A CATCH UP WITH DANIEL GOBBITT AND SIMON SORYAL

Time for something a bit different. We decided to have a chat with two freelancers at different stages of their careers to get their thoughts on the industry and freelancing offshore. Daniel Gobbitt, a Party Chief and Senior Surveyor with extensive freelance experience and Simon Soryal, who has been working as a freelance Geophysicist for three months and recently completed his first freelance trip through Precise. 

PC: Everyone likes a good chat – let’s root about in your history and find out how you got here. Dan, you’re up first.

Dan: Thanks! Well, I’ve had a pretty varied background. My first degree was in German, Italian and Linguistics, and I have worked in ICT roles and in historical research. I taught A-level German, Italian, English and Psychology and did a postgrad degree in Psychology too.

But when I was in my early 30s, I went through maybe a bit of a mid-life crisis and decided to change my career. I went to Plymouth University and did the MSc in Hydrography – though I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life still. It helped that my dad had worked in the industry – he told me I had good sea legs (which isn’t that important), that I got on well with people (which is important) and had a good background in mathematics which would set me apart. And I think as I’ve progressed in my career, it really has. The most capable offshore folk I’ve come across are those who are good at maths whilst having a practical scientific bent.

So, after uni, I went straight into a job. Pretty much everyone on the course got recruited straight away. I got a job working in seismic, as a navigator for an oil and gas exploration company based in Dubai.  Before I started there, I worked for a few months in renewables.  That makes up a lot of the bread and butter of what I do now.

I was there for two years but when the O&G industry started to show signs of a downturn around 2013 to 2014, I got out. Some people thought it was a risk, but I went into renewables. I’d wanted to go freelance for a while, and this was a good excuse.

Simon: My career is slightly less varied. I did a degree in geophysics and went straight into O&G in a seismic data processor role. I was offshore for five years with Western Geco – pretty much at the time you were leaving it Dan, and I can attest it was on its way down. It was pretty bizarre and intense at some points. There was so much turnover – the companies wanted people to come through training, and guys were coming through and leaving at the other end. It was a good time to leave, I didn’t want to stay in O&G forever, but you got a lot more exposure in that environment. When people are leaving, suddenly you have to act up pretty quickly. It’s a good test of your character!

In the end I had to ask for redundancy. I wasn’t working, as the acquisition side of the company shut down, and didn’t want to hang about. So, for a change, I spent about 18 months building a campervan – I’m finished with the build but need to reimburse myself after draining my savings. My plan is that this is where I’m going to live, and just travel about when I’m not working.

Dan: I know plenty of people who do that! A lot of people have Transporter vans – a friend bought himself a Mercedes van – because it was the only one he could stand up in.

Simon: That’s what I got! I didn’t just spend time on that though, I did a course – one that Precise Consultants put on, the Oasis montaj one, to bolster my CV and then waited for someone to essentially take a chance with me. I went in saying I’ve got no experience in surveying, but I’ve done plenty of work offshore as a geophysicist.

Dan: Well, the fact you’d been through the treadmill and were with Western for so long speaks volumes. You are only the 2^nd person I’ve met who is an actual geophysics graduate seismic processor – the other guy knew all about the transformations and what they did, and how to trouble shoot if things didn’t go right.

Simon: Someone did take a chance on me – RPS Energy. I was in the role as a client rep in my first survey job, one of those situations where Dan said it’s good to be more open with what you’re willing to try. The team at Precise said this is a pretty senior role – if you’re willing to step up, they’re up for having you. It was a perfect start – I got to oversee a very capable team, so I got to learn quite a bit from them and it really built up my confidence. It had its challenges, but my operational knowledge and geophysical background saw me through successfully.

PC: Why did you decide to go freelance?

Dan: I had planned to do this, because I really wanted to have more flexibility to work for different companies in different roles. Though I have had the same client for the last year and a half! It is working out well. I started doing online survey and I’m now working as party chief/offshore manager. We have a massive project in Dutch waters in south Netherlands. It’s four projects at once – so it’s huge. If you’ve ever flown to Brussels, you’d see the Belgium part of the sea is chokka with wind farms. They’re doing a bit like the Belgium development but in one go and I assume over the next twenty years they’ll fill in the Dutch side.

I tend to work in senior surveyor roles – but I’m quite flexible. That’s my key advice: be flexible. If the agency calls and it’s not quite the role you had in mind – take a chance. It’s only one trip and you’ll get good experience.

Simon: When I was employed, I had to say no to quite a few things outside of work. So, the freedom appeals. But I didn’t want to start back on a training programme having been through one and I was confident I’d be able to pick up what I needed because I already knew all of the theory surrounding techniques. It’s just a case of transferring those skills and being confident about it. The added bonus is getting a lot more exposure to companies and projects and for me, I’ve learned that exposure if everything. That is how I develop the best. New challenges, new crews, new solutions.

PC: What’s the best thing about working offshore?

Dan: Definitely the freedom. I love it. If I look out of my office window I see 180 degrees of sea. I love the wildlife, the sunrises, sunsets, the moon. I find the whole thing a complete privilege and I’ve got a huge sense of gratitude about having this career. The time off is also a bonus – you have the opportunity to travel lots, I go mountain biking or to the beach. So, you can really indulge yourself in your interests.  I also really like working in offshore wind – you get the feeling that you’re helping to make a difference, improving the planet.

Simon: My favourite thing is crew change – not because you’re leaving! But after working closely with people for so long, you get to know them really well – which can be good or infuriating at times. But it all ends up in the same place with everyone plastering big smiles on their faces with a job well done. And you’re in one place where probably half or more haven’t been before and you go out exploring. You get to experience an entirely different side to someone when people are off the boat and I really enjoy that part.

PC: What’s the hardest part?

Dan: Leaving the family behind, and the springer spaniel! I love being at home. I’ve said no to jobs that don’t have a defined end because I’ve learned over the years that it’s not for me. I missed my grandmother’s 90^th birthday and she died quite soon after. I was the only person not there and I still think about it. We were close because with in my time off, I was able to spend time with her. So, I suppose in one sense – I had more freedom to do that when other people were working 9 – 5 and couldn’t pop round. But it was still very difficult not being there.

Simon: Yeah, I have to agree with Dan. It’s missing important events. Even if you take a job thinking you can make an event, there are times when you just have to say sorry because you simply can’t make it.

TO BE CONTINUED…