Tips on landing a job on the rigs

Ilovelearning

Ilovelearning

Member
Trusted Member
Hey everyone im 19 trying to get my first gig on the rigs (preferably AB). No experience yet, but I've got my H2S Alive and my First Aid.

A few things I'm wondering:

1. Who actually hires green hands these days? I feel like the only way to get in, is by knowing someone with the company already.
2. Is showing up in person still a thing, or is it all online now?
3. Any certs that made a real difference for you?
4. When's the best time to apply?

I can get to Nisku, GP, or FSJ fast. Just want a shot. Any advice would be sick.

Cheers b
 
Been working the patch for many years. Im a sparky what trade are you looking to get into? Been working around FSJ last year but I move around like a traveling stripper.

Lots of different certs you can get and the more the better. A lot of companies will also send you for certs but it varies.

Basic certs
H2S, WHIMIS, Fallpro, First aid, POST, Arial etc...

Showing up in person is hit and miss. But you can always try. If your willing to visit the different towns you can also look up local offices and drop resume there. I personally like when people bring in resumes and are ready to work. A little chat about yourself in person, allows me to see bit more than just some random resume written by AI.

Spring is always a good time. New projects starting up and construction ramping up.

Companies still hire greens, especially the bigger ones. The main thing about starting is work your ass off, listen, learn and be one of the boys. I like when my apprentices are lippy and will call me out for stupid shit.

My 20 year old apprentice is dumb AF but hes a hard worker and never complains. When things get busy and we have worked 4 weeks straight, 12hr days he shows up and works his ass off. That earns his respect and im willing to ignore all the stupid shit he fucks up.
 
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Ilovelearning said:
No specific trade. I was hoping to get in as a floor hand and work my way up to derrickhand and so on.
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Try to get an apprenticeship right away. Don't be a shop bitch. I have two redseals and 41. My body has taking a beating working in the oil and gas industry. Soon I will be looking for a nice easy 40hr position at home in Calgary. Having options is always best.
 
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onelife said:
Been working the patch for many years. Im a sparky what trade are you looking to get into? Been working around FSJ last year but I move around like a traveling stripper.

Lots of different certs you can get and the more the better. A lot of companies will also send you for certs but it varies.

Basic certs
H2S, WHIMIS, Fallpro, First aid, POST, Arial etc...

Showing up in person is hit and miss. But you can always try. If your willing to visit the different towns you can also look up local offices and drop resume there. I personally like when people bring in resumes and are ready to work. A little chat about yourself in person, allows me to see bit more than just some random resume written by AI.

Spring is always a good time. New projects starting up and construction ramping up.

Companies still hire greens, especially the bigger ones. The main thing about starting is work your ass off, listen, learn and be one of the boys. I like when my apprentices are lippy and will call me out for stupid shit.

My 20 year old apprentice is dumb AF but hes a hard worker and never complains. When things get busy and we have worked 4 weeks straight, 12hr days he shows up and works his ass off. That earns his respect and im willing to ignore all the stupid shit he fucks up.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this man. Will take your advice. Guess my best bet is to just apply as much as possible hey
 
onelife said:
Try to get an apprenticeship right away. Don't be a shop bitch. I have two redseals and 41. My body has taking a beating working in the oil and gas industry. Soon I will be looking for a nice easy 40hr position at home in Calgary. Having options is always best.
Click to expand...
What trades would you suggest looking into?
 
If showing up to a site with resume wear work clothes, ST boots, work pants and hoodie or tee is fine. If showing up at office dress up a bit more professional. I cant tell you how many times we have tossed resumes right in trash because the person showed up looking like a crack head or some street kid.
 
onelife said:
If showing up to a site with resume wear work clothes, ST boots, work pants and hoodie or tee is fine. If showing up at office dress up a bit more professional. I cant tell you how many times we have tossed resumes right in trash because the person showed up looking like a crack head or some street kid.
Click to expand...
Hahahah yeah, that’s the one part I’ve gotten down.
 
Ilovelearning said:
What trades would you suggest looking into?
Click to expand...
Im a sparky, we are always looking for people. Im also a project manager so im 60/40 tools/office. My company is smaller but been in oil and gas since 1950s. We also get teased for being the lazy trade. My first trade was a union bricky in Ontario and I work way harder as a sparky but less physical.

Different trades also get payed differently, so pick a higher paying one. Jman where I work is $52/hr plus $150 LOA/day for food and all living expenses payed for like rental house, company vehicle, gas, flights etc...
OT after 8, DT after 10 and weekends all DT. Foremans and Project Mangers get payed a lot more and we get project bonuses.

Working for smaller companies tends to have way better loyalty and payouts. The big companies you're just a disposable number.
 
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onelife said:
Im a sparky, we are always looking for people. Im also a project manager so im 60/40 tools/office. My company is smaller but been in oil and gas since 1950s. We also get teased for being the lazy trade. My first trade was a union bricky in Ontario and I work way harder as a sparky but less physical.

Different trades also get payed differently, so pick a higher paying one. Jman where I work is $52/hr plus $150 LOA/day for food and all living expenses payed for like rental house, company vehicle, gas, flights etc...
OT after 8, DT after 10 and weekends all DT. Foremans and Project Mangers get payed a lot more and we get project bonuses.

Working for smaller companies tends to have way better loyalty and payouts. The big companies you're just a disposable number.
Click to expand...
Thanks again for the awesome insight.
 
Ilovelearning said:
Hey everyone im 19 trying to get my first gig on the rigs (preferably AB). No experience yet, but I've got my H2S Alive and my First Aid.

A few things I'm wondering:

1. Who actually hires green hands these days? I feel like the only way to get in, is by knowing someone with the company already.
2. Is showing up in person still a thing, or is it all online now?
3. Any certs that made a real difference for you?
4. When's the best time to apply?

I can get to Nisku, GP, or FSJ fast. Just want a shot. Any advice would be sick.

Cheers b
Click to expand...
Right now is the worst time to try and land a job on the rigs. When the snow melts, the road restrictions come on and rigs can’t move until it dries up.
When you say you’re looking to get on a rig, are you referring to Drilling Rigs or Service Rigs?
 
RigPig said:
Right now is the worst time to try and land a job on the rigs. When the snow melts, the road restrictions come on and rigs can’t move until it dries up.
When you say you’re looking to get on a rig, are you referring to Drilling Rigs or Service Rigs?
Click to expand...
Would love to start off with service rigs. But open to either.
 
RigPig said:
Right now is the worst time to try and land a job on the rigs. When the snow melts, the road restrictions come on and rigs can’t move until it dries up.
When you say you’re looking to get on a rig, are you referring to Drilling Rigs or Service Rigs?
Click to expand...
Companies like Big country, and Precision drilling recently caught my eye. But according to some of my buddies, it’s hard to get in.
 
Ilovelearning said:
Companies like Big country, and Precision drilling recently caught my eye. But according to some of my buddies, it’s hard to get in.
Click to expand...
If you want to get on the service rig side
Try
Precision Well servicing
Treeline
Ensign
Eagle
R'ohan

Are you planning on moving out west?
If not Id suggest going the drilling rig route.

Also
Look into fracking
Step Energy
Caloric
Iron Horse
Trican

No matter what job you pick its going to be rough at the start. But don't be a fucking pussy. Keep busy all the time, dont talk back and pay attention and learn as fast as possible. Ask questions and get along with the crew. If you play your cards right you can be making 300k a year in 10-15 years
 
3ml said:
If you want to get on the service rig side
Try
Precision Well servicing
Treeline
Ensign
Eagle
R'ohan

Are you planning on moving out west?
If not Id suggest going the drilling rig route.

Also
Look into fracking
Step Energy
Caloric
Iron Horse
Trican

No matter what job you pick its going to be rough at the start. But don't be a fucking pussy. Keep busy all the time, dont talk back and pay attention and learn as fast as possible. Ask questions and get along with the crew. If you play your cards right you can be making 300k a year in 10-15 years
Click to expand...
My fucking guy. Thanks bro.
 
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I'd go for sparky or boiler maker.

I honestly would just take out a student loan and then do geological engineering if you wanted to work up North. If you want to make a lot of money and be able to work anywhere and party lots then become a nurse.

If you're lucky maybe you'll make $150,000-$200k a year after your red seal but you won't have a social life and it's hard on your body. Or you could just go to university online get a Bachelors for $10,000 with half the courses a Canadian Bachelors is and then you could get a master's for free locally and make $150,000 just working eight hour days on your PC with child protective services or another department in social services. Starting wage was listed as $70-$90 an hour and full government pension, work at home only. Btw you can get your student loan erased in Canada if you, "can't" pay it. $70 an hour isn't much money anymore unless you're around a lot of people who don't make much money. The second you step into another social circle you quickly learn how easy it would have been to make $150 an hour and you still don't need to live in the city.

If you want though you can do a quality pre-apprenticeship program and then join a Union who will LOVE that you want to work up north. If you can do 3 weeks on and 1 week off and just live with your parents then you can buy a house soon but those guys tend to just blow their money. If you do enter the trades you need to save your money and then buy at least two condos or townhomes otherwise you'll retire in a trailer, I've seen it so many times and they made $100,000+ a year in 2000's when in today's money that's over $210,000 a year. So you can see the stories you hear just from how much inflation has occured and how little wages went up you won't be rich working up north. You'll be richer than the local country folk but it's a far cry from being able to afford the wildest dreams every weekend sort of deal and the quality wife that comes with that.

Btw I've been in some of the highest paying trades and all my coworkers realized in the last few years that it's not even close to the same. Even having multiple red seals that are valuable to have together doesn't really make a huge difference. If you can get into management after ten years and then going back and getting an engineering degree or business degree/diploma then yeah that's not bad but you might be stuck closer to the city than you want. Like I'm struggling dude being single and affording a place. If you do go with trades then definitely go up north for awhile so you can at least pay off a townhouse.
 
Its definitely a hard life style, first few years especially. It can be really hard on relationship. Finding a woman who is ok with you gone 75% of the year is tough. First few years my wife hated it. Endless arguments about it. But now that we are in our 40s and own everything no debt and no children (by choice) she's ok with it. She also works in health care and works a lot of hours.
 
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Devson said:
I'd go for sparky or boiler maker.

I honestly would just take out a student loan and then do geological engineering if you wanted to work up North. If you want to make a lot of money and be able to work anywhere and party lots then become a nurse.

If you're lucky maybe you'll make $150,000-$200k a year after your red seal but you won't have a social life and it's hard on your body. Or you could just go to university online get a Bachelors for $10,000 with half the courses a Canadian Bachelors is and then you could get a master's for free locally and make $150,000 just working eight hour days on your PC with child protective services or another department in social services. Starting wage was listed as $70-$90 an hour and full government pension, work at home only. Btw you can get your student loan erased in Canada if you, "can't" pay it. $70 an hour isn't much money anymore unless you're around a lot of people who don't make much money. The second you step into another social circle you quickly learn how easy it would have been to make $150 an hour and you still don't need to live in the city.

If you want though you can do a quality pre-apprenticeship program and then join a Union who will LOVE that you want to work up north. If you can do 3 weeks on and 1 week off and just live with your parents then you can buy a house soon but those guys tend to just blow their money. If you do enter the trades you need to save your money and then buy at least two condos or townhomes otherwise you'll retire in a trailer, I've seen it so many times and they made $100,000+ a year in 2000's when in today's money that's over $210,000 a year. So you can see the stories you hear just from how much inflation has occured and how little wages went up you won't be rich working up north. You'll be richer than the local country folk but it's a far cry from being able to afford the wildest dreams every weekend sort of deal and the quality wife that comes with that.

Btw I've been in some of the highest paying trades and all my coworkers realized in the last few years that it's not even close to the same. Even having multiple red seals that are valuable to have together doesn't really make a huge difference. If you can get into management after ten years and then going back and getting an engineering degree or business degree/diploma then yeah that's not bad but you might be stuck closer to the city than you want. Like I'm struggling dude being single and affording a place. If you do go with trades then definitely go up north for awhile so you can at least pay off a townhouse.
Click to expand...
Avoid condos like the plague right now. Even the builders can’t unload them. The government is thinking about bailing them out by setting up a loan scheme for another investment company to buy the extra stock, so the builders can’t have their money free’d up to start other housing projects. I figure there will be no money in condos for likely 20 years, because they will slowly dump off the inventory and us tax payers will pick up the difference on the failed loans.
 
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