Applying before the Orals

[Lewisscott22]

A fair number of cadets are now at the penultimate stage of their training. The sea time has been logged, exams are underway and the big orals date approaches.

Unfortunately, some sponsoring companies are unable to employ their cadets.

After looking at some relevant threads, it appears the first OOW employment process can be daunting.

What are your thoughts on applying before the orals?

Understandably, I expect most responses to contain such words as ?pass your orals, and then we will decide?. However, my main aim is to get the job as quickly as possible. In applying early, I feel I may get interview dates at a more convenient time.

I must pass on my thanks to Hatchorder for his very useful guide to writing a CV.

Any additional advice regarding the CV and covering letter would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[alistairuk]

A fair number of cadets are now at the penultimate stage of their training. The sea time has been logged, exams are underway and the big orals date approaches.

Unfortunately, some sponsoring companies are unable to employ their cadets.

After looking at some relevant threads, it appears the first OOW employment process can be daunting.

What are your thoughts on applying before the orals?

Understandably, I expect most responses to contain such words as “pass your orals, and then we will decide”. However, my main aim is to get the job as quickly as possible. In applying early, I feel I may get interview dates at a more convenient time.

I must pass on my thanks to Hatchorder for his very useful guide to writing a CV.

Any additional advice regarding the CV and covering letter would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Being in similar circumstances several years ago I found that everyone I contacted won't consider you until you have passed the Orals exam. Bare in mind that it can take our lovely MCA 2 - 4 weeks to process your CoC once you have passed (some people have been known to be longer than that), specially if they are as you say lots of people coming up for the Orals.

Most I found were willing to speak to you once you had passed, before you received your actual CoC, but the 5 or 6 I contacted before sitting my Orals simply replied with contact us after you have passed - if at all.

I suggest you prepare everything, including cover letter explaining that you have recently passed and are awaiting receipt of your CoC from MCA and send it off the day you pass the Orals - before the inevitable visit to the pub - to anyone your interested in.

[JonathanI]

I think most people to have a job already arranged dependant on a orals "Pass". The hardest job to find is when you are a newly qualified OOW took me 4months of trying to find a job. Be prepared to come up against "you don't have any experience" "We are looking for 3/0 with 2years experience".

[size4riggerboots]

My advice in this situation is always the same - it's not what you know its who you know. Get in touch with people you have sailed with and find out if they know of any jobs going - a personal recommendation will go a long way! Of course no-one will offer you a job before you've passed, but if someone you sailed with as a cadet is willing to recommend you on the basis of how good you were on ship and believes you'll pass, it may be that an opening might get held for you rather than being advertised.

[The Kraken]

Not a chance without your CoC. I'm going through the exact same thing at the moment, in limbo awaiting my CoC from the MCA. Found no companies will consider you without it.

[Pilot Chris]

Don't forget to think outside the box, if you are struggling to find employment do some voluntary work experience on a local ferry, a trip on a sail training ship, or trips on local tugs etc as they all look good on your CV and you get some networking free of charge.

If you have been through a cadetship with multiple companies contact them and say I'm about / have done my orals and will / do you have any vacancies.

Get your CV and most importantly cover letter ready (get some good advice for these)

Also touch base with a few agencies and get registered early and then once you have passed contact them again to update your details (this keeps you fresh in their minds)

Don't forget network, network and network and treat everyone in the industry as a future employer (they could be!) and it's a small world so be aware of that!

[ETwhat?]

It will be worth looking and seeing what companies are advertising just so you know who is looking for what, its the time to get all the possible sites bookmarked so you can get straight to the pages to look when your ready. I wouldn't worry too much about agencies now, have a look and see what information your going to need but it will be better to contact them in the first place when you're ready to go. however cover letters and CV's can all be written up as qualified now so they are ready and it gives you time to get them decent. if you do contact people online for fill in things online ring people as well you can ask a question to clarify a point but use it as the reason to introduce yourself.
Its a difficult thing to do, as above some reckon its worth talking to agencies beforehand, I feel that as they tend to be trying to fill a place there and then throwing yourself in when you cant do it doesn't help. Also if you don't get an oral date straight away or you don't pass first time then the agency wont as easily know that.


As an aside I passed about 5 weeks before the college had got themselves organised to get the results out to us so we could apply for CoC's

[Inland Pirate]

If the BAS need people for that new ship in 2019, I'll be attempting to apply no matter what!

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

[CompetentSailor]

A fair number of cadets are now at the penultimate stage of their training. The sea time has been logged, exams are underway and the big orals date approaches.

Unfortunately, some sponsoring companies are unable to employ their cadets.

After looking at some relevant threads, it appears the first OOW employment process can be daunting.

What are your thoughts on applying before the orals?

Understandably, I expect most responses to contain such words as “pass your orals, and then we will decide”. However, my main aim is to get the job as quickly as possible. In applying early, I feel I may get interview dates at a more convenient time.

I must pass on my thanks to Hatchorder for his very useful guide to writing a CV.

Any additional advice regarding the CV and covering letter would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

I was lucky enough to be offered a place by my sponsoring company, but untill you physically sign a contract i would advise anyone to apply, apply, apply !

I applied for around 30 jobs, some companies who were looking, and for those who weren't i emailed the recruitment office.

i was offered a couple of positions but chose to stay loyal to my comapany in the end.

One of them were BP, they wern't looking for anyone, but i asked about a junior engineer position onboard one of there ships, they offered me a place on the condition i passed, and i got my tanker familirisation course (excuse the spelling :s). salary was roughly 24,000. Im not sure if these types of positions are available for deck, but its always worth a try ... all you need is your foot in the door