Best courses to take apart from the basic safety training class?

I was wondering, are there any other courses besides the basic 5 day class that you gentlemen would recommend to a aspiring mariner?

http://www.coastguardtraining.com/marine-Tuition.htm

Which classes out of this list besides BST training would make me more marketable to get started in this industry?

Damn that place is cheap

First, don’t call us gentlemen.

Basic safety training is enough for now until you know you will want to continue in this industry.

and with just a twic,mmd and the bst and willing to travel anywhere, i shouldn’t have any problems getting a job as a deckhand in a high tonnage\ cargo ships or hopefully tugs in the west coast or Hawaii?

[QUOTE=FilMor;49671]and with just a twic,mmd and the bst and willing to travel anywhere, [B]i shouldn’t have any problems getting a job[/B] as a deckhand in a high tonnage\ cargo ships or hopefully tugs in the west coast or Hawaii?[/QUOTE]

Theoretically, sure…

[QUOTE=FilMor;49666]I was wondering, are there any other courses besides the basic 5 day class that you gentlemen would recommend to a aspiring mariner?

http://www.coastguardtraining.com/marine-Tuition.htm

Which classes out of this list besides BST training would make me more marketable to get started in this industry?[/QUOTE]

Should have this regardless of what department you decide, or eventually work in…this will be a needed class at some point.

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[QUOTE=trekleader;49673]Theoretically, sure…[/QUOTE]

How about not theoretically, but in actuality?

How about picking an industry that isn’t difficult to find a job in?

IF you happen to find one, let us know…

[QUOTE=Cal;49694]How about picking an industry that isn’t difficult to find a job in?

IF you happen to find one, let us know…[/QUOTE]

Federal Government has been hiring non-stop since Jan.20th 2009 and pays better, on average, than private industry. Or, health care…a nurse will always get a job, but I mean an educated nurse, not just putting the dress on for fun like CaptLee.

[QUOTE=Cal;49694]How about picking an industry that isn’t difficult to find a job in?

IF you happen to find one, let us know…[/QUOTE]

Is that hard to find one as a deck hand starting out, if so how long on avg is it taking to find one?

[QUOTE=anchorman;49695]Federal Government has been hiring non-stop since Jan.20th 2009 and pays better, on average, than private industry. Or, health care…a nurse will always get a job, but I mean an educated nurse, not just putting the dress on for fun like CaptLee.[/QUOTE]

I am Proficient in taking charge of medical care. I don’t know about the dress, but I know where I would like to put my finger.

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Ummm, Im just going to back away slowly from this discussion…

Deck ape has a really good point. It will cost you a minimum of 500.00 to even step foot aboard a vessel as crew. 140 USCG MMC, 132.50 for TWIC , and 250 for a USCG physical and drug test. You can ‘shop around’ for the physical and drug test, but the first two are not negotiable.

I would highly recommend that you actually ‘try out’ the industry before you sink good money into training that will be useless (totally!) if you decide you don’t like this job. In my experience I have found that only about 60% of new hires like it, or stick it out. That’s a 40% chance you will be wasting $$

[QUOTE=Capt. Lee;49697]I am Proficient in taking charge of medical care. I don’t know about the dress, but I know where I would like to put my finger.[/QUOTE]

Your head?