Obvious
statement, I realize that, but there are already
lots of qualities that you have, or will
demonstrate just to be an engineer. The qualities
above that are the ones which will make you
unique. Qualities such as know how with computer
networks, sense of humour, good grades in the
cadetship, deck side certificates, etc.
Once you
caught the eye of a hiring dept. I suggest you . . .
Stumped on how
to make a good resume, cover letter, or need some
interview tips. Help is here!
Click here for tips on
interviews.
Click here for tips on
targeting your resume for the job.
So what to do ? How do I find the
jobs ?
Currently, the best and most successful way of finding a job is
through other people. Letting people know you are looking for work
is the best place to start. To do that, talk to people in the
industry especially family, friends, former coworkers and people
within professional associations or even "walk the docks" if you
can, with the ISPS code in force this is almost impossible now, but
can still apply to the yachts. Contacting people on a "live and
direct" basis, such as email and phone, is better, but takes some
courage. Sending unsolicited resumes by mail, filling out online
applications are statistically the least likely to succeed. Having
said that, I did get a couple of my better positions doing just
that, filing out a company's online form, so you never know. Do
yourself a favour, don't annoy a crewing dept by bombarding them
with many resumes. If they are reputable firm, they should answer
you, sending them ten resumes in the space of two days, is probably
not going to enhance your chance with them anymore.
Since starting this website in 1999, I have seen a fundamental
shift in the way recruiters work, now respecting the power of the
internet in a big way. Which has allowed them to cast a wider net,
hopefully "catching you". The links below are here because
they seem to offer a genuine interest in hearing from engineer. In
2008, pretty much all shipping companies have a Human Resource link
on their website, which will probably put this area of the site "out
of business", which I think will be very positive for us all.
Fees to finding a berth, and other scams
I received an insightful email from
Mr. Douglas B.
Stevenson, Director of the
Center for Seafarers' Rights,
of the The Seamen's Church Institute of New York & New Jersey, which
I believe, all professional seafarers should be aware of. He writes,
in response to a comment I had made about my experience with some US
based recruiters, and their stated habits of charging a fee,
"initial", "filing" or back end fee, deducted off a pay check for
their services, connecting a seafarer to a ship...
" I suspect that some US
recruiting agencies are either not familiar with the law or are
ignoring it. United States law prohibits charging fees to seafarers
for placing them in jobs on ships in international and intercoastal
voyages, 46 U.S.C. 10314 (b), as well as on ships in coastwise
voyages, 46 U.S.C. 10505 (b). It is also illegal for an employer to
deduct the illegally charged placement fees from seafarers’ wages,
46 U.S.C. 10314 (a)(1)(C) and 46 U.S.C 10505 (a)(1)(C).
Charging seafarers placement fees is prohibited in most maritime
nations, in the International Labour Organization’s Recruitment and
Placement of Seafarers Convention, 1996 (ILO-179) and in the new
International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention 2006
(which is expected to enter into force in 2011 or 2012).
I would advise seafarers to avoid a placement agency that attempt to
charge them a placement fee because it is a good indicator that the
agency is operating illegally and in a manner that is not in the
seafarers’ best interests.
If you or your readers have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact us at the Center for
Seafarers’ Rights. "
I am sure that is some insight that is appreciated by us all. Never lose your common sense while using any of the links
found on this page. If you have had positive or negative experiences
with any outfits, let us know, we'll
pass it on here.
Oilcareer.com offers us this
insightful information
on current scams targeting job seekers.
Got your resume and your
information ready ? Then try the links below.
|
- You could crew on
private yacht. Decent pay and lots of perks. But
narrow hiring criteria and long contracts.
Try
these websites... |
|
- You could work in a
repair facility, design office or machine shop.
Decent pay, good experience. Limited asset to
your ticket, since only so much of the time
counts as sea time. Try these
websites... |
|
- You could gain
experience on coastal trade vessels in
Canada,
US, or
abroad. Good to decent pay and
close to shore, but limited opportunities exist and possibly lots of immigration hassles.
Try these
websites... |
|
- You could try to
crew as a ratings on foreign vessels. Great
experience and sea time accumulation. But poor
pay and not very likely, as companies tends to
stick to similar nationalities when crewing a
department. Try these links... |
|
- If you already have
an engineering license, things should be
relatively straight forward and you already know
the "drill". Here are some
recruiters and
companies from all over the
world who advertise for positions on the
internet. |
|
- Other sources of
information, such as addresses and names of
different companies involved in the marine
shipping business can be found here. |
