So I had accepted an offer from NOAA for an AB position… wasnt my first choice, had been applying other places, but didn’t hear squat so…
Yesterday got a tentative start date with NOAA, not super happy as I figured I’d only be home about 10-20% of the year… Pay was (kinda)okay, bene’s are good…
Last night, phone rings, Seattle number… Spoke with the training/hiring guy for a local tug co., basically quickie phone interview. He said come on down we’ll talk…
Well, after 8 am interview, ended up doing HR paperwork, getting DOT physical schedueled, OSHA training, tug tour… start date of around the 6th of August as a trainee mate making almost 3 times the dayrate NOAA would’ve paid…
Super happy! I had sent a resume asking about cadeting with this company, then applied every other month with them via un-solicited resumes… 
When I met with one of the HR gentleman from the company he mentioned that they are real busy and need crew, and that one of the reasons they called was that I had “been persistent”… (not exact words but to that effect)…
That all being said, two lessons I learned, be persistent! and don’t pigeon-hole yourself with what you think you know, go for what you want to do. I’m a recent academy grad, 3rd-oceans(May '11) who realized during a cadet period aboard a tug-barge that I liked the towing industry way more than big boats… But being an academey grad makes it hard to even get someone to take you seriously as a potential crew member aboard a towing vessel, due to past bad experiences with nose-in-the-air types, etc… But just punch away and eventually you’ll connect…
I went down there today hoping to come out with a deckhand/cook gig that I could do for a few years and hopefully work my way up to the wheelhouse once I knew what was going on…
Walking out of the interview I have a training book, TOAR book, deckhand check-off, and most importantly a START DATE(!), etc, and the company has said to me (“Hey, we want to train you and grow you in our organization”)…
As an aside, coming out of the building, a tugboat is being built right there about 50 yards from the front door… Rolling Stones “You can’t always get what you want” blasting from from one of the welders radio… Kinda made me smile.
Now to brush up on my Rules o’ the Road, re-read the Primer of Towing, go over the TOAR and Deckhand packets and Manual with a fine tooth comb, oh and plan out a few weeks of menus…
Super-stoked.