I’ve been waiting for a couple of months. They keep telling me the entry-level position will open up, that waz in sep!!!
[QUOTE=junbug;57329]I’ve been waiting for a couple of months. They keep telling me the entry-level position will open up, that waz in sep!!![/QUOTE]
1 entry level job did open up and that was the (OSAP) ordinary seaman advancement program… it had opened up on OCT 3rd and closed on OCT 31st…
OSAP ? Interesting, MSC has chief mates overdue by 90 days and they open jobs for OS? Sounds like MSC is truly broken.
[QUOTE=Xmsccapt(ret);57624]OSAP ? Interesting, MSC has chief mates overdue by 90 days and they open jobs for OS? Sounds like MSC is truly broken.[/QUOTE]
I’ve been with MSC for 20+ years and it is the worst I’ve ever seen it. It’s broken both ashore and at sea.
Well, for third mates their quota is something like 111 yet they have 170 on the books. The vast majority of excess are new hire kids from the academies. All this and they are still hiring more! For hawsepipers MSC blows right now and will until budget cuts force them to stop their hiring orgy and promote from within.
I think they over higher third mates in hopes of building new second mate (w) and cargo, also needed are chief mates. The sad thing is it takes years to build any of the much needed billets. (Of the 50 % or less that remain past third mate ). Not sure about now, but when I was there any and all unlic with a lic were sailing. (unless they were proven to be useless and even then in some cases) . I would think given the lack of licensed officers now would be a prime time for promotion within the ranks.
I personally know of several licensed ABs (hawsepipers and academy grads) who have been waiting for some months for temporary promotions but were rejected due to the mass of academy new hires waiting in the pool.
In August, when I was in the pool, there were six new hires waiting for jobs plus three in NJ. I know at least one was AA for two months. To give them something to do MSC was sending them to DP and towing courses.
I know at least two 5+ year hawsepipers, who recently got their licenses paid for by MSC and did not intend to quit, who did quit because of the belief that any temporary positions whould be unavailable until summer -assuming MSC doesn’t go on another hiring spree this spring.
Two weeks ago when I saw (but do not have) the email with the manning numbers I was appalled that they would be so overmanned. There is something going on here. Welfare for academies? A rejection of the hawsepipe? Pure stupidity? I don’t know.
I do know there has been an 18 month lag between third officer promotion boards (Sept 2011, March 2010) each with about ten BQ and ten qualified per board. This tells me there is little or no recent interest in promotion from within from AB to 3M.
In that same time frame I can only guess how many hundreds of academy kids they hired (and soon quit).
I see MSC is now hiring seconds off the street. What is it? Not enough thirds available to promote from within?
I don’t remember the numbers for second, CM and master (not interested in that yet) but the numbers were off by only a few for each rate, not several dozen.
It seems to me promotion from within would do this better. Someone who has been with MSC for years is more likely to continue with MSC. Hawsepipers know life at sea and MSC.
On the cargo side I would think someone who has had years of hands-on experience on deck would understand cargo ops better than an academy grad who doesn’t understand squat. Academy kids require far more training and a longer time getting up to speed.
You seem to be working from the assumption that there is a plan afoot. Much better when employed with MSC to assume there is no plan… That will make employment there much more palatable. In short, I doubt there is a plan against unlic promotions, nor a plan to employ massive numbers of academy grads. There is only action and reaction, gravity and friction… No grand plans, just blind movement in various directions and various times.
Don’t waste your time trying to apply rational thought to MSC. In the end it’s not going to get you a job. Call your Congressman [B]and[/B] Senators.Let them know about the gross inefficiency that exists here. If you’re black or over 40 file and pursue an EEO suit. One constant in MSC is “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. Don’t worry about the repercussions! Nobody knows your name now and nobody will after you’re promoted. MSC is a hive! It just reacts to stimulus. Stimulate!