Next steps

[CalumWillison]

Hello i am school pupil at Madras College, Scotland and I'm planning on going to City of Glasgow Nautical College. I play alot of rugby and have been rather successful in the past while representing Glasgow Warriors at u-17 level. I enjoy music, and play in a wind-band and pipe band (Yes, Bagpipes lol). I really dont know my way around this site but I am just curious to the next steps of my career, i also apologise if i am writing this and asking in the wrong area... haha. I have recently emailed Princess Cruises with my application form and an up to date CV. I have however been waiting for around a week and a half on a reply and am getting worried i have been rejected. I am just looking for outside advice from people that know what they are talking about (You guys)! Many thanks
Calum.

[CharlieDelta]

Hi Calum and welcome!

Have you got any other applications in? Have a look at the list of companies at http://www.careersatsea.org/apply/sp..._companies.php and get as many in as you possibly can. Not all companies send cadets to Glasgow though so it's worth being flexible.

When are you looking to start?

Hope you find the site useful!

CD

[CalumWillison]

Thanks ill have a look at that, i am planning on going to college September 2013. Would you recommend me sending anything to the college as i know someone who went to there this year and thats what they did first.
Yes, very useful!
Calum

[CharlieDelta]

The college can't really do much more than direct you to the companies to apply. They might be able to give you more information about the courses, but ultimately it's best to get your applications in to the companies.

[CalumWillison]

Thanks alot ill get Application forms off shortly, will the companies inform you of a rejection or will it just ignore?

[CharlieDelta]

It really does depend on the company. Most will let you know but some might not. Keep a track of who you apply to, how and when (maybe in a spreadsheet) and maybe take a note of their phone number so you can call a week or two later to make sure they have received your application. Not much will happen recruitment-wise for September until the new year so be prepared for a bit of a wait.

[CalumWillison]

Thanks alot this has been a great help! Ill definitely come back a couple times a week and check things out!

[Waddo]

The companies which take on cadets in both January and September may well be interviewing candidates at this time of year. Unfortunately, I honestly couldn't tell you which companies that applies to, sorry. I've just started at Warsash with Princess, my interview was in April this year. I know that they also assessed candidates last October for positions in both Jan and Sept 2012. That means it may be possible to secure a Sept 2013 position now, however the bulk of the work for that intake will be done in the new year.

CD is quite right, it varies from company to company. Most of the cadets here at Warsash applied to as many companies as they possibly could. If you apply at just the right time someone might pick up your CV/application form and call you the next day, other companies may take months to contact you. Keep a record of what you're doing and start to chase each company as and when you feel it necessary depending on what level of success you are managing to achieve with regards to securing interviews.

Good luck.

[Clanky]

The best answer really is to apply to as many companies as you can. You obviously have your heart set on cruise ships, but apply to other companies as well just to give you an idea what is available. There is obviously a lot of competition for cadetships on cruise ships so a cargo ship cadetship is a good back up plan and will give you the same qualification at the end which will allow you to apply for jobs on cruise ships as a qualified officer.

[CalumWillison]

Im filling out application forms for Carnival and i will also send ones to cargo companies. What route did you guys go down? Like when did you email off your application forms etc in comparison with the intake dates?

[Clanky]

To be honest, it is so long since I went through the whole process that I can't remember the timings of it all.

I know that I had been accepted for the September 19xx intake before I sat my A levels in June so the interview must have taken place by May at the latest (although I am sure it was actually much earlier)

In terms of sending off applications I thinnk I started with that when I was in lower sixth, so more than a year before I actually started as a cadet, different companies replied at different intervals, all in all I attended around 5 different interviews over a period of (if I remember correctly) two to three months.

I think the process has now changed beyond all recognition so don't put too much store by the above timings.

God I feel old now!

EDIT: I was accepted for the September intake at some point between starting the UCAS (is it still called that?) process and receiving offers from uni's, I can remember filling in university applications in earnest assuming that I may be going to university and then ignoring the offers which came in as I already had a firm offer of a cadetship with P&O Cruises

My headmaster was horrified when I told him I was going to sea, he tried very hard to convince me that I was wasting my life by not going to university, I have since been back to the school to address an assembly on my experiences at sea and on career opportunities available in the merchant navy.

[tommysevenfold]

I think CD pretty much covered everything. just apply for every possible company, dont limit yourself to cruise companies as from my experience in the first few weeks of college, they dont take on many. I wanted to do cruise liners, i just found out today from Clyde that im on bulkers. no biggy and im happy with it, cos once you get your ticket, you can move to any ship type you want let us know how you get on with your applications

[Bulman]

i applied in septemeber, had a interview in novemeber and got accepted in january for a sep 2012 intake

[CalumWillison]

Yeah thats right its UCAS time soon, i am also applying for universities as a back up, my grades are good enough so im trying to keep my options open! I have sent off application forms to Carnival (assuming that covers Cunard and P&O) as well as princess and i am going to look into cargo, thanks alot guys you've been superb help! I'll let you know if i hear anything back from the companies.

[CalumWillison]

Do you guys know if Royal Caribbean run a cadetship programme?