos and/or grammatical errors they think the person is careless and obviously doesn’t care about presentation or that they just don’t know how to write. Avoid these errors by getting several people to proof read your resume before you submit it, relying on spell check isn’t good enough.

2. A Boring Resume
A resume is your way of marketing yourself, don’t use phrases such as “responsibilities included” or “duties included.” Your resume should be about what you have accomplished at the company and not a list of your duties.

3. A General Resume that doesn’t have any Focus
Making one resume and submitting it too many different hopeful employers is not a very good idea. You should tailor each resume to a specific job within a company so your resume shows exactly how you will fill their position.

4. A Poorly Organized Resume
A resume that isn’t organized properly will likely end up in your employers recycling bin. Don’t include a list of your hobbies first; dates of employment are not as important as job titles, and if you don’t have very much work experience related to that specific job it is a wise idea to place your education before your work history.

5. From Little Fibs to Blatant Lying
Lying on a resume is a very bad idea. Everyone wants to shine a positive light on all of their work history but lying is not a very good idea. Even if you can look past the moral implications there is a very good chance you will get caught.

6. A Bad Objective
Employers do read your objective but often don’t pay attention to cookie cutter sentences like “Seeking a demanding position that offers expansion opportunities.” In your objective you should focus on the employer’s needs as well as your own.

7. Forgetting to Include Important Information
Many people forget to include certain information on their resume that they think employers might not care about. Things like extra education, awards, volunteer work, or other recognitions are important to employers because it makes you look like a well rounded person that would make a good employee. These little extras will also make your resume stand out from other applicants without such accomplishments.

8. Including Personal Information
If you have personal pictures on your website or private information on your blog, or if your email address is something along the lines of “smoochiepoo87@hotmail.com” it might be a good idea to leave those things off of your resume.

9. Too Flashy
If your resume contains small page margins, 6 different styles of fonts, and 3 different colors you can be the smartest person in the world and I’m willing to bet money on you not getting the job. Stick to one font and a basic resume template and you should be fine. It is also wise to pass your resume around to some friends and family before submitting it to an employer and get their opinion on the layout.

10. Forgetting Important Contact Information
Don’t forget to include your phone number, cell phone number, email address, fax information, mailing address, and double check them to make sure there are no errors.

This guide outlines the basic requirements you should have before looking for work in the Alberta oil field jobsand what employers are looking for when hiring new employees. Working in Alberta’s oil field jobs can be a very satisfying livelihood but at the same time it can be very demanding. Working long hours, long periods of time away from home, and working in the elements are very common in most oilfield jobs but so are above average pay, travel, and working in the great outdoors.

When it comes to working in the oil field you have to take the good with the bad and realize that these types of jobs won’t suit everyone, but for the right individual the oil field can provide a very satisfying career.

Each individual company will have their own set of requirements for hiring a new employee but here is a list of common requirements found in Albertan oil field employers:

• High school education
• Class III or class I (class V in some provinces) clean drivers license
• You must be physically fit (i.e. normal blood pressure, strong, be in half decent shape)
• Be drug free (they will test you)

While those are the basic requirements most employers in the oil field jobs are looking for here are some of the skills you should possess if you would like to succeed in the industry:

• Be able to read and write
• Be able to communicate yourself and your ideas verbally
• Problem solving skills
• Planning and organizational skills
• Plans and documentation skills (read maps, plans, ect.)
• Math and science skills
• Be mechanically apt

In this guide we will introduce you to several safety courses that will help you get a job in Alberta’s oil field.

When working for any oil field company in Alberta safety is the number one concern and you can always rest assure that you and the people you are working with will have the proper knowledge and safety training to keep the jobsite safe. In this guide we are going to look at several different courses that you can take prior to looking for a job that will look good on your resume and help you get a job and get to work faster and safer.

Keep in mind attending these courses is strictly optional as most companies will hire you without them and will actually pay for you to attend them, but it can’t hurt to have a few before you start looking.

H2S Alive
This course is mandatory to have for anyone working in the oil field or anyone that could be exposed to Hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This course covers the properties and hazards of H2S, how to protect yourself from H2S, and how to rescue others that have been exposed to H2S.

First Aid and CPR

First Aid and CPR are great tools to learn for everyday life as well as for the workplace. First Aid and CPR

will give you the skills and knowledge to care for an injury until professional medical help arrives. In order to step foot on an oil field in Alberta an employee must be trained in First Aid and CPR.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
WHMIS is the national communication program for hazardous materials in Canada. You will be working with dangerous chemicals and materials in the oil field and you will have to take a WHMIS course. Keep in mind WHMIS is not transferable from employer to employer so every time you start a new job your new employer will have to give you a WHMIS certification, so taking this course on your own may be redundant.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG)
TDG is much like WHMIS in that it is a communication program for hazardous materials but it is specifically designed for the transportation of those hazardous materials. Again, like WHMIS, your transportation of dangerous goods certification is non-transferable.

Have you been thinking about making the move to Fort McMurray Alberta but don’t know anything about the city? Well we have the right guide for you; in this article we highlight the city of Fort McMurray Alberta, its location, history, population, climate, and economy.

Fort McMurray, or as it is commonly referenced to in the media “Fort McMoney” is an oil boom town located in Northeastern Alberta in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Although it has a large enough population and many people think of it as a city, Fort McMurray is technically not a city as it is un-incorporated.

Location

Fort McMurray is located in northeastern Alberta Approximately 435 kilometers (270 miles) northeast of Edmonton on highway 63 and about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Saskatchewan. It is located in the boreal forest at the convergence of the Athabasca River and the Clearwater River.

History

Before European settlers arrived in the 18th century, the First Nations tribes “The Cree” were the dominant peoples of the Fort McMurray area and were known to use the oil sands to waterproof their canoes and housing.

Fort McMurray has played a considerable role in the history and developments within the Canadian petroleum industry. Oil exploration is believed to have been going on in Fort McMurray since the early 20th century, but wasn’t seriously examined until 1921 when the Alcan Oil Company showed interest in developing a refining plant in Fort McMurray to separate the oil from the sands.

Abasands Oil was actually the first company that successfully extracted oil from the oil sands through a process known as “hot water extraction” in the 1930s.

In 1967, the Great Canadian Oil Sands Plant opened for business and Fort McMurray’s economy skyrocketed and has been skyrocketing ever since.

Population

As of 2006 Fort McMurray’s population is 64,441 and has sustained an average annual growth rate of almost 9% since 1999. Fort McMurray’s population is forecasted to reach the 100,000 mark by 2012. Native Albertans make up almost half of Fort McMurray’s population while the second largest denomination of people in Fort McMurray are people from Newfoundland and Labrador, with 20% of the population.

Fort McMurray is a very cold place to be in the winter but has moderate temperatures in the summer. Fort McMurray’s climate is actually classified as sub arctic. In January, the average temperature in Fort McMurray is -19.8°C (-3.6°F) while the average temperature in July is 16.6°C (61.9°F).

Economy

Fort McMurray is located close to the Athabasca Oil Sands and serves as a base of operations for many of the companies and employees that work in the Oil Sands. Fort McMurray is considered one of the major cores of oil production in Alberta and its economy is largely based on the oil sands industry. Fort McMurray’s economy also relies on oil pipelines, natural gas, and forestry.

Are you looking for work in a new city; you may want to consider Grande Prairie Alberta. In this guide we are going to introduce you to Grande Prairie, its population, climate, and economy.

Location

Grande Prairie is the main city in northwestern Alberta in western Canada. The city is located on the southern edge of Peace River County and almost on the border with British Columbia. Grande Prairie is located north of the 55th parallel and is 465 kilometers (289 miles) northwest of Edmonton. The city is bounded by farmland to the north, east, and west, and by immense boreal forest to the south. The city is on the edge of the aspen parkland which contains the northernmost area of aspen in North America which has long been altered from widespread oil and gas drilling.

Climate

Grande Prairie has a climate typical of northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. Winters in Grande Prairie are often very cold with some mild spells and the summers are typically mild throughout the day and cool at night. Hot days over 30°C (86°F) are uncommon, and only occur one to two times per year which is not unexpected for a northern Alberta climate. Winters vary from year to year.

The average temperature in Grande Prairie in January is -15°C however temperatures as low as -52°C have been recorded in previous years.

Population

Grande Prairie is one of Canada’s fastest growing cities and as of the 2006 Canadian census Grande Prairie has a total population of 47,076. Grande Prairie is Alberta’s seventh largest incorporated city and is the largest city between Edmonton, Alberta and Fairbanks, Alaska.

Economy

Grande Prairie has one of the most diverse economies in all of Alberta. Their economy covers agriculture, forestry, oil, and natural gas. There have been two major oilfield discoveries in this area with the Elmworth and Deep Basin fields which has brought substantial oil and natural gas development to the area. Major employers in Grande Prairie are Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd., Burlington Resources, Bonus Well Servicing, Schlumberger, Devon Energy Corporation, Talisman Energy, and EnCana.

The process of drilling for oil on an offshore rig requires team work from a number of different workers, each with unique skills. Requirements for these different jobs such as education and training, as well as job responsibilities and pay would also be unique to each position. Because there are so many oil rig drilling jobs, we wanted to provide a list of what these jobs are, as well as a description for a few to show people the incredible opportunities that exist on an offshore oil rig.

Job Titles

There are actually several categories of workers associated with oil rig drilling and while some might be considered entry level and others upper management, they are all critical to getting the job done. Keep in mind that for some of these oil rig drilling jobs various levels exist based on job function and skill level. For the purpose of this article, we listed only the Land Drilling Crew category and the various positions associated with it.

Land Drilling Crews: Driller, Derrickhand, Floorhand, Leasehand, Motorman, Rig Manager

Work Description

For each of the oil rig drilling jobs listed above, a brief detail of responsibilities has been provided.

• Driller – In this role, the driller would be responsible for supervising crewmembers handling some of the more challenging jobs on the rig to ensure everything meets company regulations, as well as safety rules and regulations according to OSHA. This individual has the job or verifying all machinery and equipment used and recording information gathered. Of all responsibilities, the driller’s most critical role is overseeing the safety of crewmembers but also equipment/machinery during operations.

• Derrickhand – The upper section of the drilling string is the responsibility of the derrickhand. As the string is brought down and into position to be lowered into the drill hole, this individual ensures proper alignment and safety. In addition, the derrickhand would ensure drilling fluid is in proper condition, circulation machinery is working at peak performance, and rig machinery is in appropriate condition. Other responsibilities include mixing chemicals, monitoring pump manifolds, and maintaining solid communication between the driller and engineer.

• Floorhand – Another one of the oil rig drilling jobs is the floorhand who assists with the setup and take down of the rig itself, as well as associated equipment. In addition, the floorhand would be responsible for handling, sorting, and moving pipe, cement, tools, and other drilling items needed. Another job of the floorhand during drilling would be controlling portions of the drill stem and pipe, among other things.

• Leasehand – The everyday operations of the drilling rig are the responsibility of the leasehand. Specifically, setup and take down of the rig, keeping equipment and buildings clean, loading and unloading trucks, digging ditches, and assisting when and where needed are the main functions of the leasehand.

• Motorman – Sometimes referred to as a Rig Tech Level I, this position involves a lot of physical labor. For instance, diesel and electric engines of the rig have to be operated and maintained, tools and replacement parts ordered, and testing of machinery specific to safety and operation would all be a few of the key functions of the motorman.

• Rig Manager – Virtually every aspect of rig operations would be the Rig Manager’s responsibility. This would include setting up, taking down, and moving the rig, ensuring safety of all crewmembers, monitoring operations to make sure compliance with government and environmental regulations are being followed, and that overall production is on target.

Benefits of Oil Rig Drilling Jobs

For one thing, jobs specific to drilling are available on an entry and manager level. Because these jobs are in such high demand, there is plenty of opportunity for a person willing to put in hard work and time. In fact, drilling jobs are an excellent stepping stone to bigger and better positions on an oil rig, which means more responsibility but also more money.

Another key benefit to oil rig drilling jobs is that pay is excellent. Compared to other labor intensive jobs, even an entry level position would have a starting pay somewhere around $40,000. Yes, there are dangers that go with oil rig drilling jobs but working for a reputable company and paying attention to things being taught would make this a starting position to a great career.

Here are some related articles on oil field jobs. Check it out:

When it comes to working on an oil rig, a person would have a variety of unique experiences. Obviously, the very environment of an oil rig is different from any other workplace with workers staying in offshore accommodations for weeks at a time before returning home. In addition, oil rigs are virtually like small cities with chefs, medics, engineers, and even security officers to keep everything running smoothly.

Another interesting fact about oil rig jobs is that some are entry level in which no formal education or training would be required while others are complex and demand a PhD. With so many possibilities, a work site such as this could offer work to all types of people. Specific to security of the rig, as well as workers on it, oil rig security jobs were developed and today, they remain critical.

Value of Security

Because oil rigs are offshore and sometimes in foreign countries, they have become a target for terrorist attacks. Although the most recent explosion in which an entire rig was destroyed was determined to be nothing more than a horrific accident, the incident was first analyzed as a possible attack. While there are different levels of oil rig security jobs, the people in these positions work hard to keep the rig but more importantly, the people safe from attacks of all types and from other potential risks.

Specialized Training

Depending on the oil company and the rig, security might be provided by someone hired directly or someone hired through an organization that specializes in providing highly trained individuals for a job such as this. In addition to having knowledge about terrorist risks, training would cover piracy attacks, civil unrest, activists, vandalism, separatism, and war. While some of the training might seem like overkill, oil rigs are exposed platforms in water that need the ultimate in protection, which is provided by the people working oil rig security jobs.

If security jobs are manned by people who have undergone specialized training, all workers on the rig but also the operations of drilling for precious oil would have protection from all types of risks. As maritime security experts, these people would have the ability to identify and assess risks on various levels, minimize possible impact through appropriate safety measures, provide protection or even training of other personnel in basic security issues, and if needed, deploy the right people to stop any risk against the rig and/or workers.

Individuals hired from organizations to work oil rig security jobs come from strong backgrounds with some being former Navy SEALS or members of the United States Marine Corporation Fleet Anti-Terrorist Security Team. However, along using highly trained professionals for certain types of security jobs, oil rigs also maintain full-time workers that do much the same thing although not to the same degree. Regardless, these people work tirelessly to protect the full operation.

Innovative Equipment

In addition to actual trained workers for oil rig security jobs, many of the other rig workers such as electricians, safety coordinators, technical engineers, and others play a role in keeping the rig, oil, and personnel safe by using state-of-the-art equipment that provides early detection of trouble. The benefit of having oil rigs equipped with necessary security equipment is that everything is protected not only during the day but also at night. The following are a few examples of ways in which oil rigs are protected in connection with security jobs.

• Camera Systems – Cameras are designed with special sensors, as well as highly sophisticated infrared tracking that can see problems before they actually become threats.

• Short Range Advance Detection – Another common type of equipment in connection with oil rig security jobs is a short range advance detection system. With this, certain perimeters would be established around the rig with the advance detection system having the capability of providing 180-degree laser protection.

• Long Range Advance Detection – Along with short range detection, protection is provided using the same system but for longer ranges. Not only would the appropriate personnel be made aware of incoming threats but the system would provide accurate speed and bearings.

• System Upgrades – Typically, as part of security on oil rigs, systems would be chosen that have redundancy but also the ability to be expanded. Unfortunately, threats will continue so qualified and highly trained security personnel coupled with innovative protective systems are mandatory.

Here are some related articles relate to oil field jobs. Check it out.