I am not a British resident, do you work with non-UK residents?

Many of our consultants are not British or do not live in the UK. We accept all Nationalities and supply consultants to almost all countries in the world.

I am in full time employment with an oilfield company, but I am thinking of becoming a consultant.

Please send us your CV by email for review and we will advise you on suitable vacancies. Generally you must have been working in your area of expertise for at least 4 years to be considered as a consultant. However, most consultants have at least 10 years experience before they consider consulting work. You should think long and hard about leaving a full-time career to work as a consultant- most people who make this decision decide they are not interested in a career path that takes them into a management position and want to stay in field operations – Consulting allows them to earn a lot more money without giving up working in the field. The flip side of the coin is that during periods of low activity, consultants are the first people to be laid off work!

Do I need a valid Medical certificate?

Yes. This is mandatory and should include a drug screening test for any offshore work.
It is the obligation of the consultant to keep this up to date!
Even if the job you are applying for is on a land rig in the Middle East or Central Africa (for example), you still need a medical certificate in order to be covered properly by insurance.

In some cases we accept a USA. Canadian or EU Dept of transportation medical certificate stating you are fit to drive heavy vehicles. But clients will generally prefer to select a candidate with an offshore medical over someone with a basic medical.

What about medical insurance?

If you are working for Oil Consultants, you are fully covered for medevac expenses in the event of an accident up to a maximum of $2M. In addition you may claim up to $250,000.00 if you have a serious disabling injury (in addition to any compensation claims).

Do I need a valid Survival certificate?

Most places offshore now require a HUET/Survival certificate. It is the obligation of the consultant to keep this up to date and pay for any training – (Our company does pay 10% of the cost of this training if you are registered with us). If you do not have this certificate you can only work on land which limits the amount of work you will get.

Do you supply Boots, Hardhat etc?

It is the responsibility of the consultant to have full protective clothing for the job, including cold weather and rainproof clothing as appropriate, plus boots, hard-hat, hearing protection and safety glasses. Some clients may prefer to use clothing with their logo/colour. However, the consultant should always arrive on location with the right equipment.

Do I need my own limited company?

If you are a UK resident, under new tax regulations (2006/7) It is almost impossible to be classed as 'self employed' and work through an agency like ours - In this case it makes sense to register as a limited company.

Agencies are now required to deduct Employers and employees NI contributions (up to 25% of your dayrate) if you claim to be self employed and live in the UK...

Do I need Liability insurance?

You are covered by our liability insurance while on contract.
If you have a limited company then liability insurance is a legal requirement.However, you only need insurance to cover your own company premises and this costs as little as £60.00/year

Who pays for flights and hotels etc if the job is overseas?

All travel and accommmodation costs are covered by us - usually we pay for these in advance. you may have minor expenses such as meals etc- these can be claimed back using an expense claim form

What if I run into a problem while travelling to/from a job?

Oil Consultants have a 24 hour, 7 day/week, 365 day/year emergency travel department - just call us and we will sort out the problem.

When do I get paid?

We pay you 30 days after recieving your signed timesheet and invoice. Always.

How do I register as a consultant?

If you want to use our agency's services, please go to the "Join us" page and send us a summary of your CV, along with the contact details of three references.

Why do you need to have written references? I don't want you to contact my employer!

This is due to the large number of 'bogus' CV's that are being circulated in the oil Industry- this has lead to most of our clients INSISTING that we provide proof that any CV/Resume submitted is genuine.
We receive at least 50 new CV's every week, of which 3-4 are completely fake. Your references will be asked to simply read your CV and confirm it is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
When the reference is a current employer, we will not contact them without your express permission.

Why don't you have a loyalty scheme or bonus if a consultant stays with you in the long term?

Unlike some of our competitors, we do not hold back any payments (so called bonus) until the end of the year, we pay the consultant in full at the end of each month for any work done.

Is there an age limit for getting consulting work?

Many countries have strict age limits for foreign contractor oil workers. For Example:
Saudi Arabia:60..
Emirates:50..
Australia:44..

This can restrict the amount of work available to you as you get older.