Man Says People ‘Don’t Realize How Difficult’ His Unusual Job Is: ‘Didn’t Get a Single Day Off in 4 Weeks’

Kevin O’Connor spends four weeks at a time working on an offshore oil rig.

Kevin O’Connor has an unusual commute.

The 26-year-old wakes up and opens his window to the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. After getting dressed and ready for the day, he only has to walk a few hundred feet before his work day starts.

O’Connor is a second mate and a fully licensed Dynamic Positioning Officer (DPO) working on an offshore oil rig. He works on the 310-foot ship for half the year, four weeks offshore and four weeks inland for each rotation.

“On a typical day on the ship, I get dressed in my room and then step outside. I take in the scenery. If it’s a nice day out, that’s the best part of the job,” O’Connor shares with us.

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“It is beautiful, and you can experience ocean views daily. I’ll work my way up to the bridge and start my shift; the vessel’s always doing various operations.”

The crew is working around the clock, with separate day and night teams constantly monitoring the ship 24 hours a day.

“Not every day is the same, but depending on what we have going on that day, I usually have a meeting with the night crew that I’m relieving, they tell me everything that’s happened in the past 12 hours, any updates that we’ve had and what to expect on my 12-hour shift,” O’Connor says. “Then, the task at hand.”

The “task at hand” relates to cargo operations — from driving the vessel, which operates the dynamic positioning system, to working on the cargo loading schematic and writing down the serial numbers and weight of the freight to make sure they’re placed on the deck correctly. Some days, he might have other tasks, like deck or vessel maintenance. When he is on-site, he works 12-hour shifts every day,

“Imagine your work week was lasting for four weeks straight, and you didn’t get a single day off in those four weeks,” O’Connor explains. “The worst part is traveling and being away from the family.”

O’Connor admits that it can be hard to “balance home life and relationships” given their workload.

“People don’t realize how difficult it is. I know buddies that are married and have kids, and I see the toll it takes on them,” he says. “They come back, and their baby has grown, and they say, ‘I don’t even recognize my kid. He’s grown so fast.'”

“You feel bad for their wives because they work a full-time job and take care of a newborn baby while their husband is out at sea working,” he continues. “It’s a challenging lifestyle, and you must have a powerful relationship with a strong partner.”

However, O’Connor notes that it is still “doable,” as distance can make the heart grow fonder.

“I’ve heard that relationships are better because it allows you to miss your partner,” he adds.

Despite some of the difficulties, O’Connor says the job has plenty of positives, like the “breathtaking views.”

“The best part is the views and realizing you’re working such a unique job where most people are sitting in a cubicle, and you’re on the ocean with their sea life around you, dolphins, tuna fish jumping out of the water, small, little bay fish,” he says. “You have beautiful sunrises and sunsets at nighttime, the sky is crystal clear. You can see every single star.”

“I got fortunate with the people I work with. I spend more time with these men than I do with my own family, so you form tight bonds with the crew.”

O’Connor suggests that those looking to enter his profession should attend a maritime academy, like he did, or get their merchant mariner credential and start working.

“You got to get days on a boat.”