You have a dilemma to choose from. Stay a deckhand and wait until you get the TOAR, when and if you prove yourself to be able to stand your own watch and get a double yearly salary raise.
Or get your PIC barge and get a 1.5 salary increase as cargo 2nd mate on an ATB.
Or just bide your time until (maybe) you get a call to get a ship job.
The dilemma is how long do you want to wait? The other dilemma is often a recent grad gets typecast as ‘just a PIC’. And the office is reluctant to promote you to the wheelhouse. Sometimes you have to move around to move up. Don’t wait too long, or you get stereotyped and stuck.