Be Prepared For Your First Oil and Gas Offshore Interview
You’ve gone through the process of job hunting and have finally got down to the interview stage. You’ve researched the company and the individuals, you know all about their new projects, their assets, and who the new CFO is. You’ve memorized your resume and can relate your profile in your sleep. But are you prepared for the specific questions related to offshore oil and gas work the interviewer could ask you?
If you’re just starting out on your offshore career, it’s important to try and anticipate the specific questions you may be asked at the interview, so you come across as confident, knowledgeable, and prepared.
Potential questions you might get asked
Below are some of the potential offshore oil and gas job interview questions you may get asked, and some tips on how to answer them.
1. What do you see as the key challenges faced by offshore employees on a day-to-day basis?
There can be many challenges working offshore. These might be overcoming isolation from friends and family, missing special events, living and working with the same crew for weeks and months at a time, working long shifts, operating in difficult and often dangerous environments, and many more. If you are starting out, then you can list some of the examples mentioned, and how you would conquer them using any relevant transferable experience you have, e.g. working long shifts in manufacturing, living away from family previously, examples of great teamwork, etc.
2. What do you think are the most important attributes of offshore workers?
Using the challenges mentioned above, the key attribute here is adaptability. If you are thrown into an unknown or new environment, then being able to adapt to the situation, the work, the people, and the risks, will highlight your resilience and reliability. Other important attributes will be required is a certain level of physical fitness, teamwork and communication skills, and mechanical and technical knowledge. Again, expanding on these with previous examples will go a long way.
3. You may be working with people from all over the world. How do you handle cultural differences?
Working offshore, you will be working closely with different people from all around the world. This will see you faced with different customs, beliefs, and practices, as well as potential language barriers. You may already have worked in an environment that is diverse on which you can draw upon and reference. Ask the interviewer if there is training or workshops in place to help culturally diverse teams understand and work together. To get over these barriers, explain that open communication between all parties and providing regular feedback to bridge cultural gaps can be explored.
4. What attracted you to a career offshore?
Some of the challenges mentioned previously can be turned into positives for some. Maybe you like working abroad and see want to see a bit more of the world, you enjoy teamwork, shift work is second nature to you, you want to be part of a large organisation that enables the world the function. Offshore work typically provides a good salary, but it shouldn’t be the main motivation.
5. What safety training, if any, have you undertaken before?
Health, safety, and risk mitigation is paramount within the oil and gas industry, and all workers are required to undergo the necessary training from the organisation. If you have any previous HSE training, such as from a construction or manufacturing background, or as a welder for example, you will have had HSE training. This would be the perfect opportunity to talk about it. If you have no previous experience, then you can talk about the upcoming training that you would be required to take, such as the BOSIET (previously known as RGIT), or a MIST course for first timers, as well as safety protocols. This indicates to the interviewer that you have done your research and are knowledgeable about upcoming and further training.
6. How do you feel about working remotely in adverse weather conditions?
Working offshore in remote locations means you could be exposed to extreme and challenging conditions. Again, if you have previous experience of working outdoors, in construction or in forestry for example, or have hobbies like wild camping or hillwalking, then stating these or similar examples will stand you in good stead.
7. What trends do you see in the offshore oil industry?
The world of oil and gas constantly changes, and it is important for you to stay up to date with the latest industry markets, developments, trends, and technology. You should have already carried out some homework on the organisation you are applying to, so learning about their advancements and how they are applied would be appropriate to mention. Other trends to mention would be the energy transition and decarbonisation strategies, supply and demand growth, the use of AI in exploration, predictive maintenance in operations, and many more.
Other Questions
Possible questions that might present themselves revolve around how you would or have previously solved a problem in a particular scenario. These questions could be:
Can you talk me through a work or educational experience where you had to work closely with a group of colleagues to complete a task? What collaboration strategies were most effective?
How would you deal with a dispute about a health and safety issue when doing a job on a platform?
Can you describe to me a situation you have dealt with which best demonstrates that you have the key skills required for this role?
Tell me how you would manage working 12-hour shifts for consecutive days and still remain focused?
These are just some of the possible questions you may get asked for a role working offshore in oil and gas and is by no means a definitive list. Speaking to people who currently or have previously working offshore will give you terrific insight into the day-to-day routine of remote work and the positives and benefits that go with it. Any additional information you can take into the interview with you will give you more confidence and the ability to answer any question fully and with authority.
Orion Group Can Help
If you are thinking of starting or furthering your career offshore, then Orion Group can help you fulfil that goal.
If any of these roles align with your career aspirations, Orion Group can help you take the next step with our network of experts. We specialise in connecting talented individuals like you with leading companies that value your specific expertise. By registering your CV with us, you’ll gain access to a wide range of oil and gas jobs, ensuring that your skills and experience are matched with the right role.
