Entry Level Roustabout Jobs

When it comes to landing a good roustabout job either on an offshore oil rig, or one of the more rare shore based oil rig jobs, it is important to prepare a resume that allows you to put your best foot forward. These positions are highly sought after and even roustabout jobs in the furthest away places in the harshest of environments will find a large number of applicants. The potential to make a huge amount of money and advance in a field where even unskilled laborers can potentially earn high five or six figures in a full year of work is too tempting for many to resist. Many individuals are willing to brave the harshest elements and even dangerous locations in order to take their crack at fortune and security. If you’re looking at applying for one of these positions then you need to know how to prepare a roustabout resume to put your best foot forward and make yourself look like one of the best possible candidates for the job.

Preparing a good roustabout resume is going to have its own intricacies and form. Not every job you’ve ever held will bring out your best qualities, and the old fashioned bullet point list style of resume also won’t hold up well considering the large stream of applications which pour into any known roustabout job opening. You need your roustabout resume to display the skills, strengths, and any special training that can make you a natural fit for their position. Forget the outdated rule about resumes having to be only one page: if it takes two pages for you to explain your training, what skills you learned at other hard or menial jobs, and to state your best case for why they should hire you then by all means, create a longer resume!

The first thing you will want to do is highlight your strongest skills or strengths that may set you apart from the rest of the applicants out there. If you have ever worked on an oil rig, in an oil field, or in some capacity you’ve worked as a roustabout or in the same industry somewhere else, that needs to headline your resume. Experience counts for a lot in the oil industry, especially for high grind jobs. If you can prove you’re familiar with the work, the environment, and the conditions then that can go a long way towards moving your roustabout resume to the top of the list over other applicants.

The next step is to highlight specific skills or certifications you have. Welding is a high demand skill that can really boost your chances of getting hired for a roustabout job. If you don’t have any welding experience, it may very well be worth your time to take certification courses at a local community college to get those skills. Another overlooked aspect is to label jobs you’ve had which demonstrate the ability to work long hours in hard environments: and don’t be afraid to point that out!

At first glance working on a shrimping boat might not seem to have anything to do with a roustabout job, but after listing it if you mention you worked 12 to 14 hour days of hard physical labor no matter what the weather – that is going to resonate with what you’re going to go through as a hired roustabout. By listing the basic attributes of the job which translate over to roustabout work, you will make yourself stick out and increase your chances of landing that high paying gig.