HELP?! Any advice?

[Lewibuoy]

I have been sending out plenty of applications for a deck cadetship with CMT,SSTG and many others and having no luck. I do believe the problem is that I am in a good job in a successful company but I know that I will be sat at the same desk for the rest of my life and it has only been the past year that I have seriously looked at the merchant navy as a career change. I am not sure if I am showing I REALLY want to do a cadetship, in my application (and I think taking up sailing is not going to quite do the trick to convince them). I have had a few thoughts and I am thinking of doing something...

Going to college...
To do the merchant navy access course. It is done in the college in my town.

I already have the grades academically but I thought leaving my job and doing this course would show I actually really really really want to do this as a career and it is not an after thought. I also think that this course would be great for getting me back into a studying mindset since it has been nearly 3 years since I have been in education, and some background knowledge on working at sea would also help.

Am I being a bit dramatic? Or is this a good idea?

[Sarah]

If you can afford to leave your job and do the course then i'm sure it'll help, but if your academically capable and have a genuine interest in the merchant navy you shouldn't need to.
Make sure on applications you put loads of things about teamwork and communication skills, and give examples of when you've used them. Things like working under pressure too, eager to learn. (I'm sure you know all of this)
Erm, i tried not to focus on the traveling side of things and said i would love to work in a global environment where i can work with and learn from various cultures. Don't be negative in a sense about your current job, just emphasise why you want the change, i.e. how you want the working hard for months/lots of time off kind of lifestyle that comes with the job.

Hope that helps, i've only just gotten my job for sept so i'm probably not the best/most experienced person to ask.

[GeorgeG]

Now is the right time to apply for the September intake. Apply to all the separate companies as well, Princess, Carnival, RFA, Maersk, Fishers etc. Apply to Clyde Marine training group as well as they take on a lot of cadets every year. If you're struggling getting replies try not to focus on one company, and ring up to trace your application.

Good luck.

[Lewibuoy]

I have applied to Clyde marine,SSTG,Chiltern, Anglo Eastern and Maersk and many others. Maersk are full for this year. The others all said they had better suited candidates, and some were finished there intakes. Also.. princess and carnival are not taking on at the moment. I have contacted them both by email and phone. I am chasing up all my applications by phoning, emailing etc, obviously trying to show I am keen! I do see I am a bit late in applying compared to school leavers. I do not see lack of applications an issue.

[alistairuk]

Some of the issues may actually be to do with the format of your cv and the way it's presented rather than the experience / abilities of yourself. Perhaps worth asking someone in the industry to have a look at the format your using or have a look at the CV writing article which contains some generic examples of CVs.

http://www.officercadet.com/content.php/922-The-Officer-Cadet-guide-to-writing-a-CV

[Sarah]

Try and go to careers at sea like open days at colleges, make sure you talk to representatives from the companys youll be applying to and get there names. Then if you apply next year you cam write on the application 'after speaking to xxxx at xxxxx open day.....' networking is good. I was late applying to a couple but after a good chat with the guys/girls at the open day was told they'd look out for my application for this years intake, despite the deadline having passed.

[MrStealth]

Have you fired a PM at our resident CV&covering letter guru Hatchorder?

If you seem to be being refused by every company you apply to, there has to be some "common issue" with your application. Personally, I don't think its the fact you're in full time employment. If you are worried about full time employment being the issue however, make sure that you state CLEARLY your reasons for wanting a career change in any interview, cover letter or CV.

As others have suggested, attend every open day you can - the bigger the network you have, the better your chances.

[Blondie]

I wouldn't recommend leaving your job to do a course you don't academically need - as others have said, the problem is likely to be how you're selling yourself.

You're probably too late for the September RFA intake, as they will be starting their training at Dartmouth imminently. Knowing what I do about the RFA recruitment, if you applied now you could find yourself starting at Dartmouth in May next year and at a Fleetwood in September. Long time but you are actually employed from the day you start at a Dartmouth, have a decent salary and pay into a pension. But you have to be in the RFA, which isn't for everyone. It all comes down to what you want.

But to reiterate, work on your CV and have some solid reasons for a career change - I applied at 33 and managed to convince someone I was serious about a career at sea.

[desdons]

If your from the Isle of Lewis looking to do the access course then that's what I did. I only ended up doing less than 3 months as Bibby accepted me to start cadetship in January just past. I was in same position as you e.g. decent job, big company however got made redundant and started the access course but didn't need it.

I would agree with Blondie, I don't think the access course will do much benefit and I reckon you should give Bibby and the RFA a crack as they definitely take on older cadets.