Finding an Ordinary Seaman Job

Hello I am interested in where I would find an OS job. I have applied for several in the past few weeks and have not heard back. I currently have my Passport, MMC, TWIC, and SCTW. I am only applying for things I am qualified for. Does anyone know which companies are hiring and which are not? As well as tips for finding an entry level job. I am currently in South Florida but willing to relocate literally anywhere.

Pound sand.

If you would just read the forums for a few hours you would find a link to 300+ companys. No i am not linking it and you need to try a little harder.

Go into the navy get sea time come out an ab unlimited. That is the best way to do it.

[quote=menizzi;172756]pound sand.

If you would just read the forums for a few hours you would find a link to 300+ companys. No i am not linking it and you need to try a little harder.

Go into the navy get sea time come out an ab unlimited. That is the best way to do it.[/quote]

best…post…everrrrrr lol

Join the navy and come out with a ab unlimited , worst advice ever

[QUOTE=Menizzi;172756]Pound sand.

If you would just read the forums for a few hours you would find a link to 300+ companys. No i am not linking it and you need to try a little harder.

Go into the navy get sea time come out an ab unlimited. That is the best way to do it.[/QUOTE]

You can get sea time in the Navy? I thought all their assignments were in base offices.

It’s not so easy. I’m in the same position, and I’ve had no luck for years. I also have an MMC, STCW, TWIC, etc, plus a little experience on small boats. I’ve been applying everywhere. I even took a towboat deckhand course and started applying to river jobs, and I can’t even get a break there. Those brown water towboat jobs are said to be easier to get, although I don’t know if any of your sea time transfers to larger bodies of water. I thought it did, but someone in the industry I recently talked to thought it didn’t. If you’re o.k. with moving, you can try the Washington Ferry system. If you’re near Ft. Lauderdale, you can visit the SIU hall there and sit and wait for a job no one else wants, but I think you’ll be waiting a long time. They will probably direct you to apply to the apprentice program at Paul Hall. The Navy is bad advice if your main goal is to be a mariner. I don’t think a recruiter can guarantee that you will be on a ship as any kind of position that will give you sea time when you sign up. Besides, not everyone is qualified to join the Navy, for example, if you’re too old.

Right now oil is too low. The navy is a great place. If you get discharge papers while you are active i do believe its one for one and not the 70% after you get out and after your 4 years you also get your dd214. True not ALL rates give sea time but os/bm/qm do. I disagree with you on that.

Im not a Navy man but I am kin to many and friends to many more. My general sense from talking with them is that qm/bm are not particularly coveted rates and choosing either upon enlistment or striking into them once in the Navy is not a problem. Presto…4 years of tough deck department experience.

Or go to Paul Hall, and do what they say and you’ll get where you want to be.

In south Florida the options are tourism. Get a deckhand gig on a tour boat, fishing charter, dive boat, or a yacht. Look into the ferries that run in the keys. Get some sea time, grab the hundred ton, and whatever AB rating you qualify for at the same time. I assume by “STCW” you mean BST, now called Basic Training. Good on you for taking those steps. Get the lifeboatman/PSC course done next, it’s required for AB. The AB rating is the door opener. You have the advantage of being near a lot of great schools, use it.

Also stop calling the STCW ratings “my STCW”, using the proper terminology on this board goes a long way. Good luck.

[QUOTE=swab;172794]Also stop calling the STCW ratings “my STCW”[/QUOTE]

I wish we could get the idiots in hr to stop since it’s probably them that started that misuse of the term.

That and, “I gots my TWIX”. Nails on a chalk board every single time that I hear it.

[QUOTE=Slick Cam;172792]Im not a Navy man but I am kin to many and friends to many more. My general sense from talking with them is that qm/bm are not particularly coveted rates and choosing either upon enlistment or striking into them once in the Navy is not a problem. Presto…4 years of tough deck department experience.

Or go to Paul Hall, and do what they say and you’ll get where you want to be.[/QUOTE]If I had known about all the verteran’s preference hiring companies do, I would have gone to the military first. That’s another reason it’s a good idea.

[QUOTE=captaint76;172797]That and, “I gots my TWIX”. Nails on a chalk board every single time that I hear it.[/QUOTE]
Yup, and how everyone thinks that at “oiler”, is different from a qmed, and that oiler is and entry level rating. I think a lot of deckies are guilty of that too, not just office people.

[QUOTE=cajaya;172800]Yup, and how everyone thinks that at “oiler”, is different from a qmed, and that oiler is and entry level rating. I think a lot of deckies are guilty of that too, not just office people.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that’s another obnoxious one.

[QUOTE=swab;172794]In south Florida the options are tourism. Get a deckhand gig on a tour boat, fishing charter, dive boat, or a yacht. Look into the ferries that run in the keys. Get some sea time, grab the hundred ton, and whatever AB rating you qualify for at the same time. I assume by “STCW” you mean BST, now called Basic Training. Good on you for taking those steps. Get the lifeboatman/PSC course done next, it’s required for AB. The AB rating is the door opener. You have the advantage of being near a lot of great schools, use it.

Also stop calling the STCW ratings “my STCW”, using the proper terminology on this board goes a long way. Good luck.[/QUOTE]

This is excellent advice, especially with the winter tourist seasons coming. A lot of excursion vessels are hiring and gearing up for season right now. Go out and start pounding pavement. Get some time in and go get your AB and more doors will open. Usually these jobs you’ll make a base pay equivalent to min. wage and you’ll work for tips. In season you’ll be making decent money but make sure you save it for the summer and fall when things are slow.

Or if you’d like some poor advice. Sign up with a headhunter, they’ll place you with a bottom of the barrel outfit sailing on a deathtrap with Capt. Ahab himself for around $120 a day. The headhunter will take 14 days pay taken in increments over a few pay periods. But it’s a foot in the door even if it sucks.

I wish people who actually have lived there and tried this would answer. Forget the Keys, those jobs are super hard to get. I live in South Florida part of the year. First of all, there are only two real ferries in the Keys, first, the Dry Tortugas, which has a deckhand opening once in a blue moon. Most of those people look very unhappy and they have no clue what sea time even is. I talked with some of them. It’s just a job to them and consists of putting out food for the customers. Glorified retail clerks. Good luck trying to talk to the captain before or after a really busy day without pissing him off. The best bet is to buy a ticket and talk to him when he’s not busy at the Tortugas. I tried that and it didn’t work, despite the fact I had already put in a resume for a job opening that was advertised, and knew people who knew people that worked there. I figured I’d get points for being pro-active. I didn’t even get a “no thank you, we hired someone”. They get TONS of applicants for one crappy little job. The other ferry is the one that leaves from Fort Myers and goes to Marco Island and Key West. You have to live in Fort Myers to work on that ferry. I know this because I know someone who used to work that ferry. He worked on it before they made that requirement. I haven’t seen any ads for jobs for that one ever, and I’ve been watching for several years.

I’ve tried the smaller operators too, large sailboats, etc. No luck there either, and I do have some experience and all my papers. No one cares if you’re excited and serious about being a mariner, in the tourist trade.

In the tourist industry in South Florida, lookism really dominates. If you’re young and pretty, you have a shot. Maybe you are, in that case, good luck to you, and please let us know how you did. The same goes for the high end private yachts sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.

I started my entire maritime career working in tourism in Florida, it’s why I recommended it. I’m now getting ready to upgrade to a 500 master and a 1600 mate. Tourism isn’t a glamorous job, but it’s a start. OS jobs are never the most ideal gigs,and they are hard to come by. Don’t discredit any opportunity that may result in sea time and a pay check when you are starting out.

I wish people who actually have lived there and tried this would answer. Forget the Keys, those jobs are super hard to get. I live in South Florida part of the year. First of all, there are only two real ferries in the Keys, first, the Dry Tortugas, which has a deckhand opening once in a blue moon. Most of those people look very unhappy and they have no clue what sea time even is. I talked with some of them. It’s just a job to them and consists of putting out food for the customers. Glorified retail clerks. Good luck trying to talk to the captain before or after a really busy day without pissing him off. The best bet is to buy a ticket and talk to him when he’s not busy at the Tortugas. I tried that and it didn’t work, despite the fact I had already put in a resume for a job opening that was advertised, and knew people who knew people that worked there. I figured I’d get points for being pro-active. I didn’t even get a “no thank you, we hired someone”. They get TONS of applicants for one crappy little job. The other ferry is the one that leaves from Fort Myers and goes to Marco Island and Key West. You have to live in Fort Myers to work on that ferry. I know this because I know someone who used to work that ferry. He worked on it before they made that requirement. I haven’t seen any ads for jobs for that one ever, and I’ve been watching for several years.

"I’ve tried the smaller operators too, large sailboats, etc. No luck there either, and I do have some experience and all my papers. No one cares if you’re excited and serious about being a mariner, in the tourist trade.

In the tourist industry in South Florida, lookism really dominates. If you’re young and pretty, you have a shot. Maybe you are, in that case, good luck to you, and please let us know how you did. The same goes for the high end private yachts sailing out of Fort Lauderdale."

You’ve been looking for a OS job for years? I’ve been rejected from companies more times than I can count. However I always find a job, all I can say is pound the pavement harder,be persistent. Someone will hire you if they see you’re a go getter. Look other places besides south florida too, there is plenty of jobs elsewhere.

Some people know how to find a job and some don’t.

Some people can get hired fairly easily at certain types of companies, while other better qualified people cannot.

Some people have something “off” about them and virtually no one will hire them.

Most people that make a real effort and do not seem too off-putting find jobs.

[QUOTE=tugsailor;172858]Some people know how to find a job and some don’t.

Some people can get hired fairly easily at certain types of companies, while other better qualified people cannot.

Some people have something “off” about them and virtually no one will hire them.

Most people that make a real effort and do not seem too off-putting find jobs.[/QUOTE]

All of the jobs I applied to have been via resume, advertised jobs, not in person, so it’s not anything “personal”, at least for me. The ferry was the one exception, but judging from the unhappy and unenthusiastic attitude of most of the deck crew, it was probably not a great work environment and I dodged a bullet.

It would be helpful if people gave examples of companies or situations they started with. A little more specific, maybe. For example, I see the Washington State Ferry is accepting applications, but it’s an on call position, and would finding a place to live be prohibitively expensive just to take that job?

[QUOTE=MariaW;172852]I wish people who actually have lived there and tried this would answer. Forget the Keys, those jobs are super hard to get. I live in South Florida part of the year. First of all, there are only two real ferries in the Keys, first, the Dry Tortugas, which has a deckhand opening once in a blue moon. Most of those people look very unhappy and they have no clue what sea time even is. I talked with some of them. It’s just a job to them and consists of putting out food for the customers. Glorified retail clerks. Good luck trying to talk to the captain before or after a really busy day without pissing him off. The best bet is to buy a ticket and talk to him when he’s not busy at the Tortugas. I tried that and it didn’t work, despite the fact I had already put in a resume for a job opening that was advertised, and knew people who knew people that worked there. I figured I’d get points for being pro-active. I didn’t even get a “no thank you, we hired someone”. They get TONS of applicants for one crappy little job. The other ferry is the one that leaves from Fort Myers and goes to Marco Island and Key West. You have to live in Fort Myers to work on that ferry. I know this because I know someone who used to work that ferry. He worked on it before they made that requirement. I haven’t seen any ads for jobs for that one ever, and I’ve been watching for several years.

I’ve tried the smaller operators too, large sailboats, etc. No luck there either, and I do have some experience and all my papers. No one cares if you’re excited and serious about being a mariner, in the tourist trade.

In the tourist industry in South Florida, lookism really dominates. If you’re young and pretty, you have a shot. Maybe you are, in that case, good luck to you, and please let us know how you did. The same goes for the high end private yachts sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.[/QUOTE]

For some reason I suspect your cynicism is rubbing off on your prospective employers, because it’s not that hard to find work in the area.

Having ACTUALLY been there an done that in South Florida, I got my start here, and still live here full time. I have worked positions ranging from puke scooper to upper management throughout the scope of my career.

I can tell you first and foremost that responding to postings online is probably the least effective way to find work in this area. Sometimes stuff comes up on Craigslist but Pounding pavement is 100% more effective. I can also tell you that the Captains and crews of these boats are asked dozens of times each day about “how do I get a job like yours” by uninitiated land lubbers all day long and are pretty well fed up with answering that question. Show up to offices or down on the dock at slow times of the day or down days and ask around. Hell maybe even bring a bucket and a scrub brush with you and start cleaning the boat, I know a couple people who have been given jobs like this.

Doing this in the summer months is a waste of your time, TOURIST SEASON IS UPON US NOW IS THE TIME.

Some jobs are more involved than others, but having no experience I think it may behoove you to take the first available position. Once you get a season under your belt as a deckhand that dream job may be more attainable. A can do attitude is important, and if you think you’re above scrubbing bilges then this is not for you.

There are tons of party style offshore fishing boats running out of every inlet in the entire state. Moran, McAllister, and Seabulk operate tugs in the ports in S. FL. Every locality has a Sea Tow and Towboat US franchise occasionally looking for deckhands, there are tons of dive charter boats operating in the area, dinner cruise boats everywhere, the Fort Lauderdale water taxi service, fisher island ferry, dozens of excursion boats running in Key West (sebago, fury, and numerous smaller outfits), there are a couple casino vessels still operating in different parts of the state, the army corps has a large fleet working on lake okeechobee, Metson Marine is operating a couple supply boats out of key west doing navy support work, P&L towing works the Miami River, different ports pilots associations occasionally need deckhands, there’s a couple boats doing Everglades park tours out of Flamingo and Everglades City, and numerous other options.

Point being that there are plenty of options besides the Tortugas Ferry and Key West Express. And having worked on the Key West Express, I do know that they need additional staff this time of year. Maybe this buddy of yours can give you their port captains contact info.