Ex Military Firefighter Looking for ROV work.

Quote from you :-

I’m at the UWC on the 21st July. As an ex Fire Officer I’ll have no previous (or so it seems) usefull background experience. I have the strong feeling that £12,000 is about to be wasted.

Have you still got that feeling?

So have the companies you have been speaking to said that the course you did at the Underwater Centre counts for nothing? There are always big debates on the board here about whether doing these courses are 1) worth doing at all or 2) worth the money you have to pay out.

I do keep telling people who are trying to get into the industry that you do need a technical qualification and experience background.

The best advice ever given by an Ops Manager "I want to take on Engineers and train them about ROVs – not take people on and teach them to be Engineers"

What I can’t understand is occasionally I’ve met folks who have been recruited by big firms who have absolutely no Techy type qualifications at all or for that matter anything of relevance to the ROV world in general.
The best of luck to them but it really puzzles me 😕

Its called "knowing someone" or "right place at the right time". There is no logic to it and we have all met people like that. The problem is that most peiople think well if he can get it so can I, but the odds are stacked against you.

I agree that academic skills dont necessarily equate to ability to do job, but I did say relevant technical qualifications and EXPERIENCE. If you have the bits of paper AND have been working on a job that has made use of it, then it is relevant.

Most rousties that I know are fairly young guys.

From your experience i’m guessing you must be in your 50’s.
Perhaps there are younger candidates?
There are a lot of people applying for work in these "credit crunch" days, quite often young guys have less commitments and will accept lower day rates for longer periods. They are interested in the training that companies can give.
Older guys can often have a mortgage or other commitments so are driven by other factors. Money can be more important than learning to be a good ROV guy. FW does not make ROV guys, They are a business that are selling a course.

MAYBE, just MAYBE, there are a lot of VERY highly qualified guys looking for work and you are not in the running.

You do realise Jim, there are other places in the world to look for work other than the UK!!!!!

Jim,

Have you thought about giving some of the Sub Sea Well Service Companies a call?

Cameron, Aver Kværner?

They have both elec/control system and Mech/Hyd Techs.

May get you a start in offshore work.

I’m 47 are you saying I’m not a runner for this job either because of my age?

yes. not as a roustabout anyway, WAY to old, its a young guys game, and to be truthful i doubt you will get in to rov either, too much competition from younger guys with a better background, UNLESS you know somebody …..

and sending out 70+ CVs all around the world

again, what company is going to recruit a raw trainee from the other side of the world UNLESS somebody is speaking up for you and saying they will take you under there wing? or you have a superb background?

try a service company? wire line ect?