Thinking of heading down in September. Port of LA/LB super stagnating.
Iām headed down next week to find an os job any companies hiring right now
Right place right time is what matters. Donāt use head hunters
Itās the same message over and overā¦
- Do your homework
- Fly down on a Sunday and pick up rental car
- Arrive at Miss Claudetteās B&B before 6
- Start pounding the pavement with credentialsi in hand, doctors notes if u have a pre existing med condition, and bags packed ready to go
I had to make 2 trips to get it done and canāt say enough about the hospitality of Miss C.
Itās a buyers market folksā¦
This is also my second trip down there. Been there done that. Just trying to get a couple of hot leads before I get there
The 3A/E I stand watch with told me how he gave up looking for an oil patch job and I asked him how he was applying for jobs down thereā¦he said emailā¦
I said, āYou absolutely have to show up in person and knock on doors, if you do youāll land a job.ā Referred him to this thread, too.
I have more skin in the game with Federal time (almost 15 yrs if I do a buyback) so it would be more worth his while than mine to check it out and maybe stay at Claudetteās too.
-
-
- Updated - - -
-
[QUOTE=oilrig84;112615]This is also my second trip down there. Been there done that. Just trying to get a couple of hot leads before I get there[/QUOTE]
Thereās a thread with a huge list of companies, do a search and it will pop up.
[QUOTE=Seapistol;112614]Itās the same message over and overā¦
- Do your homework
- Fly down on a Sunday and pick up rental car
- Arrive at Miss Claudetteās B&B before 6
- Start pounding the pavement with credentialsi in hand, doctors notes if u have a pre existing med condition, and bags packed ready to go
I had to make 2 trips to get it done and canāt say enough about the hospitality of Miss C.
Itās a buyers market folksā¦[/QUOTE]
Thatās it in a nutshell.
You will be filling out many applications which takes a lot of time. Do as many applications as possible online or by mail. The companies probably wonāt look at your application until you are in their office, but at least you will look better organized than most other applicants, and it will save time which will allow you to visit more companies each day.
There is still an enormous glut of people available in relation to the number of jobs. I think that an OS could greatly improve his chances by taking BST, Basic and Advanced Firefighting, SafeGulf, Rigging, HUET and other relevant classes. There is no cheaper or easier place to take the classes than Louisiana. The smaller companies want to hire for immediate needs, and do not want to invest their money sending unproven new hires to classes.
Ditto.
I had to make several trips to get it done as well, and can not say enough good things about Miss Claudetteās hospitality, advice, and insight.
If you have a medical condition it adds a lot of extra work to the process, but it can be gotten through.
For any medical condition, you will have to have had a recent ( last month or so), evaluation of the condition. Better to get this taken care of at home with your doctor, who knows you, as opposed to an expensive visit to a local doctor in Louisiana who does not know you. If you have had a condition that required x-rays you will need to have recent x-rays taken. Bring the CD with the x-ray images on them to give to the office doing the pre-employment physical.
You have got to show up in person. If a company has 10 spots to fill, and 20 applicants sitting in the waiting room, and 100 applications that have been sent from the web, guess what ā¦
If you are getting on in years like me, and have let time take its toll on you physically, now is the time to turn it around. Stretch, do some calisthenics, and get some cardio exercise regularly. I fast tracked myself by spending 2weeks back at home working out ALOT. Daily walks, treadmill, elliptical machine.
A minimum cardio fitness level as applied to airplane pilots should suffice, and I found the conditioning tips here helpful:
http://www.leftseat.com/tmst.htm
I also used an IPhone app with a heart rate monitor to measure my workouts, this helped in the motivation department tremendously:
Best of luck to you all who are looking to get down here.
[QUOTE=Flyer69;112623]Ditto.
I had to make several trips to get it done as well, and can not say enough good things about Miss Claudetteās hospitality, advice, and insight.
If you have a medical condition it adds a lot of extra work to the process, but it can be gotten through.
For any medical condition, you will have to have had a recent ( last month or so), evaluation of the condition. Better to get this taken care of at home with your doctor, who knows you, as opposed to an expensive visit to a local doctor in Louisiana who does not know you. If you have had a condition that required x-rays you will need to have recent x-rays taken. Bring the CD with the x-ray images on them to give to the office doing the pre-employment physical.
You have got to show up in person. If a company has 10 spots to fill, and 20 applicants sitting in the waiting room, and 100 applications that have been sent from the web, guess what ā¦
If you are getting on in years like me, and have let time take its toll on you physically, now is the time to turn it around. Stretch, do some calisthenics, and get some cardio exercise regularly. I fast tracked myself by spending 2weeks back at home working out ALOT. Daily walks, treadmill, elliptical machine.
A minimum cardio fitness level as applied to airplane pilots should suffice, and I found the conditioning tips here helpful:
http://www.leftseat.com/tmst.htm
I also used an IPhone app with a heart rate monitor to measure my workouts, this helped in the motivation department tremendously:
Best of luck to you all who are looking to get down here.[/QUOTE]
The above mentioned excessive medical requirements are good reasons NOT to work for big companies in the Gulf.
They are welcome to X-ray me until I glow in the dark after they have made a commitment to hire me, but I am not spending thousands of dollars of my own money to obtain all these expensive unnecessary tests, just for the privilege of having my application considered. This crap has gotten way out of hand down in the Gulf.
I have never been asked for anything like this on the East or West Coast. Most company physicals are no big deal. I have never seen so many job opportunities to choose from outside the Gulf.
It appears to me that tug pay is better outside the Gulf and working conditions are much better at smaller companies that treat mariners like adults.
I just spent two days in the office reviewing resumes, conducting telephone interviews, and making hiring recommendations. Tugs captains and mates are in short supply. The companies have a simple choice to make, either pay and compete for talent, or scrap the bottom of the barrel and pray. There are plenty of ABs looking for work, but very few experienced tug ABs. The tug companies are in no position to be overly fussy with medicals.
[QUOTE=ātugsailor;112634ā]
I just spent two days in the office reviewing resumes, conducting telephone interviews, and making hiring recommendations.[/QUOTE]
For someone looking to move from their current tug company, this is great to hear.
I do have to agree about medical requirements though. With my current employer I was sent to get a physical was unsure on whether in was being offered a job or not. Perhaps a conditional offer should be given under most circumstances? It would make me feel much better about spending time, and in some cases money, on going through the hoops.
Personally I donāt think there are much for leads over the phone or email, u just have to be standing there when the phone call or email comes in with a boat needing someoneā¦Iām sure though you donāt have to be told this though. This was my second overall trip and I actually got it towards the the end of the week on my 3rd visit that week to ECO. If u keep showing up to where u wanna work, they will pick u up at some point because they know u want it. Online apps and so forth are just a waste of everyoneās time if u ask meā¦
I read on here a lot about guys just wanting to get their foot in the door with absolutely no experience and just an OS/Wiper rating. The first thought that usually came to mind was āgood fucking luckā, but I gotta tell you, after working my first hitch and jumping around on a couple boats, I see and hear of a lot of guys who came here or are just getting here in that same scenario. I gotta say itās pretty inspiring knowing that a company will still take a guy from the ground up these days.
[QUOTE=Seapistol;112652]Personally I donāt think there are much for leads over the phone or email, u just have to be standing there when the phone call or email comes in with a boat needing someoneā¦
I read on here a lot about guys just wanting to get their foot in the door with absolutely no experience and just an OS/Wiper rating. The first thought that usually came to mind was āgood fucking luckā QUOTE
REPLY
I agree that resumes and emails are a waste of time in the Gulf. That says more about the Gulf than it does about the value of a resume.
It depends on where you send your resume and a lot of other things. A couple months ago I sent out four resumes by email, they produced three job offers from people I did not know.
I have a new green as grass 33 year old OS on my boat. He got hired on a good rƩsumƩ with interesting but unrelated experience that included a college degree, college sports, and construction experience. I can tell already that this OS is on the fast track to being a top hand.
[QUOTE=ātugsailorā][/QUOTE]
Resumes do have their place, but I just have had not much luck/feedback with them. After seeing the piles, and Iām talking multiple 2 foot piles, of applications on one companies desk, I understand why almost everyone never gets a call or response.
Now walking in the door of a company and sticking your hand out with a resume is something Iām sold onā¦
Itās frustrating to a degree. If I didnāt have my network and only was interested at working at maybe 2 gulf companies it doesnāt make sense that you canāt really successfully talk to them over the phone or email and tentatively set something up without a trip down there. If you NEED a job then yeah absolutely pounding the pavement is the right thing to do, but for guys who have jobs and are looking to make a change it seems such an outdated practice to have to make a trip just to have a conversation. You would think they would set aside resumes/correspondence of experienced licensed personnel to review and handle differently; I am sure they do to a degree but consistency would be great.
I went for initial interview with ECO and was told a position would be available in the next few days on a new jackup. I left had dinner and the next morning sat in the personnel office for 3 hours until the receptionist asked me who I was waiting for. I replied Mr. job. She got on the phone made a call and I thought I may be going to see the local constable but was ushered to the back and hired on the spot. On the boat 2 days later after the phys and safe gulf. That was 6+ years ago and have been happy and well paid since.
ECO has jack ups?
I like that fella named Mr. Job, he gives me money.
[QUOTE=z-drive;112675]Itās frustrating to a degree. If I didnāt have my network and only was interested at working at maybe 2 gulf companies it doesnāt make sense that you canāt really successfully talk to them over the phone or email and tentatively set something up without a trip down there. If you NEED a job then yeah absolutely pounding the pavement is the right thing to do, but for guys who have jobs and are looking to make a change it seems such an outdated practice to have to make a trip just to have a conversation. You would think they would set aside resumes/correspondence of experienced licensed personnel to review and handle differently; I am sure they do to a degree but consistency would be great.[/QUOTE]
It really amazes me that the HR people at the Gulf companies do not plan ahead or search for quality and experience. Their HR process is driven almost entirely by circumstance ā who happens to walk through the door at a moment of particular need.
What is really absurd are the HR guys that say "We are going to need more guys like you soon, but not today. Come back on Monday maybe weāll need you then and can run you through orientation and the physical.
It would make more sense for them to say "We would like to hire you for future needs, but cannot promise a start date. Weāll check you out and send you for a physical. If everything checks out, we will let you know when we want you to start.
As you said, good people already have decent jobs. They are not inclined to waste much time and money traveling to the Gulf to kowtow to companies with such a haphazard hiring process.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;112684]
It would make more sense for them to say "We would like to hire you for future needs, but cannot promise a start date. Weāll check you out and send you for a physical. If everything checks out, we will let you know when we want you to start.
As you said, good people already have decent jobs. They are not inclined to waste much time and money traveling to the Gulf to kowtow to companies with such a haphazard hiring process.[/QUOTE]
But that makes to much since!
This is my first time out here in Louisiana for door knocking. I went to ECO and spoke with Nikki Collins and the interview went great. The bad time is he told me that he has no spots open for an OS. I traveled all the way from Detroit, seabag packed and all. A
nd its like all this was for nothing. Are there any for sure companies out here hiring that I can go apply for? Any leads? Any suggestions? Any kind of help will be MUCH appreicated.