Hi
My name is lee and i am 42 years old . i have not worked for the last 10 years due to being a carer for my disabled son. before that worked as a warehouse manager for a number of different companies . i have reached a point in my life now where my son does not need me around to assist him so much anymore and also having a partner now who is willing to take some of the burden allowing me to try and go back to work.
i have always considered and fancied working at sea and the possibility of long periods away from home does not phase me . However i am at a complete loss as to how and where i would even start a carreer at sea. i am thinking more along the lines of working on large tankers and i do not mind what roll i was to start at on board as i am willing to put a lot of time and effort into progressing and learning to advance myself.
my motivation is second to none as you can imagine have 4 children and 1 special needs i want to now work for the last 20 -30 years of my life to ensure the future for my children is secure. yes i am 42 but i am in good physical condition and believe i am mentally strong and am very quick to learn .
i would realy appreciate any advice or even opportunities someone would have or may know of the help me get started .
Thanks for joining the gCaptain forum. What part of the country do you live in? Have you checked out the employment section of this forum and the career section of the gCaptain website? Lots of good info there. You can get an idea of who is hiring try to speak to them and see what they say. Start by making a list of sponsoring companies and take some notes that way you stay organized. Along the way you’ll work with cutting-edge technologies, developing a raft of practical and technical skills. And find yourself equipped with the confidence to lead a team.
Ships Officers in Navigation (Deck) and Engineering need a seafarer Certificate of Competency – issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Then as your experience at sea grows and you pass the required examinations, you’ll get more certificates for promotion into the next job role.
As for that, they prefer taking guys straight out of Phase 3 from the PP school. It’s in the 2nd week of Phase 3 (IIRC) that students are asked whether they’d like to volunteer for MSC and special clearance. Crowley gets in touch with you the very next day, a 30 page questionnaire, which has to be filled out ASAP, worth of your entire life history (starting from your life in school, your past and present neighbors, work history, etc) to be disclosed and once you’re done with Phase 3, they send you off for small arms training. By the time you come back from that, you have yet to receive your special clearance and left cooling your heels at home, while the rest of your class mates have shipped out for Phase 4.
Having said that, prior military experience does not guarantee you receiving special clearance. I know of several ex-Marine & Army vets (class mates actually), with Iraq and Afghanistan experience and a higher security clearance when on active duty which was current at that time, who were denied. Everybody were left scratching their heads, trying to figure out why.
To the OP, if you want to go to Piney Point, and at your age, that’d be a very wise choice, pm me and I’ll try to walk you through the admission process as well as give tips on surviving the BS that’s there during Phase 1
[QUOTE=smoker;188144]As for that, they prefer taking guys straight out of Phase 3 from the PP school. It’s in the 2nd week of Phase 3 (IIRC) that students are asked whether they’d like to volunteer for MSC and special clearance. Crowley gets in touch with you the very next day, a 30 page questionnaire, which has to be filled out ASAP, worth of your entire life history (starting from your life in school, your past and present neighbors, work history, etc) to be disclosed and once you’re done with Phase 3, they send you off for small arms training. By the time you come back from that, you have yet to receive your special clearance and left cooling your heels at home, while the rest of your class mates have shipped out for Phase 4.
[/QUOTE]
good to know that as i have been considering the MSC route
[QUOTE=DeepSeaDiver;188136]Ahoy - Trainee Clark !! Welcome !!
Thanks for joining the gCaptain forum. What part of the country do you live in? Have you checked out the employment section of this forum and the career section of the gCaptain website? Lots of good info there. You can get an idea of who is hiring try to speak to them and see what they say. Start by making a list of sponsoring companies and take some notes that way you stay organized. Along the way you’ll work with cutting-edge technologies, developing a raft of practical and technical skills. And find yourself equipped with the confidence to lead a team.
Ships Officers in Navigation (Deck) and Engineering need a seafarer Certificate of Competency – issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Then as your experience at sea grows and you pass the required examinations, you’ll get more certificates for promotion into the next job role.
Don’t be an idiot Emrobu based on what I read on your posts your a very intelligent mate. Help the guy out. That’s what we are all about. With that said please post something that will actually help him out.
[QUOTE=DeepSeaDiver;188159]Don’t be an idiot Emrobu. Help the guy out. Thats what we are all about mate. With that said please post something that will actually help him out.[/QUOTE]
I’m only teasing. It’s what idiots do when they’ve got nothing helpful to say. Do not take it personally, Babs.
[QUOTE=DeepSeaDiver;188159]Don’t be an idiot Emrobu. Help the guy out. Thats what we are all about mate. With that said please post something that will actually help him out.[/QUOTE]
Here we go again with the same fucking question. To the OP, make time to search and read past posts here on gCaptain. Don’t scan, read. The information and attitudes that you’ll come across is like a real live set of conversations that may or may not take place on a vessel. Really take the time to read and absorb the information. You’ll see that different sectors will have different opinions on almost everything. The banter that goes on during the course of a thread is the real deal. That shit may happen on a vessel. Personalities may clash, people’s little feelings may get hurt and retaliations may happen. If you don’t have the time to sit down and read and dedicate even more time to research, then you don’t belong out here on the water. I know there are many seasoned sailors out there that have spent countless hours "guiding, teaching, mentoring, and all around sharing knowledge, only to get let down or burned in the end. Put some effort into this new career you so desire and show the forum members that you’re serious about this move. Come back in at least a couple of days and ask some serious, well thought out and engaging questions…and you just might receive a good positive and real answer. And if you can’t take some ribbing, ball breaking and shit talk…,then you won’t make it out here. I’m on a boat with 9 other professional trash talkers. They are like the terminator when it comes to being relentless on getting fucked with. It’s all in good fun. You’ll need to prove your worth out there especially as a young hawsepiper and fresh academy grad. Age is not an issue if you’re a hard/smart worker. Good luck with your research.
I move quick from subject to subject this stuff is only a really small subject in the theme of it all. I know it sounds weird but meteorites are what I am learning about today. Did you know the asteroid ring is between Mars and Jupiter? I am the kind of mate that does not have racehorse blinders on. You mates are kool I have no doubt in that. Take a look at this. I find it interesting as its learning something new. Click on some of the jpgs. Thing about me is I dont try to attack others. Thats what got somebody we know in that is in hot water currently did. PS he is online recently from time to time and just does not have posting privliges so far - as set by the permissions on the forum software. peace out. Progress is being made. Members - Dont give the admins or mods a hard time. Give it some time our popular mate will be back.
I can’t think of a worse time for new blood to be coming into this industry.
I’ve been at this more than half my life, and I feel like I should start a thread titled ‘help with CONTINUING a career @ sea.’
[QUOTE=RubberRhib888;188210]Yeah, I’m right there with you![/QUOTE]
I have advised my grandchildren who are old enough to go to sea not to consider a maritime career. With the neo-liberalization of all industries the maritime industry is changing and not for the better. “Trade” agreements between countries are eliminating job protections of national mariners in favor of the lowest wage mariner available. Unions which used to protect jobs have been emasculated and are no longer a factor, see Australia’s unions for a recent example for mariners, USA national union job protection died long ago others are slowly being strangled. Some European countries still offer protections, particularly the Scandinavian countries but I don’t know how long they can hold out . If TISA, TTIP, TPP and other recent proposals are agreed upon [it appears they will] a maritime career will only be attractive to those residing in developing countries. Wages will be too low for those living in a developed country to afford them a decent standard of living. Most of these so called “trade” agreements have nothing to do with trade but rather the control of wages and profits by multinational corporations. The average citizen is uninformed about these proposals, by design.
If you’re serious then take an STCW Basic Training course, get your TWIC, then get your MMC (submit your BT certificate to the NMC when you apply for the MMC).
After that PM me and I’ll give you an email address to ask about an OS job on a ship (no guarantees but a good chance of getting it). It’s faster than going to the union school and no worries about if you’ll actually get work out of the hall.
