How to Get a FIFO Offshore Job With No Experience
You can start offshore with no experience as a roustabout, steward or trainee technician, earning £180 to £220 a day. You need an OEUK medical, BOSIET with CA-EBS and MIST, which cost around £1,300 to £1,700 in total, plus a CV written in offshore language.
Roles that genuinely take people with no offshore time
| Role | Day rate | What they want |
|---|---|---|
| Roustabout | £180 to £220 | Fitness, tickets, any manual or trades background |
| Steward / catering | £150 to £200 | Hospitality experience, food hygiene certificate |
| Trainee scaffolder / rigger | £200 to £280 | Onshore scaffolding or lifting experience |
| Wind turbine trainee | £180 to £250 | Electrical or mechanical apprenticeship, GWO BST |
| Deck / marine crew | £180 to £240 | STCW basic safety training, sea time helps |
What to buy first, and what to wait on
Do not buy every course at once. Start with the OEUK offshore medical, because if you fail it nothing else matters, and it is the cheapest of the three. Then book BOSIET with CA-EBS, then MIST. That order protects you from spending £1,500 on training you cannot use.
Ignore anyone charging for a guaranteed job with a training package. No UK training provider places you into work, and the reputable OPITO and GWO centres do not claim to.
- OEUK offshore medical: around £120 to £180, valid two years.
- BOSIET with CA-EBS: around £900 to £1,200, valid four years.
- MIST: around £250 to £350, valid four years.
- GWO Basic Safety Training instead of BOSIET if you are targeting offshore wind.
Why most no experience applications never get read
Offshore applications go through an applicant tracking system before a human sees them. A CV that says warehouse operative, forklift, stock control never matches an offshore vacancy, even when the person is a perfect fit for deck work.
The fix is translation, not invention. Manual handling becomes load handling and slinging. Working at height becomes working at height under permit. Your shift pattern becomes evidence you can handle rotation. Your tickets go at the top with expiry dates, because that is the first thing a recruiter checks.
- Put your medical, BOSIET, CA-EBS and MIST with expiry dates in the top third of page one.
- State availability and rota preference explicitly, for example available immediately for 2/2 from any UK heliport.
- Give evidence of physical work, shift work and safety behaviour rather than describing yourself as hardworking.
- Keep it to two pages and use plain formatting, because tables and columns break in tracking systems.
Where to actually apply
Go direct to the contractors who employ the deck crews rather than to the operators. Drilling contractors, catering and facilities providers, scaffolding and rope access firms and the offshore wind O&M contractors are the ones with green hat intakes. Register with the specialist offshore agencies as well, and call them once your tickets are in hand rather than before.
25+ years in offshore recruitment, ATS-ready formatting and a 48 hour turnaround. See the packages and prices before you commit.
More on FIFO offshore work
Back to the FIFO offshore jobs hub or compare offshore day rates by role.
FIFO with no experience: common questions
Can you get an offshore job with no experience in the UK?
Yes. Roustabout, steward and trainee technician roles take people with no offshore time, paying around £180 to £220 a day. You need a valid OEUK medical, BOSIET with CA-EBS and MIST, and a CV written in offshore terminology so it clears applicant tracking systems.
How much does it cost to get offshore certified in the UK?
Around £1,300 to £1,700 in total for 2026. That is roughly £120 to £180 for the OEUK medical, £900 to £1,200 for BOSIET with CA-EBS and £250 to £350 for MIST. Offshore wind requires GWO Basic Safety Training instead of BOSIET.
Do you need qualifications to be a roustabout?
No formal qualifications beyond the safety tickets and a pass on the offshore medical. Employers look for physical fitness, evidence of manual or trade work, a clean safety record and the ability to commit to a full rotation away from home.
How long does it take to get your first offshore trip?
Typically two to six months from booking your medical. The tickets take a few weeks to complete, then most of the wait is registering with contractors and agencies and being available when a crew change gap appears.