In the midst of disaster and devastation, there are individuals who are using the oil spill in the Gulf Coast as an opportunity to get paid while helping to resolve the situation. Although the oil spill has hurt a number of individuals and small businesses financially, it now has created multiple job opportunities ranging from laborers and engineers to public relations, security, and administrative workers.
There are two main types of jobs that are available, those offered through the Government or those offered through a private company. The Government jobs are offered through the states directly affected by the oil spill. Make sure to fully read the job descriptions before applying; some jobs require the applicant to be a state resident.
- Florida: The state of Florida's Gulf Recovery Jobs site offers thousands of cleanup positions in the region. Call 877-362-5034 for further information.
- Mississippi: Mississippi's Oil Spill Related Jobs site, offered by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, lists positions ranging from laborer to engineer for gulf oil spill employment opportunities. Call 800-224-1388 for more information.
- Alabama: Alabama's Environmental Cleanup Jobs website gives detailed instructions for people searching for information on how to get a BP oil spill job.
- Louisiana: The Louisiana Workforce Commission offers help for gulf cleanup employment with its Find Oil Spill Jobs search. Call 225-342-6451 for assistance.
Private companies and oil job recruitment agencies offer thousands of hiring options for those looking to help cleanup. To inquire about jobs offered directly through BP, call 1-866-448-5816. Ameri-Force is currently recruiting for laborer positions in Louisiana. Indeed.com is a job search engine that offers many different types of job listings geared towards helping resolve the BP oil spill. Also, OilCareers is another job search engine that offers multi-national listings including oil recovery jobs.
As always, watch out for scams! Legitimate companies will not charge you for an application or ask you to pay for training fees. According to the Better Business Bureau, consider these tips:
- Research the company; make sure they have an active business license and proper registration.
- Be suspicious of any recruiter or company that promises to get you a job.
- Be skeptical of job offers that collect personal information up front.
- Make sure that the company has proper insurance to cover your travel and work activities.
- Get a copy of the work contract and carefully review it before you sign it
