UKC

Hi guys,

As per title. Looking to use the 'one month off' to work towards ML, MIA etc. Any advice appreciated; not bothered if I have to retrain etc. Pretty keen to make it work!

cheers

Jim.

In reply to Hans:

Mine

In reply to Hans:

Offshore work?

In reply to Hans:

Working offshore rope access you can get month on month off. Though not in the North Sea. You would have to go to more obscure places. Trinidad, Nigeria, and such like. 2 on 2 off in North sea. 2 on 3 off in Scandinavian waters. Though to get into the work you will be doing, would take a good 2 or 3 years minimum.

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

Yes I had considered offshore access; currently a full time level 1 so I've got no idea how to really get into offshore work. I'm told that I'd need a survival ticket or something but no idea where from! I also don't really have the skillset for that considered working boats actually (either deliveries or merchant navy etc) but reckon a little more research could prove wise.

cheers for info mate

In reply to Hans:

A good mate got into rig work, after making some lucky contacts whilst painting the inside of chimneys. To be fair, it took him a couple of years after getting his ticket, and some real drudgery, but it worked out in the end.

As a previous poster said, it's often the far-flung places which do month on-month off - he works in Angola now.

It seems do-able, and the money's good.

In reply to Hans:

You need a offshore medical, a BOSIET and MIST certificates to work offshore in the North Sea. Cheapest at the moment is about £750 to get them, running upto about £1,200 depending on where you do them. Also need a skill of course.

In reply to Hans:

Odd Job Man. Just work odd months.

In reply to Dave Perry:

What kind of insurance do the off-shore have? Imagine is pretty expensive?

In reply to Hans:

I do this (I am a doctor ). I do it as a job share. In principle I can't see why many jobs can't be done on a job share basis of this nature

Glynne

In reply to Hans:

Care work. Self employed. 2/3/4 weeks at a time when you want it. Most parts of country. Free board/lodging. Time off during the day dependent on who the client is. Travel to job paid.

In reply to Hans:

Apply to the drilling contractors, Transocean for example, start Roustabouting.

In reply to Hans:

Normal job week on week off is much more achievable if you fine something you can already do and job share it. Is there any reason you want month on/off rather than week? Would suggest month basis will be both harder to find and you'll need to train/spend money - you say this isn't a problem, but I assume you're doing tickets to become some kind of outdoor instructor so what's the point in re-training twice, more expense!

In reply to Hans:

Cheers for all the pointers guys. To clarify further: I really like being active, so a care role probably not the best option. I'm certainly not the best person for that sort of job anyway! Yes, the aim is to become an advanced level multi disciplined instructor. So skiing, climbing, sailing etc etc. Bits and pieces can be fast tracked regarding tickets, but experience and taking it slower counts for a lot as well.

By retrain I meant going on a month long course or something like that. Not doing another degree or anything!! I feel like I'm trying to do too much but can't help but have a go to see what happens.

Week on week off would be ace too.

Cheers

In reply to Hans:

Not sure where you are in the scheme of things at the moment, in terms of experience and quals, but if money isn't a problem for the near future, what about doing one of those "give me several grand and in six months you'll have your ML, SPA etc" courses that are out there?

In reply to peebles boy:

I've considered doing just that, but it would stretch my finances to the point where if I couldn't get work afterwards I'd be ruined. At the moment, getting QMD's in the bag. Besides, if I get burnt out doing things intensively but personally, I can just stop and focus on other things. On a course, it wouldn't be that simple.

I'll get there eventually, but a job on rotation would be perfect. Anyhow, never mind. Thanks for good advice

In reply to Hans:

Sorry to hijack your thread... I run a one month instructor training course focusing on hill walking and climbing: http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/instructor-training.html

Oil industry seems the way forwards for on - off type work.

In reply to Hans:

Get a trade, be self employed, do whatever you want. Problem I have is I like the money too much!

In reply to Hans:

Care work, not active, hahahaha, give it a go!

In reply to Hans:

The merchant navy is largely time on time off. Some jobs are actually better than that... One ferry company I know of gives their staff three one month holidays per year with the rest of their time being two weeks on two off. Guess where I am applying...4.5 months work a year and a good salary. But I doubt you would fancy the 3 year cadetship.

In reply to Hans:

Very many shift patterns where I work (NHS paramedic) are 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off. That would probably suit you. I'll be doing such a rota once I return from maternity.

In reply to Caralynh:

62.5 hour week for 3 weeks plus whatever OT you can pick up for weeks 4 and 5. It must be a rural catchment area. In any case its against EU working time directives and sounds horribly unsafe for yourself and the punters.

D

In reply to Dauphin:

Rural? Nope, central Birmingham. Rota goes DDNNN 5 off, DDDNN 5 off, DDNN 14 off, and repeat.

In reply to jezb1:

No problem; rather bizarrely I just looked at your website before reading your reply! I would have deffo signed up to your course but already have my SPA. The rest sounds great though.

In reply to Roberttaylor:

I like the idea of going to sea a lot; indeed I worked for P+O briefly but didn't find the job matching my skillset/ability (long long story). I will be going back to sea later this year. Cheers for info.

In reply to Hans:

On the offshore side, as well as rig work, there's the possibility of survey vessel work.

You still need the BOSIET (offshore survival) course....done in Warsash, Fleedwood, Aberdeen, Hull and probably a couple of other places. Google it for dates and costings. And you'd still need an offshore medical too.

Several of the larger contractors run their own training for new hires. Mainly geophysicists, surveyors, engineers but open to most people with a "numerate" degree.

For non-technical people there are openings as Marine Mammal Observers. You need to do a training course first. There's a 3 day one at Warsash I believe. Most seismic/ survey vessels now routinely carry MMOs for operations in most parts of the world. I know several students who've done the course then financed their way through uni by spending their summers offshore...most have gone on to spend 2-3 years doing it full-time (usually 5 weeks on, 5 weeks off)to get a bit of financial security. It's freelance, generally, and rates to the MMO tend to be in the order of £300 per day. You spend a lot of time on bridge wings with binoculars!

In reply to Caralynh:

Okay, so not 3 weeks on 2 weeks off as your post indicated.

D

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Thanks for the info; sounds very bizarre! I'll google it...

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Bloody hell I might have to look into that job as well, sounds great!

What about becoming a teacher?

In reply to Philip:

Already done it!