Q&A: Three Women Detail Life Working Offshore

Q&A: Three Women Detail Life Working Offshore
The launch of a new website serves as platform for women who work offshore in which they can share their experiences and gain support from one another.

D’Eramo: Mentorship is incredibly important for women working offshore. Many times, unspoken rules and social norms may not be apparent to new entrants. There can be an unfortunate reluctance to give women direct feedback or constructive criticism for fear of hurting their feelings. Having someone who is committed to your development and willing to give you honest and objective feedback and support is crucial for growth and success. I have not always had a mentor, however once I did find one, it became immediately clear just how invaluable that relationship was.

Rigzone: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

About WomenOffshore.org
 

When Ally Cedeno created WomenOffshore.org, she wasn’t worried the name would deter men from joining or supporting the cause.

“I know quite a few fearless men in the industry who are proud of the women they work/worked with,” Cedeno told Rigzone. “Not only do they support an inclusive workforce, but they recognize the advantages diversity provides to their operations. I wasn’t worried about the guys shying away because I knew a lot would support us and they have.”

Cedeno said her website’s mission is to support a diverse workforce on the water, which includes reporting news and inclusion efforts in maritime and offshore industries, conducting interviews with women to share their testimonies and providing resources to foster long-term careers.

“We want anyone who is not adjusting well to know that they’re not alone and that many of us have had similar experiences,” she said. “Our contributors provide perceptions that normalize some of the offshore challenges and lean into some of the more challenging topics for women and men to talk about, such as establishing boundaries with coworkers. Whether it’s an interview on our site or a resource we can reference, WomenOffshore.org is here to offer support.”

Cedeno: Being gone for weeks at a time. I have worked on ships for more than nine years, but it has never been easy to leave home. I remind myself that it’s a good problem to have because I have people and events to look forward to when my hitch offshore is complete.

Ryals: It’s a mentally taxing job that requires critical decision-making nearly every day. Dynamic positioning is what keeps the rig in one place over the wellhead and it requires constant attention to positioning, the weather and simultaneous operations to maintain that position. You have to be able to make a quick decision with confidence.

D’Eramo: Regulating personal energy usage and managing energy reserves. It can be tempting to work long hours or take on additional projects since the delineation between work time and personal time starts to disappear when you live where you work. Taking time to recharge is important, whether it’s setting a firm bedtime each evening, committing to one early night per week or hitting the gym during lunchtime, carving out time that is specifically for you is crucial for the long haul. An offshore hitch is an endurance run, not a sprint, and burning yourself out can lead to exhaustion, poor decisions and emotional fatigue.

Rigzone: How do you handle and manage living arrangements with men when working offshore?

Cedeno: The companies I’ve worked for have very respectful policies regarding sharing rooms. When I’m off tour, I have a cabin to myself. Before I head up to the bridge again, I clean up my cabin and put all of my stuff away in a locker, as if I haven’t even been there.

Ryals: I am not at all uncomfortable sharing rooms with my male coworkers. I’ve been doing it safely and cleanly for nine years. I don’t think I’ve ever had a female roommate. What makes it simple for me is that my coworker is my relief, so when I am not in the room, he is on the bridge and vice versa. We are literally never in the room at the same time.

D’Eramo: I find restrictions on room sharing to be a hindrance at times. In my earlier days, it wasn’t uncommon to be told that I’d be sent to shore since having one woman in a room took up to an entire cabin and was an inefficient use of bed space. When bed space is tight, I usually offer to share a cabin with a man on the opposite shift, so that we do not need to be in the room at the same time.

Rigzone: What can be done to address the oil and gas industry’s gender gap and how can we encourage these efforts?

Cedeno: One way is by encouraging women to stay within the industry when they no longer want to work offshore. We understand that a long-term career offshore is not for everyone, but we also believe that experience working offshore can be used as a stepping stone toward another career in the maritime or offshore industries. We also want to see more women in upper management, especially the board room … we encourage women to work offshore for a couple of years and take that experience to a graduate program to become the decision-makers at companies in which we work.

Ryals: The only thing that’s going to fix the gender gap is getting more women out there. A lot of the men I’ve encountered have never worked with a woman in their environment before, or have only done so recently. Getting more women interested and engaged in the oil and gas industry will make it more normal to see women out there, which will in turn make everyone more comfortable with having women in that space.

D’Eramo: Any time we discuss increasing the number of women in male-dominated fields, there are concerns raised regarding the lowering of standards. Any perception of lowered standards or special consideration is counterproductive to our long-term efforts. We should be evaluating whether the measurements we put in place to determine performance are the correct ones. Often, women in oil and gas are rated on how well they can conform to a masculine environment. This seems like a waste of resources for everyone involved. Instead, we should broaden what we measure to include valuable behaviors that are typically associated with women and rate both men and women on their performance in these areas.


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WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

Yuya  |  August 20, 2019
I would like to kwnow what is the percentage of women that are petroleum engineer in the total number of women working in an offshore platform that you´ve been working on.. I would love that an offshore platform could be the next step in my career. Any adviced?
carlisle Roach  |  September 18, 2017
The US is way behind in women offshore ; Norway had Engineers , Deckhands , Roughnecks . Crane operators, Medics , Radio operators on offshore rigs back in the early nineties; it was a shock to my system when I went offshore Norway back then.
Roxana Arriaza  |  September 16, 2017
With all do Respect!!! Women has been offshore since I do recall: 20+years back?, Originally and most of the cases, We started offshore Catering ,Yes... ..Catering cleaning and cooking for most of oil and gas workforce, still this Days working there in mosts of the case Scenario, trying to learn different skills on Deck, for example. Just started recently a few years back as a College Maritime Degree Women integrated Force and such , So.. ,please.. lets not forget that you are not on the roll of 100% Men environment because, a diploma said so , you are there because without searching any recognition you give that Men environment and support 100% ! Wether is for money.., wether is for life.., or wether is for 100% Hunger for knowledge without a Diploma!!! just to offer your willing to learn if anybody out there is willing to teach you!! And trust me there is .That is to me: the Real American Workforce behind scene.
Sherman Louis  |  September 14, 2017
A good article with a profound insight.Perseverance & Dedication coupled with an interest in the chosen profession,maketh a person. #cheers #swtc
Melissa D. Herring  |  September 13, 2017
I enjoyed this article about these three women very much. Kudos to not only their success, but also to their enjoyment of their chosen professions. Melissa D. Herring, Senior Vice President, Lee C. Moore, A Woolslayer Company


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