Writing a Resume for Roughneck Jobs

Roughneck jobs are competitive so you'll want your resume to get in front of as many people as possible and you'll want it to stand out in a crowd.  To save yourself a lot of headaches I recommend using a service like Rigworker to get your resume seen by as many oil companies as possible, as quickly as possible.

But first you have to write it.  Here are my tips for what to include in a successful resume:

• Highlight Your Strengths - the experience you have that you feel makes you qualified for the position should always be at the top of the page, right under your name, address, phone number and email.  Make sure that the man or woman doing the hiring can't miss the skills or experience that would make you a great addition to a rig.

• Think Outside the Box - if you're a young guy and don't have a ton of work experience think about what you HAVE done that will allow you to succeed and would make you a valuable employee.  If you were on a sports team list that and reference the leadership and teamwork skills you developed.  If you grew up on a farm and love long days and rise to meet the challenge of tough physical labor say so.  Even if you've never worked on an oil rig you have SOMETHING to offer.

• Keep it Short - your resume should be no more than a page.  Hiring staff receive hundreds and sometimes thousands of resumes.  you want yours to be clean, easy to read (try to keep a balance of text and white page space) but don't overdo it with EVERYTHING you've ever done.  They might only spend a few seconds skimming your resume ... make those seconds count!

• Be Professional - even if you had a bad experience with a previous employer, leave that out of your search for employment and especially off your resume.  If you are asked why you left a previous position during an interview tell the truth but frame it in a positive light ("I decided it wasn't the right fit and wanted to find something that matched my personality and skillset" is better than "My boss was a jerk and made every day miserable"). 

Once you have your resume polished, start sending it out.  Don't be shy and apply to only one or two positions -- send it to as many as you possibly can.  This can be a tedious process which is why I recommend a reputable service like Rigworker to manage your applications and to get your resume seen.

Rigworker has a relationship with over 1200 oil companies and are often aware of new openings before they get posted on popular job websites.  For a small fee you can send out your new resume to all the oil companies in the area - a huge advantage over other applicants.  With a big salary in the balance you can think of what you're paying for this service as an investment in your future.