If i pay to do my DP will i have a better chance?

[BO-AT]

Hi, looking for some advice.

I have been qualified since September and since then i have been constantly applying for jobs and getting no where. In 7 months i have had 4 days work as an AB and 2 and a half weeks as a 3rd officer.

If I paid to do the DP basic course do you think it would give me a better chance of gaining employment??, as the offshore sector is where i would like to work. Would just like to know if its worth spending all that money.

Thanks.

[HolyNougat]

Sorry to hear about your difficulty in finding work - this is really disheartening to lots of newly qualified officers.
Doing a DP basic course won't harm your chances, but I would speak to people recruiting for positions in the North Sea to see if they consider is necessary.
Have you had your CV looked at?

[belfaster]

I looked into that myself, but I was told it wouldnt make much difference, as it is experience they are after. The problem being, no one is willing to give people the chance to get experience!

[BO-AT]

Hi, it is very disheartening haveing constant rejection emails etc, or even worse when no one replies to you at all.
My traning officer had a look at my CV but thats it.

[alistairuk]

Only a suggestion, have you only been looking at the offshore sector? Getting the first stamp in your discharge book, and a few additional stamps as a qualified officer is quite important in opening options up to you.

If you haven't already, perhaps you should try other sectors of the industry until you have a few trips under your belt then reapply for the jobs you want to do?

[BO-AT]

Alistairuk I have been looking everywhere every job i see i apply for, i have been phoning companies as well as writing letters! Just getting no where at all. The company I have done a few temp trips with were the only ones giving me a chance with no experience but unfortunately there is no more work there just now.

[belfaster]

Alistairuk I have been looking everywhere every job i see i apply for, i have been phoning companies as well as writing letters! Just getting no where at all. The company I have done a few temp trips with were the only ones giving me a chance with no experience but unfortunately there is no more work there just now.

It is closed doors everywhere! I was thinking of going on a cookery course as there seems to be more chance getting a job as a cook or steward.....

[EH75]

Tried North Star? Quite a few guys I know who were in similar situations got work with them. Believe Holland America were hiring recently although I don't know if they still are. But yeah its tough when you are first qualified. I was quite lucky, it only took me a month to find something but in that time I applied for pretty much every company under the sun. Most of them don't even bother to get back to you.

[Frenchy]

I have heard of some companies allowing people to sail as unpaid supernumaries to build up DP time once they have self funded the DP basic course. If you managed to get a job elsewhere for a while but then did some sailing as a supernumery in your leave to get dp time you would make yourself a more attractive prospect.
Are you a member of HCMM at all? I know that they give training grants to their members, and recently that has included DP courses. It might also be possible to use the contacts there to get sailing time as previously mentioned.

[gadget123]

Worth looking into a cheap flight to Mumbai and trying the agencies there do a few trips on low wages and then try again in the British market. I was seriously considering it until I got lucky a few months ago. Probably the only way if you want deep sea cargo work these days.