Chiltern Marine

[tommo]

Hello folks,
Once again I find myself in need of advice from you kind people. I have had a successful interview with Maersk and also a successful interview with Trinity House/ Chiltern Marine. I have done my research with Maersk however I have a few questions about Chiltern Marine;
1, Because no job is secured as 3rd officer at the end of my training, is it hard to find a job afterwards on tankers/containers, I know that Chiltern work closely with Viking so it may not be too hard getting on cruise ships if that's the path I want to go, but what about tanker/container companies?
2, Also, can someone enlighten me on the ship types they have been on, and how easy it is to get on what you put down for.
Thanks's again!

Tommo

[Charley]

Hi Tommo

I am a Trinity House cadet about to go off on my first trip with a tanker company called Ardmore Shipping.

Yes Chiltern/Trinity do not offer a contract after your training. However the contacts you make with the shipping companies whose ships you are placed on during your training give you the opportunity to network and give you an "in" to possible jobs after your training.

As for the ships Chiltern cadets have been on:
I am about to go on a tanker. But some friends of mine are going on Stena Ferries, Trinity House ships, Cruise ships (Not just the Holland America Ships), super yachts (a cadet is currently on one as his first trip), container ships.

To be honest just about anything with Chiltern.
Who was your interview with Trinity or Chiltern - the main difference is who actually sponsors your training.

[jake]

HI Tommo,
Have you had an offer from Maersk ? I still haven't heard anything since my interview last week, i met some Maersk cadets today at Fleetwood and i was extremely impressed with what they had to say. Spoke to Trinity house who say they are still sifting through their applications and will be offering interviews in April or late march. Looks like you have the heads up before the rest of us! I spoke with a cadet from Trinity and she was also very enthusiastic about them and said she had an excellent and very varied sea phase.
Good luck with whatever you decide!

[tommo]

Right ok, cheers Charlie, my interview was with Chiltern Marine, with a member of Trinity House there as well, it seemed very impressive, also they said something about more sea time and on a variety of ships? Does this really have a big impact when looking for employment as a 3rd officer??
Yeah that's correct Jake, I had an interview with Maersk, and they phoned me the next day saying that they would like to make me an offer so I've got some tough decisions to make ...

[New OOW]

Hello,
Which part of the Maersk group have offered you sponsorship (containers, tankers, offshore)? If it is tankers or offshore then I would go with them.
You can move from oil/gas to most other types of vessels but it is nearly impossible to move in the opposite direction therefore it is best to get experience on these types of vessels as a cadet, so think about applying to Shell, B.P or the RFA.
A few of the Trinity/chiltern cadets in my class got trips on oil tankers although some didn't but as far as the training groups go Trinity are the best of the bunch.
Viking do work closely with Trinity and if your last trip as a cadet was on a cruise ship then you would stand a good chance of getting employment as a 4th officer on a cruise ship.
I was at an interview day last year for 4th officer positions with a cruise ship company, there were 8 persons present (7 newly qualififed and 1 who had two years experience on containerships) and the general feeling among the newly qualified was that we should have studied engineering, there is a shortage of engineers (not deck officers) and the skill set from engineering can easily be used ashore.

[Frenchy]

If you become a Maersk cadet you are sponsored by Maersk Crewing Ltd who organise crewing for all three Maersk fleets (tankers, box boats and supply). During the cadetship you will get chance to experience all three. Only upon qualification will you know to which fleet you will be sent. You can state a preference, however it ultimately comes down to operational demand.
The bulk of qualifying cadets will be sent to the container and supply fleets and a very small number to tankers. There is actually only one British flag tanker in the fleet, and it is required to maintain a British crew for operational reasons (it is chartered by the MOD), and it is likely that if you get sent to the tanker fleet you will serve on it.

[Charley]

also they said something about more sea time and on a variety of ships? Does this really have a big impact when looking for employment as a 3rd officer??

That's about right. Whereas some companies may give you 1 sea placement lasting 4 months for Phase 2. Chiltern may give you 4 placements on 4 different ships lasting about 6 weeks each. There certainly is variety in the ships that you go on. But remember all companies will give you the minimum required sea time.

I have always been told that when it comes to looking for 3rd officer jobs (and its still a while away for me) keep an open mind on the ship you want to go on. Once you have done one trip on any type of ship as a 3rd or 4th officer, this is likely to make you more desirable to employers than a freshly qualified OOW.

Please correct me if I am wrong on this last bit.

[tommo]

Right ok, well thanks for all the advice guys! I am still undecided, but I will have to choose in the next week.. Ohh and the interview was Maersk tankers/containers not offshore but the promotional prospects will still be very good!

[tommo]

One final question, If I accept the offer from Chiltern Marine, am I correct in saying there i no guarantee on what ship's you get on, also what companies do Chiltern put cadets with regarding tankers and container companies?
Finally, my concern is that once I qualify I will have my OOW ticket but I won't be able to find a job as 3rd mate on tankers/containers. Is this correct, or am I over thinking things? I know it is easier to find a job on cruise ship because of the close connections with Viking.

Thanks again

[GuinnessMan]

One final question, If I accept the offer from Chiltern Marine, am I correct in saying there i no guarantee on what ship's you get on, also what companies do Chiltern put cadets with regarding tankers and container companies?
Finally, my concern is that once I qualify I will have my OOW ticket but I won't be able to find a job as 3rd mate on tankers/containers. Is this correct, or am I over thinking things? I know it is easier to find a job on cruise ship because of the close connections with Viking.

Thanks again

You're all over-thinking things. Remember that something ridiculous like a 1/3rd of you will not make it to Phase 3 and then another 1/3'd won't make it to the end of the cadetship (that's before the OOW exam) so worry about getting the cadetship sorted first and then once you've actually qualified then worry about getting a job.

[tommo]

Right ok, well thanks for the advice GM!
Appreciate it

[Charley]

One final question, If I accept the offer from Chiltern Marine, am I correct in saying there i no guarantee on what ship's you get on, also what companies do Chiltern put cadets with regarding tankers and container companies?

That's correct there is no guarantee what kind of ship you get on. There isn't really a set list of what companies Chiltern Maritime puts cadets on they contact ship management companies and the like to sort out cadet berths on ships.

GM is right it is too early to think about job prospects at the end of a cadetship before you have started. But to answer your question the OOW: Unlimited ticket is for all types of vessel and if you do a cadetship on a cruise ship, it doesn't mean you cannot go on a tanker or container ship.

[GuinnessMan]

But to answer your question the OOW: Unlimited ticket is for all types of vessel and if you do a cadetship on a cruise ship, it doesn't mean you cannot go on a tanker or container ship.

[rant] Just to tag on to that, just because you're only working on Cruise Ships do not go off thinking that you don't need to know anything about cargo operations because as Charley says you will have an unlimited ticket so you can work on any type of vesse,l and I (and I'm sure a few others as well) get a bit sick and tired of hearing things like "Why do I need to know that? I'm only on cruise ships". Also, just because you go around mincing about in your uniforms all day, do not for one second think that you are better (or worse) than those that work on the cargo ships. [/rant]

[New OOW]

In theory with an unlimited ticket (Deck OOW) you can work on any type of vessel but try and get on a oil/gas tanker as a newly qualified officer with no oil/gas experience and it will be nearly impossible (I have had the e-mail, thank you for your interest but due to lack of specific experience....).
As a cadet I was on Cruise, Container and General Cargo ships (my training company managed to arrange 12 months and three days sea time!).
Another newly qualified officer (he had spent all of his cadetship on containers) from my group phoned up a cruise company and was told "sorry you have no cruise ship experience".
If as a cadet you are on a gas/oil tanker then you will be sent on specific gas/oil familiarisation courses (Trinity cadets in my class were sent on oil fam. course), if you are a cadet with an oil/gas compnay then you will be able to have oil/gas tanker endorsement on your unlimited COC.
I think it is wise to be thinking about future employment (a bit of application and the course and Orals will not be a problem) and it would be an idea to have a look at some of the recruitment sites (e.g. Seamariner, Nuwave, Jobs at Sea, Clyde etc.) to see firstly what jobs are available for Junior officers and what specific experience the companies want.