You said MEBA told you forget about finding a job? Was that Erin?
yes, Erin and another guy- I don’t remember his name
Older thread and the kid is probably discouraged and gone. Which is unfortunate.
Congratulations on getting you mates certificate.
Getting the first mates job is the hardest. Most jobs require expierience. You need to get a job to get expierience. Hard catch 22.
Cadets have an andvantage. Schools often have placement programs and a company cadet program is often a good means of vetting prospects.
I have a new “ hawspiper” word is she has just passed. Haven’t even seen her yet to hear first hand. I have already asked the boss when we can get trained up.
She is one of ours. I know her already. She has been working on this for a while. I can ussualy tell who can make the jump and those who will struggle ahead of time.
Those who can make it. Have been asking me and others, why we do what we do. I have let them take the con. I have been preparing them all the way through. Time comes they will make the grade.
New guy off the street. Ticket with wet ink and no expierience. You pretty much got start on deck and haven’t climbed the hawsepipe yet.
Way to do it?
Come on board tell me what you you have a ticket and start asking questions about why we do shit. I will answer.
Asked the right questions. I will start to ask you some.
Concivince me you know what you are doing.
Then I might just ask the boss to give you a shot. You wouldn’t be the first or the last.
Some of the best new mates were on the wheel asking a lot of questions and learning how to look out the window and figure shit out by eye.
Union no union difrent question with difrent unions some it easier some it’s harder.
Non union. Well I am a union guy. But non union it’s up to you.
Getting hired as a mate off the street, hawsepiper with no mates experience? Ain’t going to say it won’t happen, just don’t hold your breath.
I know plenty of academy mates who “couldn’t find any work” and are driving trucks, stocking shelves, or working for Dad. I also know plenty who somehow found work right away. Same situation for hawsepipers. Some people can find work no problem. Some never will. Seems to be more of a personal problem, less of a job market problem. And that crosses all trades and lines of work.
5 Likes
They don’t call you except for emergency openings. You either get hired by the company directly or you call the dispatcher multiple times a week until you get a ship.
1 Like
yes, I did that for 2 years, finally gave up on them
Do you have a PIC? Call Crowley they’re always looking for people.
not anymore. I worked 13 yrs on tankers, but not in the last 5, so no- no more PIC.
I’ve been arguing about these job restrictions already in other places. Total BS IMHO, USCG should not keep putting us in smaller and smaller boxes, sooner or later we will be stuck working on only 1 boat for our entire careers the way they’re going.
Why am I finding it hard to believe MMP said that? I have been in for years and the most I ever heard was “things have been slow, but there is night mating.”
MMP turning people away that blatantly is just a complete exaggeration.
I am thinking the same thing. They all want your initial application money at the very least.
To the OP. MEBA does not have a whole lot of mates contracts so that may be what they were trying to explain. They are also, in my opinion, predominantly focused on representing engineers. I would also say to you that Houston is not a really active hall for either union when it comes to deck officer jobs. You will have to travel to one where the jobs are and get in line with the rest of the members and applicants. It will mean nothing that you are a hawespiper either. Just like it means nothing where any of us went to school.
That why I asked if it was a MEBA official whol told him no work or a just a member in the hall. No official is going to discourage some one from joining. They might steer you towards another hall but shouldn’t be flat out saying don’t bother
1 Like
Shoreside jobs picking up. Flag registries strengthening their work force. If you cant sail, work shoreside for a bit, learn the regulatory side. Go back sailing with knowledge that others dont have. There are always things to do, jobs are there, you just have to be patient.