subject: 4 Basic Tips To Become An Oil Rig Welder [print this page] A rig welder is one of the highest paid professionals in an offshore oil rig and stands to draw about $62,000 per annum. This incidentally is almost double of what a welder working in the manufacturing industry earns. These are, however, entry level jobs on a rig and need the following three qualifications to be hired as one:
*It takes years of experience and practice to become a rig welder as this is classified as skilled labor. You can either receive hands on training from an experienced welder by working directly with him or even approach a technical school which teaches these specialized courses. Once you have obtained your certificate, take up any job that comes your way just to get some hands on experience even if the pay doesn't turn out to be good. This will really help you learn the ropes of the trade and will give you the license to negotiate for higher pay once you are fully trained.
*Large offshore oil rigs often conduct welding certification tests before hiring welders and dishing out fat pay packets. These tests sometimes contain questions that don't come near skills required on a rig or machine shop floor and are framed to test your analytical and problem solving skills mostly. Talk to someone who has already taken the test and he will be able to guide you on the nuances. For instance, in a test for pipe welding, you could be asked anything from pipe size, the thickness of their walls, configuration of joints to process, material and electrode type. Proper courses run by technical schools arrange for mock tests before the actual exam and help you prepare better.
*During the job interview, make it a point to mention technical abilities that you have and also elaborate on your past experiences in problem solving. This gives the interviewer an impression that you know your job and will come in handy when hired. The more technical your CV is, the more questions it will prompt the interviewer to ask and strengthen your stand as an ideal candidate.
*If you are looking for work in the UK, you may have to be 6GR certified by the CITB. In the US, you may even have to pass the x-ray testing procedure. Moreover, US laws stipulate that welding certification is non-transferable between employers, and stays valid for only six months. This, however, is not applicable if you are AWS facility certified.
In offshore oil rigs, welders are either employed for carrying out repairs or building on new metalwork. Then there are the flying squad welders who are sent when an urgency arises for a big project to be completed quickly.
