[quote=Ashley;17826]
[B][U]I have legitimate questions about the industry[/U][/B], and I’m trying to find out whether I want this OR not. [/quote]
Ashely, gender is not and should not be the issue. Like everyone who ever went to sea, you will not know if it is for you until you do it, regardless of how much you dissect it to death on here. Time to Nike and move on perhaps?
Note to Mikey…are we ready for a gHarmony section yet?
I’ve sailed with mates like these, males and females. What SUNY class was she?
Ashley you have met the one profession were your degree means nothing. Yea I got one of those pieces of paper with fancy calligraphy all over it, it’s in the back of my closet somewhere. Still started out on deck throwing lines and wiping the walls down. As did everybody else here.
Your idea of option number two does not exist, at least in this industry. There are no short cuts in the maritime industry, even the fresh 3rd mates out of school spent their time chipping paint and scrubbing toilets. Now not knowing what your degree is you might be able to leverage it working for the oil companies on a rig, but that would be about it.
Seems like your thinking that if you come to work out here that you can never go back to land if it doesn’t work out for you. There is nothing wrong with finding a job working it a few months, deciding it’s not for you, and going back to what ever it was you were doing before. It takes a certain type of mentally deranged person who actually looks forward to spending at least 9 months away from the sight of land and with little outside contact from the world.
That 70/30 split you speak of is common in every industry. For most it’s just a pay check, but for the rest of us, we wake up every day and can’t believe we get paid for this. You can’t look at that though, because only you can decide what is right for you.
Jem,
I didn’t know that EVERYONE had to start from scratch. I just figured the amount of higher ed. separated the blue-collared workers from the white–per ce. I’m sure it’s probably not classified as such, and I’m using terminology that doesn’t fare well with people on board.
Thank you for responding back.
[quote=Ashley;17928]Jem,
I didn’t know that EVERYONE had to start from scratch.[/quote]
Trust me on this one… you want to start at the bottom because it is not about will power, it is about motivation, and nothing motivates you like scrubbing a toilet and all the other fun stuff you “get” to do.
If you do go out and try this give it 2 or 3 hitches because it will take you that long just to get into the swing of things. Like you said it is only work if you would rather be doing something else and for myself I sometimes feel a little guilty when I cash my check. But not too much. 
Jem is right Ashley, in the maritime industry it wouldn’t make a bit of difference if you or any of us had a Phd from MIT, you would still start as an OS if you wanted to sail. When it comes to getting a Mariner’s license,endorsement or upgrade in rank all the Coast Guard cares about is how much sea time you have on what horsepower and tonnage vessel you’ve done it on. You could go to an accredited Maritime University such as SUNY (State University of New York) and come out with your 3rd mate unlimited license (deck) but in the end that is worth the same as 1080 days aboard an unlimited tonnage vessel. There are no short cuts, believe me I wish there were. You have to be out here because you love to sail. There are some people out here that are stuck (wife,kids,mortgage) but that happens all the time with any jobs on land as well. I only know a handful of people that are truly happy with their jobs in general both land and at sea. (I guess I only know a handful of people that are happy with their life in general) In the end it just takes time out here to get where you or any of us are trying to get to.
Talk about starting at the bottom. My career started on a casino boat. Not a glorified janitor either. I cleaned up all the food that the morons threw up while being too wrapped up with the slot machines to actually go to the bathroom. Bathroom, the women’s bathroom was WORSE then the men. They would throw used feminine products right on the floor. I learned from it, studied hard, applied myself, went the extra step. And now I am a 1600 Master. Starting at the bottom enables you to learn what to do and what not to do, how to do it and how not to do it. And I have a 2 year college degree also (prior to the casino boat). Get off your ass, suck it up and start at the bottom on board a vessel or get a land job. Good luck!
There’s an alternative. Go talk to Exxon, BP, BHP and the lot. Tell them you want to learn the offshore oil industry and see what your degree qualifies you for. They have some excellent training programs and you’ll get a heckuva education if they’ll take you on. The better paying sailing jobs don’t do much sailing anyway, couple of hundred miles max for the OSV guys and even less for the drillships. Heck, you could spend 30 years in the domestic offshore oil industry and never see more than 3 “ports” so if seeing the world is your goal you might want to consider another profession. On the other hand if an oil major will take you on in one of their training positions you’ll eventually see a lot of the world.
Bon chance !
[QUOTE=lolorama;17953][CENTER][B]Terminator Salvation[/B][/QUOTE]
WTF? Yo, go spam somewhere else. Where is our Super Moderator Doug when we need him?
There’s an Exxon right in Baton Rouge that is close enough for a commute. I actually have a friend that’s an engineer for them–only thing, they are not hiring at the moment. When does applying yourself seem to be more of a pesterance than determination to break through?–becomes the question.
First hand account, I know this particular company needs new hires; however, when trying to contact–this est. mentions that they do not need anyone at the moment. I know for a fact they are getting another ship–everyone works there know it too. Weird.
What’s going on with THAT scenario?
Now that is a story to be in awe of. Thank you for sharing.
How many years did it take you to get where you are–from where you started?
Started in April 2002, but had sea time on recreational scuba boats prior to that. 1600 Master in October 2007.
Dedication + motivation = celebration
Dedication to the job
Motivation to move up
Celebration when you’re on the beach enjoying the fiscal reward
[quote=Ashley;17969]There’s an Exxon right in Baton Rouge that is close enough for a commute. I actually have a friend that’s an engineer for them–only thing, they are not hiring at the moment. [I]When does applying yourself seem to be more of a pesterance than determination to break through?–[/I]becomes the question.
First hand account, I know this particular company needs new hires; however, when trying to contact–this est. mentions that they do not need anyone at the moment. I know for a fact they are getting another ship–everyone works there know it too. Weird.
What’s going on with THAT scenario?[/quote]
You are assuming that they need new engineers. And if they are getting a new ship, will it be delivered next week or next year? I would also imagine that the jobs on the new ship would first be offered to staff already employed by the company.
If you would want to get an engineer’s job with Exxon (SeaRiver) and assuming that they WERE hiring, you would be competing with others that already had their appropriate license and documentation; and for the most part, experience. Let’s face it. There are not a lot of US Flag berths for officers to be had. Besides all the engineers on the beach now, you would also be competing with any newly graduated engineers from any of the 6 or so maritime academies. What would you be offering to Exxon that would make you a better hire than these folks with the training and sea time?
And while you may have a contact with Exxon in Baton Rouge, SeaRiver is bases their operation in Houston.
You have received a lot of good advice on this forum. Hopefully this will be helpful too.
Things are slow in the Gulf of Mexico right now, but that will not last. Many of the mariners who have been laid off will have moved on and found work elsewhere. There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of being hired when it picks back up again. You will have to invest a little time and money.
Apply for the TWIC card, and identify yourself as a merchant mariner. Take an STCW Basic Safety Training course. Then apply for your Merchant Mariner Document. Once you have these basic credentials, apply to all the companies that interest you. Check back with the companies once a month and when your application is no longer active, reapply.
This will give you an advantage over potential mariners with no credentials. Also, when you are hired, ask about being reimbursed for the TWIC, MMD and BST. Many companies will reimburse you. Having these entry level credentials will allow you to seek employment in any sector of the merchant marine.
I don’t get it Capt. Fran ? has something been deleted or I’m having the proverbial blond momemt? 
Ok, I applied for a deckhand job in MC and I met all requirements (just to be a HS grad, and that was It! lol)…I just never heard anything from them, YET.
So, I assume if they ever interview me for the job, any further training will be on the company.
[quote=Ashley;18111]Ok, I applied for a deckhand job in MC and I met all requirements (just to be a HS grad, and that was It! lol)…I just never heard anything from them, YET.
So, I assume if they ever interview me for the job, any further training will be on the company.[/quote]
What you have said is usually the case in the oilfield.
My post was about increasing your chances of gaining employment and opening up options other than the oilfield. You can be one of a small number of applicants with basic credentials or you can be one of many applicants with no credentials. Also, even if you are hired, you will not be allowed to work until you have at least a TWIC card. It is all about initiative.
As a female mariner who has worked her way up from deckhand to master 1600 tons and chief mate unlimited, I can tell you that you have to have the determination to stick to this if you decide this is what you want to do. If this is what you want to do, you can not let anyone elses opinions or obstacles stand in your way. You will have to find ways to get around all of that and continue. There are other jobs for women in this field. There are good jobs for women in this field. I have known and sailed with women chief engineers, chief mates, and masters. All of them were very good at thier jobs. It is definately possible for a woman to come out here, start at the bottom (we all have to do that) and work thier way up in a few years. JP
Amen, 'nough said.