Just another trainee looking for his first break

[amaral79]

Hi All

Backed by a strong marine/technical background, with 9 years experience (More detail given later in this message in point form) in various positions ranging from yacht captain to operations manager for a couple Marine charter and services companies, and most recently freelancing. Looking and trying all avenues to get my first break into the offshore industry.

Trying all options to try and break into the industry (But as all trainees work out very quickly, with out offshore experience can be very hard to prove your worth)

Brief summary of my experience related to ROVs:

1)I have done my BOSIET + BT and Medical.

2) Also did a 3 in 1 Electronics with Fiber Optics, Hydraulics and High Voltage course which in hindsight was expensive and does not make me a ROV Tech or Pilot as they promised, but did fill in a few of the blanks.

3) Hauling and management of refit, maintenance and modification of various vessels (20ft to 180ft)

4) Loading and unloading, as well as clearing well over 30 Luxury yachts into and out of the country from commercial ports (UAE and Australia)

5 Deliveries of well over 50 yachts (Mostly power boats with the odd sail boat ranging from 45ft to 118ft). Mainly in the Persian Gulf but also England, Western Med and Australia .

6) No technical qualifications on paper (another reason finding it so hard as a potential trainee) but strong technical background and a lot of on the job experience (Especially in deliveries, as you all know, once something goes wrong you have no option, being stuck in the middle of the ocean, but to sort it out)

I believe that a person with my range of experience, work ethic and enjoyment of variety and challenges would be well suited to ROV work, just need an opportunity to prove that I’m not "Just your regular trainee". Im ready to go at the "drop of a hat" and am prepared to work anywhere required. Would also be available for a personel interveiw (At my expense) anywhere in South East Asia (Im based in Thailand).

If any of the above has been of any interest to you please PM me.

[Ray Shields]

Companies tend not to contact people about being trainees when they ask on here – they have so many people knocking on their doors they dont need to. And this is what you need to do, you need to go to the companies and speak with them face to face. Write in with your CV but follow it up with a visit or at least a phone call.

Your CV sound varied – some might feel too varied in that you dont really know which way to go, and this may mean your not really going to stay in ROVs long. Just the way some companies might view it.

Your boating experience – doesn’t really count as much as you may feel. You can put anything you want on a CV, they have all seen CVs with vastly inflated backgrounds on them, unless there was something to back it up (e.g. qualifications). If someone had been working for an electrical firm and said they had electrical experience, chances are you would believe them.

If someone said they sailed boats and they have loads of electrical, mechanical and hydraulic experience, you wouldnt necessarily. Unless they were employed as a ships engineer.

I would recommend you read through the FAQs on here (link on the left) especially the How to Lay out Your CV bit. Get rid of anything which is not relevant to ROVs or at least emphasise the technical bits ONLY of the work you have been doing. You’d be surprised how many people will mention they were in the Special Forces thinking it will make a difference – it will, it will make the Ops Manager think "I dont want to employ Rambo".

You need to cater your CV for the job you are applying for.

You are also competing with hundreds of others who DO have all the relevant qualifications and experience. Just because there is a shortage of people does not mean they will take on anyone who applies.

[amaral79]

Unfortunately all my experience is on boats but the technical experience is much more detailed in my CV and much more applicable then it seems, I did not want to copy and paste my CV into here (Keep getting the impression Trainees aren’t to popular on this sight as well as in the industry, which I can fully understand but there are a lot of exceptions).

Have used a similar layout to the "How to lay out your CV" from this sight as well as a few offshore sights.

Got a few friends (as do most people) in the industry giving me solid advice, as well as trying to get me in (Much more chance then sending my CV to every company I can find on the internet, but will still push on with this approach)

Thanks again.

[Stu]

If you are living in Thailand go and see Ops Manager Tim Hartley at Mermaid Marine. Just walk off the street and have a good yarn with him. Dont listen to alot of the rubbish you hear out there. If you want in back youself and let them know face to face straight what you can do.

[Reject]

Hello, I am trying to find anyone who has any info. on finding an employer in ROV ops. Like the gentleman who took the expensive 3 in 1 course, I just completed a similar course in WACO, TX. The school used to be held in Clear Lake near Houston. I have spent 3 days in Louisiana and 5 days in Houston trying to meet face to face with recruiters. I have only spoken with maybe 3 people out of the 20 employers that I have visited. I also have filled out the on-line apps. and submitted resumes to each of these. I have 4 yrs. of electrical experience with the ARMY and 11 yrs. of Law Enforcement work under my belt. The career change is in direct result to not being able to take care of my family on a cop’s salary. If anyone knows of any companies actually hiring "not recruiting " please give me a heads-up. Thanks for any info.

[Ray Shields]

Hello, I am trying to find anyone who has any info. on finding an employer in ROV ops. Like the gentleman who took the expensive 3 in 1 course, I just completed a similar course in WACO, TX. The school used to be held in Clear Lake near Houston. I have spent 3 days in Louisiana and 5 days in Houston trying to meet face to face with recruiters. I have only spoken with maybe 3 people out of the 20 employers that I have visited. I also have filled out the on-line apps. and submitted resumes to each of these. I have 4 yrs. of electrical experience with the ARMY and 11 yrs. of Law Enforcement work under my belt. The career change is in direct result to not being able to take care of my family on a cop’s salary. If anyone knows of any companies actually hiring "not recruiting " please give me a heads-up. Thanks for any info.

I would assume that companies are looking mainly at your last 11 years as a cop. They will not think the Army time or previous technical experience will be relevant as it was so long ago.

You need top up your technical experience and/or qualifications to stand a chance agains the thousands of other technical people whao also all want to get offshore.

ROV schools do not greatly help you get a job and without a suitable technical background is practically a waste of money.

[Reject]

Thanks for the reply raysheilds. I’m not very savy with forums or any other form of on-line comms……guess you could say I’m a little behind the internet power curve. I was thinking that employers would appreciate the fact that I was loyal to my employer spending so many years there. My resume reflects that ,along with all of the certifications that I received from the ROV school. Should I focus more on the electrical experience that I received from the military and Law Enforcement schools that I attended to become a Bomb Technician on the bomb squad? My resume was condensed from three pages to one page by the instructors at the school. Their opinion about resumes is that it needs to be short and sweet because employers don’t have time to flip through three pages . Thanks

[Ray Shields]

Thanks for the reply raysheilds. I’m not very savy with forums or any other form of on-line comms……guess you could say I’m a little behind the internet power curve. I was thinking that employers would appreciate the fact that I was loyal to my employer spending so many years there. My resume reflects that ,along with all of the certifications that I received from the ROV school. Should I focus more on the electrical experience that I received from the military and Law Enforcement schools that I attended to become a Bomb Technician on the bomb squad? My resume was condensed from three pages to one page by the instructors at the school. Their opinion about resumes is that it needs to be short and sweet because employers don’t have time to flip through three pages . Thanks

Two pages is fine, it doesnt have to be one page. See the FAQs (link on the left hand side in the FAQs)on How To Layout Your CV.

They will not consider your loyalty. They will consider your technical ability. You are being asked to operate and maintain up to millions of $$sworth of equipment, you have to be technically competent to do this.

As I said, it has been quite some time since you did these qualifications, so they may not think they are relevant anymore.

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