You will get 2 relevant govt forms to fill: OF612, [I]Optional App for Federal Employment[/I] asks for only two periods of work experience “…related to the job for which you are applying.” This could include most anything, I guess;
and SF86 [I]Questionnaire for National Security Positions[/I] which requires, among many other details, the last 7 years’ employment history, military svc and any Merchant Marine svc, which I believe you have none or little of.
The thing you must really hit hard are the KSAs (Knowledge-Skills-Abilities). This is what you will be evaluated and scored on by the bureaucrat that gets your app. There is a detailed write-up on KSAs on one of the MSC sites. Read and re-read it many times. Think long and hard, bring up anything relevant from your past and make yourself look good with concrete examples. For example, as someone new to MSC, at first glance you won’t have anything relevant to answer about your familiarity with “cargo handling equipment” (read Conrep and Vertrep) unless you were in the Navy, but maybe you can drive a forklift or fueled helos at the local airport, operated a freight elevator in a warehouse or ran a crane somewhere: all these things and much more would not only be relevant, they would show that you did some homework, too.
I sweated over my KSAs for 4 months awaiting an endorsement from the NMC. Once my new Z card arrived my app was mailed that day and I heard back from MSC within 2.5 weeks.
[QUOTE=civmar;140774]You will get 2 relevant govt forms to fill: OF612, [I]Optional App for Federal Employment[/I] asks for only two periods of work experience “…related to the job for which you are applying.” This could include most anything, I guess;
and SF86 [I]Questionnaire for National Security Positions[/I] which requires, among many other details, the last 7 years’ employment history, military svc and any Merchant Marine svc, which I believe you have none or little of.
The thing you must really hit hard are the KSAs (Knowledge-Skills-Abilities). This is what you will be evaluated and scored on by the bureaucrat that gets your app. There is a detailed write-up on KSAs on one of the MSC sites. Read and re-read it many times. Think long and hard, bring up anything relevant from your past and make yourself look good with concrete examples. For example, as someone new to MSC, at first glance you won’t have anything relevant to answer about your familiarity with “cargo handling equipment” (read Conrep and Vertrep) unless you were in the Navy, but maybe you can drive a forklift or fueled helos at the local airport, operated a freight elevator in a warehouse or ran a crane somewhere: all these things and much more would not only be relevant, they would show that you did some homework, too.
I sweated over my KSAs for 4 months awaiting an endorsement from the NMC. Once my new Z card arrived my app was mailed that day and I heard back from MSC within 2.5 weeks.
Good luck.[/QUOTE]
Are the KSAs something that come up later in the online application process? I filled out my profile. I was very detailed in the Work Experience section of the application.
I never took a job with MSC, but I applied and was offered a job with them a few years ago. I think KSA’s are a way for them to weed out people that can read and follow directions and those that can’t. KSA’s are very specific in what they want and the format they want them in. Not sure when they pop up in the process. I went to a job fair and was then sent an application packet if I remember correctly.
[QUOTE=Kingrobby;140781]I never took a job with MSC, but I applied and was offered a job with them a few years ago. I think KSA’s are a way for them to weed out people that can read and follow directions and those that can’t. KSA’s are very specific in what they want and the format they want them in. Not sure when they pop up in the process. I went to a job fair and was then sent an application packet if I remember correctly.[/QUOTE]
Maybe it is because I only filled out the profile but have not filled out the application yet, but the instructions thus far seem very vague. I guess KSAs come up later, then.
You have to go to the now hiring page on MSC website to see what they are hiring for and then go from there whatever they are hiring for and if you wanna apply the KSA’s will be attached to that job app. Like right now as far as entry level goes (OSAP) ordinary seaman advancement program is open to the public but only from July 7th to July 11th
[QUOTE=TheShipCantSink;140779]Are the KSAs something that come up later in the online application process? I filled out my profile. I was very detailed in the Work Experience section of the application.[/QUOTE]
Let me say it in a different way: your work history counts for little in the[B] evaluation for hire process[/B]: You will be given a numerical score based on your answers to the KSA questions, which are pretty much laid out in the job description for the OSAP (I checked). I applied on paper, so don’t know when you’ll be asked to answer the KSAs, maybe you already have done.
Are you awaiting an Application Package by mail? And if so, is there a date in the near future for it to be submitted by? I would try to use that time to do Fire Fighting and Personal Survival training at my local maritime school, as the Knowledge Skills and Abilities you will get will put you way ahead of the other greenhorns who don’t have them.
And yes, MSC will have you re-do this very same training at the in NJ or San Diego as one of your first actions. So am I asking you to waste your time and money? You want to get on board, right? This will help.
[QUOTE=civmar;140862]Let me say it in a different way: your work history counts for little in the[B] evaluation for hire process[/B]: You will be given a numerical score based on your answers to the KSA questions, which are pretty much laid out in the job description for the OSAP (I checked). I applied on paper, so don’t know when you’ll be asked to answer the KSAs, maybe you already have done.
Are you awaiting an Application Package by mail? And if so, is there a date in the near future for it to be submitted by? I would try to use that time to do Fire Fighting and Personal Survival training at my local maritime school, as the Knowledge Skills and Abilities you will get will put you way ahead of the other greenhorns who don’t have them.
And yes, MSC will have you re-do this very same training at the in NJ or San Diego as one of your first actions. So am I asking you to waste your time and money? You want to get on board, right? This will help.[/QUOTE]
Yep, the KSAs came up during the online application. It is pretty much your Work Experience, but you have to tailor it to the job description. I used a lot of the words they used into the job description. General maintenance, firefighting, safety, these are things that came up. I currently work a maintenance job and I went into detail regarding what I do on a daily basis. I also volunteered in the fire service (EMT and took classes in firefighting, know how to use SCBA) in the past - I made sure to put that down as well. While I do not do any firefighting at my current job, we were trained in basic fire safety. I put that down for the heck of it as well.
The deadline has already passed - my application was submitted this past Friday. Its all up to the gods now…
Lol there is no need for him to pack his bags just yet. He has to get the call telling him he has been selected for the position. After that it’s that long ass back ground security check questionnaire he will have to do if he doesn’t already have a security clearance. Then next they are gonna schedule you your drug test and physical. after everything checks out ok although if you have something like high BP that’s gonna delay the process a little but assuming everything checks out ok from the physical and drug test you will hear back from them within a couple of weeks with them giving you your NEO ( new employee orientation ) date. once you get that date THEN you should start packing not unless you live in VA then you will have that whole week of NEO to pack before you head off to jersey that Saturday morning.
[QUOTE=Mike23;140911]Lol there is no need for him to pack his bags just yet. He has to get the call telling him he has been selected for the position. After that it’s that long ass back ground security check questionnaire he will have to do if he doesn’t already have a security clearance. Then next they are gonna schedule you your drug test and physical. after everything checks out ok although if you have something like high BP that’s gonna delay the process a little but assuming everything checks out ok from the physical and drug test you will hear back from them within a couple of weeks with them giving you your NEO ( new employee orientation ) date. once you get that date THEN you should start packing not unless you live in VA then you will have that whole week of NEO to pack before you head off to jersey that Saturday morning.[/QUOTE]
Hey, I need all the positive energy I can get. It has been a while since I had something really awesome happen to me; it may just happen this time!
Well let’s hope so.
Once you receive a letter saying your package has been forwarded to the marine employment division which you should get in a week or 2 then the wait for the call officially starts.
[QUOTE=Mike23;140931]Well let’s hope so.
Once you receive a letter saying your package has been forwarded to the marine employment division which you should get in a week or 2 then the wait for the call officially starts.[/QUOTE]
Well when I got hired there was no such thing as a interview but I heard at the beginning of this year that they would conduct interviews now so ima say I think that’s correct.
[QUOTE=Mike23;140953]Well when I got hired there was no such thing as a interview but I heard at the beginning of this year that they would conduct interviews now so ima say I think that’s correct.[/QUOTE]
I’ve been keeping in touch with an MSC recruiter and he said the other day they do interviews via Skype. Welcome to the 21st century, I guess!
