Onshore to Offshore: Where Excitement Begins

28 December 2023

Offshore is known to be home to people from all walks of life with many transitioning from onshore to offshore to explore what our industries have to offer. 

As Atlas Professionals, we realise that our industries might seem a bit difficult to get into in the first place. That is why we conceptualised the Greenhand Programme to ensure prospective Professionals who are looking to have access to what they need to get in the industry can have what they need. Helmed by Atlas Professionals in Aberdeen, the Greenhand Programme has been serving those interested in going Offshore for the first time since August 2018. From that point forward, thousands of Professionals have found their way into the Offshore industry thanks to the Programme - and we are glad that Nicole Verlinden, Greenhand Roustabout, found success with it as well.

But out of all the options, why working Offshore in the Energy industry? Nicole has a rather personal answer for that: “For me this was a very sentimental choice, this is like a family tradition for us as I come from a family of Marine Professionals – with me, this will be the fourth generation who will be going Offshore. So, this was an emotional choice as well as a professional one. I also know this is a bit of a more physically demanding role and I have the energy, so it will be a nice challenge as well! Still, looking back, I can’t believe this finally happened,” she adds with a large smile.

The Greenhand Programme and Benefits of Experience

Nicole came across the Greenhand Programme while looking for a new, exciting opportunity to continue her professional life: “I came across the Programme by pure luck – I was just at the right place and at the right time. I first heard about the opportunity from the Job Centre in Aberdeen. I told her this is what I wanted to do, that I wanted to be a Roustabout, and they were like “Wait here for a bit!” and before I knew it, I was being informed by how the Greenhand Programme works, what steps I can take and so forth. Basically, everything I would need to work Offshore. So, yes, it was all pure luck, but this is how good things usually start, right?”

We then get a chance to ask Nicole if she thinks her experience in other industries played a role in her success: “Even though I had personal and professional knowledge about the industry before I enrolled, I 100% agree that things you accomplish up until that point can help a candidate a lot. I feel like working across several industries in several roles allowed me to rack up invaluable experience that I managed to tap into during my Greenhand Training.”

What makes Atlas Professionals stand out from other recruitment companies? For Nicole, it was communication: “The constant communication I received from Atlas Professionals was really something that made me feel more reassured. Whenever you get a question, whenever you are uncertain of something, you get a chance to contact Atlas Professionals and receive feedback within minutes, hours – it really is a gamechanger.”

Importance of Having a Genuine Interest

A career move like this sure involves a lot of change – and this has also been the case for Nicole too! As someone with family roots in the industry and experience with training programmes and now as a Roustabout, Nicole confirms that she is excited for the challenges that come with her new role as well as some other perks of working Offshore: “For me it was the psychical and mental challenge the role comes with. It is also good that I will get a chance to spend two weeks with my family without any interruptions after each rotation. Oh, and a minor detail but the compensation side of things sure is nice too,” she adds with a smile. 

Nicole has successfully completed the program and her training and was just about to commence her first tour when we got a chance to have a chat with her. When we asked if she has any tips for a new generation of offshore professionals, Nicole has just one thing to say: “No matter what you do, no matter what you want to achieve, it is highly important to have a genuine interest in what you do. That is the only way to know for certain if this is something you want – and if it is, you will have a better chance of succeeding. These days, everything is so convenient too, as a lot of the material is available online as well!”