Does anybody here have any idea’s as to what type of endorsement i might seek to add to my current rating of AB Unlimited/STCW- RFPNW, lifeboatman. I’ve been looking for work for 18 month’s and have turned up nothing. I’m considering going after the Tankerman PIC. The idea is to take me from Unemployed to Employed. My last job was as 2nd AB delivering the SPT Guardian from Staten Island to
Freeport, Tx. Any suggestion’s would be appreciated.
captblighe:cool:
Is it really that bad out there right now? I really must be out of touch with reality. I just remember the days when I could not get any time off because I did not have a relief or I would have to come back early because someone could not stay away from their girlfriend or momma more than a couple of days at a time. Seriously!! 18 months of actively searching for employment with your qualifications. It was always the deck guys that could work over as much as they wanted. Even after I got my license I could work as much as I wanted. I could have seriously stayed at work for 365 days a year if I wanted. The company would have allowed it. I remember working for John E. Graham and Sons. I would drive that carry-all back to Bayou La Batre from Louisiana. I would go inside to chat with old man Willy and have a cup of coffee with him before I went home and he would be like Lee I have a deckhand that did not show up for crew change on the Betty G or the Celestine G on the Ms. Pam, would you be interested in working extra? Then I would get back in the same carry-all and drive back to Morgan City or Intercoastal or Fourchon or Venice. I remember it like yesterday. I must have been insane!!
I guess there is just an overwhelming number of people out there with identical credentials. Once you do get back to work you need to get a license. Once you get that license keep upgrading. Take every school you can, especially the ones that the company will either pay for or provide for you. Each class you take and each upgrade you achieve makes you a more valuable employee and a better mariner. Eventually you will be able to pick and choose jobs, even in a down market because you are qualified for so many different positions. It may not be the job of your dreams, but it will put food on the table. Good luck to you. Expand your search, show up in person and make yourself available for immediate start dates. Anybody can pick up a phone and it is very easy to say no to someone on the phone. It is a lot tougher to do it in person. Especially if you dress nice and have a profesional demeanor when showing up at their doorstep. Stay positive and humble. Make the rounds again. Contact ex employers and expand your search to other areas like drilling rigs, tugs, jack ups. Hire on as a roustabout with a drilling company if you have to. It is money and a good way to get your foot in the door on a drill ship. Once you get there as a roustabout with an AB it won’t take long before you get picked up by the marine department. Starting salary as a roustabout with some drilling companies is over 60K work even time. 70 to 100K for a Bosun with the right company working even time. Have you checked out rigzone. I have seen advertisements for AB’s there occasionally.
I am not questioning you, but it has been a long time since I have been knocking on doors, so I may have lost touch with reality. Just remember the more you know and the more you can do makes you more valuable to employers.
http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Roustabout-245C300.html
Have you applied at these places? Have you tried Helix?
You have to have the required number of loads/discharges and a class before adding the tankerman endorsement.
Have you tried SIU?? When I went and talked to them he said with those credintials it would take about a month or less to get on with them.
It’s my intention to drive over to La and do just that. I’ll begoing door to door with my resume and physically hand the resume to th hr people if possible. As well i’ll be packed and ready to go to work at the drop of a hat. I was in the GOM pre crash in 83. The company’s i was with we’re like Montco, C & G Marine, Gilbert Cheramie. Back then you could quit a job in the morning and have another job in a day or so.
I Use rig zone, gCaptain, Spectrum marine…Janet Berry, Northstar Marine…John Davis
Gotcha…i was wondering about that
I think it really is that bad out here. I have unlimited chief mate/SDPO/3000 master oceans and tons of experience offshore and have been looking seriously since Jan. No one was interested. No one was hiring. Got a couple who said they would be “soon” but still waiting. Used to be with my credentials, I would have a job in a couple hours on the phone. Not at this point. With the moratorium in the Gulf, so many laid off, and the general recession in the rest of the country, I think the offshore industry is just in a major hiring freeze lately.
By the way, Helix constantly has those ads up all over rigzone but they are not ever hiring through them. I don;t know why they put those ads on there.
John Davis is good but also look into C-Mar, Oceanwide and Wood Group since none of them will charge you anything to find you a job if they have any work (none did last time I checked in with them a month ago)
Best thing for you to do would be to get an engineers license! They are always looking for engineers!!!
Good luck
get your crane operators certificate. quicker than PIC and ALWAYS needed in the gulf oilfield. then apply at oceaneering or chouest
[QUOTE=seadog!;48684]You have to have the required number of loads/discharges and a class before adding the tankerman endorsement.[/QUOTE]
I think it would be a plus to have the cert of completion of the PIC course in hand when applying for a job. The only drawback is having to be out the money for the course.
[QUOTE=captlaura;48732]get your crane operators certificate. quicker than PIC and ALWAYS needed in the gulf oilfield. then apply at oceaneering or chouest[/QUOTE]
True. Crane operators can always get work and make decent money. The money is kind of screwy in my opinion. Mariners have to jump through all sorts of hoops with the USCG, STCW and all the other initials, pay for expensive schooling etc. In the mean time drillers, tool pushers and the like make more money than many of the licensed mariners [ directional drillers are making $1300/day] plus these folks can get a job in a minute, it’s largely OJT and company paid schooling for the drill floor jobs too!
I’d tell someone just starting out in the oil field to weigh the differences and make a close comparison before choosing a maritime career.
Than were are the schools for the crane operators???
I do not see a 2 day course being what is needed,
what are the requirements and were do you get the schooling
Seatrax has a 3 day API approved course which runs about $3000. You should be able to Google them. Give them a call, ask for one of the instructors and ask them what the job market looks like right now and what the pay is.
tengineer
Janet berry at spectrum hasn’t been available, I have used John & Mary davis at northstar…i have registered with Kelly Sweeny but got Nothing, I apply to every lead i get. Today…4/19/11 I got an email from
Conoco Philipps about a mess mans job i applied for…so i’ll make the changes they want on the screening process and resubmit. Now if by chance i do get on as a mess person, and a position opens for an AB…will i be able to make the move out where i belong ?
I called seatrax this morning and for someone in my position it’s a 5 day course. Two day’s Rigger and
three day’s crane, and the cost is $1300.
captblighe:cool:
[QUOTE=captblighe;48711]It’s my intention to drive over to La and do just that. I’ll begoing door to door with my resume and physically hand the resume to th hr people if possible. As well i’ll be packed and ready to go to work at the drop of a hat. I was in the GOM pre crash in 83. The company’s i was with we’re like Montco, C & G Marine, Gilbert Cheramie. Back then you could quit a job in the morning and have another job in a day or so.[/QUOTE]
As I was reading this thread, I thought I’d drop a line to let you all know that I am aware of a few mariners who just got hired on with companies, here, in South LA.
These guys have stayed with me several times and knocked on many doors.
One got hired on with Edison Chouest, another with GOL,
So, never give up!
If I can be of more help to any of you, please email me at anytime.
Claudette L. Pitre
A Chateau on the Bayou Bed & Breakfast
3158 Hwy. 308
Raceland, LA 70394
www.achateauonthebayou.com
(985) 537-6773
[QUOTE=captblighe;48855]I called seatrax this morning and for someone in my position it’s a 5 day course. Two day’s Rigger and
three day’s crane, and the cost is $1300.
captblighe:cool:[/QUOTE]
That is CHEAP for the job opportunities it opens up.
Crane operators, at least on my vessel with the large McGregor heave-comp cranes, make nearly as much as 2nd Mate, with not much as far as certifications to keep up with. They do stay busy though.