ATTN:CHARTERHEAD
TIP CAP offers you good advice. However I would add that if you do get flying on the North Sea and provided you are young enough,
prepare yourself to go fixed wing getting British or European aeroplane licenses whilst you are earning reasonable money on the helicopters. Then, at the first good opportunity, go fixed wing. This shoud get you a career with reasonable long term pay and prospects as opposed to the hire and fire attitudes that prevail on the North Sea. Unless there is a new oil or gas field discovery on the North Sea soon, the number of pilots required there will gradually diminish after this current rush to recruit due to so many helicopter pilots leaving to go to the fixed wing airlines. That tells you something!!
The next major area of offshore helicopter operating expansion may well be the Caspian Sea-tents,frontier mentality,etc etc(which some people enjoy!)