Hi! Just wondering if anybody here has worked for Gulf Ocean Marine, or knows anybody who has. Can you describe the working conditions, pay, etc.? I understand they do towing down in the Gulf of Mexico. I’m just trying to get a better understanding of the working periods (time on/time off) and an idea of what it is like working with this company. Seems like they are hiring through GCaptain somewhat regularly, which is often times an indicator, much like MSRC jobs, that this is a low paying wage or not great working conditions. Any info you have would be appreciated Thanks!
MSRC pays chiefs and captains very competitively with the rest of the industry on their day boats. The very few liveaboard boats they have pay competitively for all billets with the offshore industry in general. They also have a great benefits package and 401k match.
So maybe you should apply to gulf oceanic marine to find out for yourself and not assume they suck like msrc because they advertise a lot…could be the best career decision you ever make 
Hey Ctony, not sure why you chose to respond to my post. You clearly do not work for Gulf Ocean Marine, nor have any working knowledge of their operation. I’d rather not take a job in order to find out if it pays anything. That’s called due diligence. But hey, looks like you know about MSRC. You are probably well equipped should anyone ever ask about working at MSRC.
Open forums are great but when it comes to pay I usually talk with a hiring agent or the HR supervisor. Don’t trust us yahoos when it comes to signing a contract. Also, when I post a question on an open forum I prepare myself to receive answers from every & any one. And finally, insulting companies that advertise with gcaptain won’t earn you sympathetic replies & comments. You should hire someone to screen the replies if you are thin skin & picky about who answers.
4 Likes
You would have been better off just asking, ‘anyone here work for gulf oceanic marine? If so, i’d appreciate any insight into the company.’
It may not have been your intent and i understand written words can be taken out of context, but when you kinda came off like an arrogant ass and added your speculation that they don’t pay shit so that must be why they advertise a lot and then decided to throw msrc into the mix, i decided to give you some constructive criticism.
Some food for thought: some good companies advertise, some don’t. Some companies just advertise to mine resumes too. You know the old saying about assumptions and assuming.
1 Like
Who the hell said anything about taking a job? How about filling out an application and getting an interview first?
Do people really accept employment and sign the dotted line without knowing what they are getting paid till they get their first paycheck? 
1 Like
This is the best maritime job market in years.
Personally, I do not fill out applications to find out about a job or what it pays. This isn’t the 1950’s.
If a company wants to hire, it had better be forthcoming with the information that every candidate wants to know, or why bother with them.
Unless a company says: we are interested in hiring you, and this why you should consider working for us, I don’t fill out an application.
Some companies have a lot of paperwork, including a standard application, even if the owner has already made an offer that you’ve accepted.
There isn’t much point to applications anymore because the lawyers will not let companies say anything about a former employee, except to confirm the dates of employment.
Some companies hire with an “offer letter” that you either accept, accept with conditions (a counter-offer) or reject.
Applications contain a lot of personal info that could be used for identity theft and I don’t trust companies to keep it secure. It’s also time consuming and unnecessary.
I rarely tell a potential employer my previous salary. Whatever it was, its none of his business, and I want more now.
My observation is that when I talk to owners or port captains most of them want to hire me. I speak their language. When I talk to HR people they rarely want to hire me. I don’t speak their language.
Recently, I’ve had unsolicited contacts from owners, marine ops managers, port captains, port engineers, captains, a Vice President, and in-house corporate recruiters. The companies range from mom and pop to midsized, to large.
Oddly, do not hear much from Faststream, Flagship, Core Group and other recruiters these days.
Most boats that I talk with on the radio mention that they are looking for people. We are looking for people too.
There are currently lots of Mariner jobs available almost everywhere in a wide variety of pay ranges. Pay is up significantly at the better companies that want to hire good people. In this job market, I could find another job every week and work 365 days a year if I wanted to. It’s rarely this good.
Companies of all kinds at all pay levels advertise on gcaptain, Indeed, Simplyhired, and elsewhere. Same with companies using legitimate employer paid recruiters. A lot of companies do not advertise and only hire by word of mouth because they don’t want to be swamped by resumes from unqualified people from across the country.
If a company is using a quasi-legal recruiter that charges a fee to the Mariner, I consider that a to be dishonest gyppo company and stay away. Nobody needs to pay a recruiter in this job market.
If a company wants to hire you, make them pay what you are worth today, not the low wages of five years ago.
5 Likes
Thanks, tugsailor.
I agree wholeheartedly with tugsailor. However, unless you are a well rounded, seasoned veteran and one of those guys that knows everyone, you need to plan on getting writer’s cramp filling out applications. Pretty much every company, big or small, wants that at a minimum before they talk to you. Some of the biggest companies, and not just OSV companies, have the most arduos long winded online apps. Its rare when someone gets a verbal offer then in hindsight fills out whatever pre-employment bs there is…unless you have a pedigree like tugsailor. In my opinion, if filling out some paperwork and sending copies of your documents is too much of a burden, you must not want or need a job that bad.
Job hunting is a hassle. In my opinion if someone wants to seriously make a move, be prepared to jump thru some hoops. Yeah, this is a great time for experienced mariners to make a move but knowing people and networking has always been huge in this business and still is.
2 Likes
Some companies turn hiring into a hazing ritual. It’s part of the screening process. Others are straightforward.
At some companies you can only apply online. I find those to be a complete waste of time. If you get a call, it will be six months later.
At many companies you cannot walk in. Some you can.
Most companies get so many resumes that they don’t even look at them.
I can certainly understand why some companies have so much trouble finding qualified people. Their hiring process is incompetent.
At my current employer, if you call someone will talk to you. They will ask for a resume and MMC copy. If they ask you to fill out an application, that means that you have been hired. You will probably fill out the application and other paperwork after they have flown you to the boat. If I want someone hired or fired it happens.
I think most companies today will readily tell you the wage rate for the position you are interested in. Especially if they need to fill the job. It’s often in the ad.
When jobs are scarce, you might have to eat a shit sandwich to get a job. You might not get a job no matter how much shit you eat.
But right now, the shoe is on the other foot.
The company had reached out, I wanted a bit more information before talking to them. They further let me know how much the compensation was/is, and I decided against pursuing any employment with them. I appreciate your feedback, tugsailor. I would think more companies would simply include this information in the ad itself, but at least in my experience, I’ve not seen this. I searched GCaptain before asking the question and didn’t see much about this company. Was curious to gain a better understanding of the company, and realize I could have probably phrased my question a bit better. I guess you’ll always piss off/offend the delicate sensibilities of somebody or another in these forums. At any rate, I appreciate your taking the time to respond. Cheers!
When a company calls you and better yet take the time to leave a voicemail. Then you’re looking pretty good. You need to call them back and listen to what they have to say. You might be surprised.
1 Like
Ctony and Tugsailor have been around the block more than a few times. Would be good to reread their posts.They mean well and very relevant to the business.
1 Like