Careers after cadetship

[Guest]

At the interview with my company, we were told that there would be no guarantee of a job at the end. This is really worrying me at the moment, as I don't want to go and spend 3/4 years training to then be told I have no job at the end.

Is it really hard to find a job as a 3rd/4th officer after a cadethsip? As my comapny only operate container ships. does this only limit me to serving on container ships as a 3rd/4th officer after training, or am I just as likely to get a job on a tanker or RO/PAX ferry as someone who did their cadetship on one?

With regards to tankers, if I applied to serve on a tanker, would the company employ me with no tanker experience, or will I have to pay for the Tanker familiarization course/endorsement myself before being considered for employment?

Also, for RO/PAX, do you have to have any experience on a passenger vessel or any endorsements, such as crowd control before being consider for a job?

Thank you all for your help

[GuinnessMan]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Tankers are a tricky one as that requires a TankerFam course and they like it when you have the DCE for it (Dangerous Chemical Endorsement). To get the DCE you have to have served on a tanker for X number of months (can't remember off hand).

ROPAX's and Ferries don't differ much from a container or a bulker (from an engineering point of view) so you should have no problems getting on there.

[Chiefy]

Re: Careers after cadetship

and to be fair as a junior officer you ought not to have too much trouble getting on tankers, might take a couple of goes but some one will take you.

But there are a lot more boats around than tankers, so even if they dont appeal theres Off Shore, Ferries, other container companies, tugs, cruises, specialist boats (Cble layers, consturcution barges etc). And has been comented upon before engineering is very transferable to other industries (though to be fair navigation is now with the advent of so many things needing audits and the like)

Remember that theoretically, all companies are the same in that there is no guarantee of a job at the end of the cadetship, the contract you sign is for your training only, though previously this meant that with some outfits, you where automatically employed at the end, this can be variable and MUST always be borne in mind, a job at the end with your sponsor IS NOT always a given.

[Guest]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Thanks for the help so far guys. It might help if I say I'm a deck cadet.

[Chiefy]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Still the same, Off Shore might be tricky IF you dont get in early ie while still young (like jst after qualifying) as they like the DP Tickets over there (Dynamic Positioning) and experience, however most are fairly sensible as you cannt get experience without being on them and cant get on without experience (in theory anyway), so they make alowances and if you are fresh from college it's easier than say an old arse like me who would still want to be "same rank"

As for the rest nope you'll be fine assuming you dont mess about at college and have half a brain

For shore side thanks to ISM and ISPS and saftey improvements (!) there is always a call for good quality sea staff to become auditors, trainers, surveyors etc even from the deck department in some cases especially from the deck department) so yer you'll be reet

[Steve]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Tankers are a tricky one as that requires a TankerFam course and they like it when you have the DCE for it (Dangerous Chemical Endorsement). To get the DCE you have to have served on a tanker for X number of months (can't remember off hand).

Dangerous Cargo Endorsement (oil OR gas) requires an additional one-week course (it's like resitting Tanker Fam) and 6 months experience on the appropriate type of tanker. There's only one course, so if you've got 6 months on both you can get both endorsements.

[eddiegrice]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Can I just ask if there is no guarantee of employment after the cadetship, why does all the recruitment propaganda tell us that there is a massive shortage in MN officers?

[Chiefy]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Because there is, they are just not Guaranteeing you a job WITH THEM

The word is guarantee, anyone using such a word now is making life hard for themselves IF conditions change over the 3-4 years of your training. So they will train you but they wont guarnatee a job with them, thats all. However most do offer you a job at the end.

[Chiefy]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Also some of the sponsor dont actually employ UK personnel only cadets and only for the tinnage tax and the inherent tax breaks

[penfold]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Also some of the sponsor dont actually employ UK personnel only cadets and only for the tinnage tax and the inherent tax breaks

Tax on beer? Ohnoes!

[GuinnessMan]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Can I just ask if there is no guarantee of employment after the cadetship, why does all the recruitment propaganda tell us that there is a massive shortage in MN officers?

Officer shortage my arse! We are practically beat them off with a stick!

[penfold]

Re: Careers after cadetship

Can I just ask if there is no guarantee of employment after the cadetship, why does all the recruitment propaganda tell us that there is a massive shortage in MN officers?

Probably for the same reason that the Telegraph goes on(and on, and on, and onzzzzz ) about the same thing; The demographic of the UK MN officer is over fifty and rising. Even assuming no-one decides to swallow the anchor, sling that oar over their shoulder and walk inland until someone says 'what's that?' before they hit 60, the number of UK seafarers is still going to shrink a lot in the next decade. Statistically that's a good thing if you are qualified and want a job.