Hello,
I am a cadet at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and am in the process of getting my MMC. The deck rating I applied for is Ordinary Seaman, Wiper, and Steward Department. I am a maritime business major so I will not be receiving my license after I graduate. The business program here offered opportunities for business students to shadow a JSO on an MSC ship as an internship. I applied but was not accepted for the internship. Is there any other a way I could get myself on a ship as an internship (preferably in the supplies department) during the winter months of January - March. I am willing to work for free; I just want to build up my deck rating so I can eventually ship out as a AB after I graduate from school.
I swear that we need to build a wall to keep out this ugly contagion
I hate to say it but this forum is not well at all…in fact it seems to be in seriously declining health
Not sure how you mapped out this as a career path towards being an AB, but I’ll give you some advice anyway. If you want to be an AB, just drop out of school and get a deckhand job on a tugboat or join one of the unlicensed unions. I don’t mean to sound discouraging or anything but if you’re going to a maritime academy you’re probably wasting your money if this is your plan. Alternatively try going for a limited tonnage license. I think your school has a program for that.
[QUOTE=c.captain;190931]I swear that we need to build a wall to keep out this ugly contagion
I hate to say it but this forum is not well at all…in fact it seems to be in seriously declining health[/QUOTE]
Try starting a “Big honkin’ Raise at Chouest” or a “Knocking on Doors in Louisiana” thread, they used to go on for pages and pages.
[QUOTE=LI_Domer;190932]Not sure how you mapped out this as a career path towards being an AB, but I’ll give you some advice anyway. If you want to be an AB, just drop out of school and get a deckhand job on a tugboat or join one of the unlicensed unions. I don’t mean to sound discouraging or anything but if you’re going to a maritime academy you’re probably wasting your money if this is your plan. Alternatively try going for a limited tonnage license. I think your school has a program for that.[/QUOTE]
I still want to leave with my business degree because I plan to go into maritime business after shipping out as an AB for ± 5 years
So I’m not usually for putting people down, but this pretty much the worst way to go about it. If you want to go sea and are attending an academy already, why not get a license? (Hint: it’ll be endorsed as AB unlimited too) If you don’t want a license, why attend an academy? As LI Domer said, consider the limited tonnage options so you’ll at least have something. Given the cost of education these days, this is a colossal waste of your time and money otherwise. You can get a better business degree literally anywhere else, and you can work towards an AB ticket without any of it. I think you need to get a better handle on what your goal here actually is.
[QUOTE=wafinator;190941]So I’m not usually for putting people down, but this pretty much the worst way to go about it. If you want to go sea and are attending an academy already, why not get a license? (Hint: it’ll be endorsed as AB unlimited too) If you don’t want a license, why attend an academy? As LI Domer said, consider the limited tonnage options so you’ll at least have something. Given the cost of education these days, this is a colossal waste of your time and money otherwise. You can get a better business degree literally anywhere else, and you can work towards an AB ticket without any of it. I think you need to get a better handle on what your goal here actually is.[/QUOTE]
I wasn’t exactly clear in my post, I still want my maritime business degree and I still want to do maritime business but after I ship out for a few years. Why I want to ship out is to get a better grasp of the maritime industry, because the classroom can only teach me so much. I think getting a degree from this school looks much better than getting a degree from a second tier Umass school. I don’t want to be an AB for the rest of my life, just a couple of years.
Not to pile on but I sure hope you didn’t use your real name as your forum name up there. Employers will see that in a second with a Google search.
Why didn’t you get an internship? You could also look at the purchasing departments for most of the larger tug companies around.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;190934]Try starting a “Big honkin’ Raise at Chouest” or a “Knocking on Doors in Louisiana” thread, they used to go on for pages and pages.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I kinda miss Jeaux Boss. . . .
I’m a Mass Grad. WTF are you doing? If you want to work in the industry, for god’s sake get your license while you are there. Otherwise, you are wasting your time and money. AND change your profile name. Straighten up Cadet!!! You are embarrassing yourself.
Change major, go to sea, license, get a job
Or
Graduate and get a job ashore.
AB is not the goal. AB is the greatest thing for yourself BEFORE you get a Mate’s job but if you are at the Academy get the ticket. An AB job can be a great career but you don’t need MMA to get you there.
Please, go to the placement office and figure out your plan.
[QUOTE=JacobCastiglioni;190929]Hello, I am a cadet at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and am in the process of getting my MMC. The deck rating I applied for is Ordinary Seaman, Wiper, and Steward Department. I am a maritime business major so I will not be receiving my license after I graduate. The business program here offered opportunities for business students to shadow a JSO on an MSC ship as an internship. I applied but was not accepted for the internship. Is there any other a way I could get myself on a ship as an internship (preferably in the supplies department) during the winter months of January - March. I am willing to work for free; I just want to build up my deck rating so I can eventually ship out as a AB after I graduate from school.[/QUOTE]Another MMA grad here, wishing they’d invent a way to slap someone through the internet. Listen to Bowditch, and try pulling your head out of your ass once and awhile.
Why you want to do that? Take your degree and become a ships Agent, you get the benefits of travel, career, job security, good pay and challenging/rewarding job without the drawbacks of having to be around sailors all 24/7 for months on end with no relief in sight and eating crow.
from an MSC employee.