Is age an issue when applying?

[Stevemac83]

Hi guys, i'm 30 years old and have decided i need to start a new career that will take me places but i'm a bit unsure if my age will be against me or not as most of the candidates are a lot younger than me. Also i found the application forms were aimed at school/college leavers and its been over 10 years since i finished in college.

I have applied to Clyde Marine, SSTG and Maersk. Although not sure what will happen now, ive had the usual acknowledgment emails saying my applications have been received although the Maersk response did explain that they only have an intake in September and it would be January/February before i hear from them again.

I suppose i would just like to hear from people that have had similar experiences. I also think it would be very interesting to know if anyone else has left it a bit later in life to start a career on the sea. Any advice, help or general comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[JonathanI]

I really don't think age is a problem we had a 28year old on our class and a few over 24 aswell !. I actually could be an advantage in some cases

[EH75]

Yeah there was several people in that age bracket in my intake so I wouldn't worry about it. If anything your age and life experience should be seen as a positive.

[TheSevenSeas]

Yes and no. Although most companies state that they are anti- age discrimination, it is unfortunately not always the case. Some will look at it and see someone who who may not be devoted to this particular career and are just taking it on as a random choice in life because something else didn't work out- especially if having taken a degree before. Employers have to bear in mind who are the most likely candidates out of all the applications to complete the cadetship successfully and past failure or a history of dropping out doesn't improve chances. On the other hand, I know a few companies who like to vary the ages of their cadets to show they are open to all sorts of people. This includes some of the major ones and a couple that you listed in fact. Also, some companies are known to favor cadets over 18 as school leavers are the biggest group of drop-outs.

Anyone looking to join the merchant navy young or old should be fine as long as they can justify any possible issues that come up or reasons why this career is the one for them as opposed to anything else.

In my class we had the majority who were in their early 20s or late teens. But also quite a few who were in the 25-30 range.

[All At Sea]

It's certainly not a barrier, I've been offered a cadetship with CMT at the age of 27, so being the traditional school-leaver's age isn't a requirement. I'm speculating here but with the cost of college places increasing in line with tuition fees, prospective sponsors might be a bit more inclined to look more favourably on someone with a bit of 'life experience' behind them, can cope with living away from their immediate family, who know first-hand what they're giving up and are less likely to suffer from a bit of "the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side syndrome" (you won't find that term in any psychology textbooks!)? would at some stage expect to be asked why you have decided to apply now as opposed to earlier in life. I also think it would be a good idea to look at the financial aspects of taking a cadetship and make sure you can cover your commitments on a bursary (although I understand that if you are a non-graduate additional support is available). Good luck with your applications.

[Blondie]

I've just started my cadetship and I'm 34, so go for it

[desdons]

I'm 32 and starting my cadetship in January so most companies won't see age as an issue. There will be a few though but as said you can't be discriminated against because of your age but I am sure it happens!