Post: #1

This thread was inspired by Scotian's thread. Didn't want to hijack it so I started a new one.

This is for people who are desperate for a job to make some money and have no other options. The work I am going to describe doesn't pay much per hour and is hard work. You will walk anywhere from 10 -20 kms a day. You will work 90+ hours a week. Basically if you have any other options you should take them.

The job is Seismic and it's the bottom of the barrel for the oil industry. You don't need a resume or a vehicle to get a job. The interview consists of asking you if you can walk and work long hours.

You can look under Geophysical Services in the phone book to see the companies. The big ones in Canada are CGG Veritas and SAExploration. They both require you to pass a drug test and a physical. Eagle and Sourcex are two others that are big, however you will work with less savory characters.

Starting pay is between 12-15 an hour. You can still clear over 2000 every 2 weeks. This is because you work so many hours. All your food i paid for if you are in camp. You get $40 a day if you are in town.

The work season will end at the beginning of April in Canada.

I know CGGVertitas also has lots of work in the US and is year round. Unfortunately they don't pay nearly as well. Starting pay is $7 and change in the US.

To get a better starting wage I would suggest saying you have experience and are a troubleshooter. This should get you a few extra dollars an hour.

This is definitely not everyone and is very demanding work. Thats about all I can think of for now. If anyone has any questions, let me know.

Post: #2

Good post Damedius, +1 from me but you forgot to mention to the guys to bring a big bag of weed and a canister of bear spray into the bush!

I forgot all about seismic work in my oil sands thread because I don't often run into those guys around Fort Mac but I remember a couple of guys I knew years back who were doing it back in 06', working as slashers. The way that they described it, the job is quite adventurous, you get dropped in the bush by helicopter in a team of guys and spend 12-14 hours there doing some pretty physical work.

This could be a decent option for a guy who is completely new, especially since the work season, as you say, ends in the beginning of April, which just so happens to be when the busy shut down season in the oil sands and refineries throughout western Canada begins.

So, all you broke ass guys thinking about moving to Alberta, get a job on a seismic crew and work like a mad man in the bush from January until April. Don't spend all your money on hookers and blow and get yourself a beater car and a place to stay in Edmonton then come April, make the move to a trades related job and start making the big bucks in the work oil sands work camps!

Post: #3

Do they also have this up in North Dakota too?

Post: #4

I would imagine that they would have seismic jobs in North Dakota. I worked down in the US for 3 months in 2011. I worked in Montana near Conrad. In Pennsylvania near Williamsport. We also worked in Utah, however I forget the name of the small town we were in.

The only problem with seismic in the states is that it pays minimum wage. Which I believe is 7.65. You can still make money because of the hours.

It's a good way to get to know the oil industry. You will run into drillers and people who work on the rigs. This can gain you contacts who can hook you up with better jobs if you play your cards right.

Post: #5

I got happy until I had read the part where you said US pay min wage .. I am looking for a good job to boost my income so I can start traveling ...I will probably do truck driving or call center customer service.Cool tip though if im in Canada and ever need a job.

Post: #6

(12-03-2012 02:34 AM)topshotta Wrote:  I got happy until I had read the part where you said US pay min wage .. I am looking for a good job to boost my income so I can start traveling ...I will probably do truck driving or call center customer service.Cool tip though if im in Canada and ever need a job.

If you can work in Canada then you can get around getting paid at minimum wage. You get paid more by getting hired by the Canadian division. Then if you are a good worker you can work in the states. That's how I got to work in the states. They don't do it for everybody however as it costs about $1500 to the company to pay for your L1-B visa and other fees.

You can also work all over the world wherever there is seismic exploration. This is more for those that want to make a career out of it. You would have to make an impression on the Party Manager for him to be willing to do this for you.