Graduate Recruitment

[06njack]

Hi all, I have a couple of questions about joining the MN that I haven't been able to find answers to on the net, hopefully someone might have an idea!

I'm a 2nd year Computer Science/Maths student at University and I've recently been considering a career at sea. I've had it in my mind that I'd join the RN after univeristy and have been a member of the Royal Naval Unit, however I'm having second thoughts on whether the military life is for me.

I've tried to research the MN but all the examples that I've found, plus job openings are for cadets that are just leaving school with nothing other than GCSE/A-Levels. Does anyone know of a scheme for graduates? I'm interested in pursuing a careers as a deck officer (3rd year maths/engineering is not for me!)

I understand that there is alot to learn but I don't think I'd have the same problems as a GCSE student would have doing mathematical problems thanks to a long 2 years! However, I've only seen Cadet programs that assume you are just a school leaver. I'm specifically interested in cruise lines for now...

Sorry for going on a little!

Thanks in advance

[Clanky]

As far as I am aware there would be no fast track route for you as your degree is only relevant to a small proportion of the training and even then only as underpinning knowledge rather than anything which you would use directly as part of the job. I believe there are fast track programs in place for people with either engineering or nautical based degrees, but even then they seem to be dealt with on a case basis. Please note that this is only what I believe rather than what I know, your best bet is to contact sponsoring companies and ask them for advice / info.

Sadly that would mean that you would have to follow the same program as the school leavers, although I am fairly certain that you would at least be exempted from the maths classes.

The good news is that your uni experience should make you more likely to get a place.

[ex-urnu]

Hi there I'm ex Urnu (Yorkshire) and start at warsash in a week doing the FD deck course. I know of quite a few people from Urnu going through training too. I'm being sponsored by Royal Caribbean Cruise though Clyde marine. Any questions do ask!

[size4riggerboots]

Many people start their cadetsh ips later in life. (I was 26, and there are cadets that are much older than that!). The course isn't specifically aimed at school leavers, it's just that those are the minimum requirements, as Clanky has said, your experience will stand you in good stead.

[06njack]

Thanks for the replies folks,

To those what have joined up later in life, did you just join a cadet program and go in with school leavers etc? Or are there specifically run courses?

[chris]

I joined as a graduate onto the school leavers program to train as an electrical engineering cadet. None of my degree was relevant, but even if it had been I dont think an electrical engineering officer grad scheme exists anyway.

As mentioned earlier, the only grad schemes Ive heard of are for engineering officer training as there is commonality between a mechanical engineering degree and the units studied for fd/HND marine engineering.

I started in 2010 when I was 30, the bulk of the class were in their early 20s, with two 16 year olds. The ETO classes starting in 2011 and 2012 seemed to have younger cadets, so my year may have been an exception.

[EH75]

Yeah everyone's pretty much covered it but just to make it clear, the cadetship isn't just for "school leavers", it's just that you don't need any higher qualifications than that to get in the course.

Most people in my intake were early to mid 20s and many of them already had degrees. I was 22 when I started, I would say that's about average. There were a couple of guys in their 30s as well.

There are no specifically run courses for older people or anything, everyone just gets put in together.

[size4riggerboots]

Yep, what he said! ^^^

[Crawf121]

Being at uni really helped me get a place as i am used to being away from home, and the fact i did naval arc

[JonnyW]

My situation was similar to yours. I was studying Computer Science/Maths at uni (but changed to straight maths in 2nd year). I decided in my 3rd year I wanted to join the merchant navy so I took an ordinary degree and joined. I was 22 when started and am now in phase 4 and loving it! Your maths education will stand you in good stead, particulary with subjects like stability, navigational maths and celestial navigation, however there is a lot more to the course than just maths. You will quickly find that your university education will not help all that much as you will be starting from scratch just like everyone else and it will only help you to cope better with the maths based subjects. That has been my experience anyway. If you can handle the standard of university mathematics you will be able to handle this course BUT there is a lot more work involved!

[scotty_2410]

Totally agree with what everyone says. There is no fast track route and the way its done is through a cadetship. I personally think it makes sense to do it through a cadetship. The only place off the top of my head I would think of is LJMU, where being actually based in the university itself, there could be more of a student, possibly more adult feel rather than being in a specific nautical campus like Fleetwood where I am. The age doesnt matter, in my class the age range is from 16-31. Everybody gets on great and we all help each other. I was out of school for 2 and a half years before starting my cadetship.

[Lewis]

I started at 26 as well with a degree in Biology. Their is no special scheme for graduates (there probably should be). But I think it stands you in good stead when applying. They know you'll be able to handle the academic stuff.
On a side note nautical college is very different from uni. It's a lot more like school expect to be in class all day everyday. Classes feel more like school than uni 20 people instead of 400 people I used to get in lectures at uni. At least in Glasgow anyway other places may do it differently.

[chris]

Shields is the same. Classroom based and feeling like being back at school in some ways.

[Pilot Chris]

Most of us had something under our belt past A-levels (we even had a 4th year med student who decided med wasnt for him!)

A couple of guys who had degrees thought at the start they should breeze it or be exempt from elements but after a couple of phases they realised that although good at some elements they learnt at the same pace as everyone else with others.

If you are great at Maths you may struggle with law, Meteorology or freak out at the fire school etc - its always horses for courses and the best thing to do is drive forward as a class drawing on each others strengths with the attitude at the start that you are all equal.