New to ROV

[ionicwings]

Hi, I am currently studying ROV Pilot/Tech here at The Underwater Centre at Fort William, Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK. I have a degree in CSIT and worked as a Rich Media Designer/Developer before so this is like a huge career jump for me. I am just wondering if there will be alot of ROV jobs once I finish the course on Dec 14. Would really want to get tips from the pro’s here. 😉

[Ray Shields]

Firstly, what is CSIT? (sorry, just looked it up, computer science?)

Secondly, do you have any technical background or experience (electrical, hydraulic etc.)

If no, then your chances are very slim to none. If you do not have a suitable technical background, any ROV course in the world is NEVER going to help.

You MUST have a technical background/experience at a minimum to get a job in ROVs. Being technical plus the Course would give an advantage, having the course without any technical experience/qualifications, no chance.

Did you not consider finding out if the course would actually help you get a job before laying out thousands of pounds on it??

During the course, ask them about their training in hydraulics, work class vehicle, underwater tooling, fibre optics – why do they not give adequate training in any of these? Or do they only consider a Falcon as the only ROV in the world?

[ionicwings]

hi rayshields, yes CSIT is Computer Science.. and Information Technology. And lol, yes we’ll have 10 hours of Piloting using the Falcon. Seems like you are from scotland? Where in scotland? Aberdeen?

Anyway, thanks for being honest. I am planning to have hydraulics course when I go back home (PH) and some other courses that I would need for ROV. Do you have any suggestions on what other courses to take?

thanks

😉

[Ray Shields]

Yes, I am in Scotland.

The problem is, at the end of the day all you will have are courses – you have no experience.

You can do as many courses as you want, be it in ROV, electronics, hydraulics etc. but there are MANY other people out there who have been doing engineering jobs for years – and they all want to get into ROVs as well.

Just because there are a shortage of people, that does not mean anyone can walk into a job.

You really need to get an engineering job to build up some engineering background onto your CV. Once you have that then you will have a much better chance, and then your ROV course will count for something.

As I have said before, ROV companies want to teach technicians/engineers how to operate & maintain ROVs; they do not want to teach people to be technicians/engineers, you need to do that yourself.

Best of luck anyway.

[ionicwings]

dang, seems like I should have visited this forums before. now I regret why ddnt I get a degree in electronics instead 😥

anyway, the only electronics background that I have is Basic Electronics Course which I did few months ago. We had electronics courses way back college but it was just a long time ago (like 4 yrs ago). My main experience is more on Design/AS 2.0 Actionscript (Programming).

thanks for the info btw, really appreciate the honesty 😉

[senior]

I have just finished the course at Fort bill,I think they do have scorpio workclass,although we didn’t get to fly it,I think its a work in progress. 😳
After speaking to the fugro boys,they said that all of their trainees are going through the same course as I sat,….If its good enough for fugro,…..
It gives me more assurance that the course was worth it,if the big players are sending their trainees on the course instead or aswell as their own inhouse course. 💡

[reg]

After seeing how many CV’s are being received it does seem that most of the newbies asking about the quality of these courses seem to have totally the wrong idea – It is not the course that is the problem!

If you have no qualifications or experience in an Engineering environment and you go on the course, then you have just wasted £10000 ish pounds – FOR SURE!

If you have the qualifications and experience and go on the course, from what I saw, it made no difference whatsoever. Although with over 30 future prospectives picked from a folder of hundreds of qualified and experienced individuals only 3 or 4 of the final lot had done any ROV type course.

Senior I hope Fort Bill checked you fulfilled the minimum IMCA requirement because if you don’t then I wouldn’t hold much hope that your investment will be worthwhile.

Must say It was a bloody shame for some! Fort Bill has taken a good deal of hard earned money from chiropodists, language students, young college kids and kids that seemed straight out of school!! – bloody shame really. IMCA sets guidelines – Fort Bill Say they work to those Guidelines – That is not what I saw!

[Andy Shiers]

Bloody hell 😯 TEN GRAND 😯
That’s alot of money wasted

[Ray Shields]

After speaking to the fugro boys,they said that all of their trainees are going through the same course as I sat,….If its good enough for fugro,…..
It gives me more assurance that the course was worth it,if the big players are sending their trainees on the course instead or aswell as their own inhouse course. 💡

Suffice it to say it is one mans idea that they are all sent to FW, this does not mean it is good enough. SS7 also send trainees there I believe, it is also MUCH easier for the companies to punt people to one place and leave them to give them some basic training rather than having to do it themselves.

Also, as previous trainees have found out, you never know how bad your training was until you actually get out there and find you aint been taught about things you didnt know existed!

[Scott Beveridge]

Well said Ray…

Too true guys!!!

[ionicwings]

Bloody hell 😯 TEN GRAND 😯
That’s alot of money wasted

Mine was more than 10 grand since I also paid like alot of bank fees, then my Visa Fee, Airplane ticket, pocket money.. etc.

I now realized from the comments here that I should have had electronics background or any background that involves ROV’s (like Hydraulics, etc) before I took this course. Since I already invested on this.. im on my 2nd Week already.. I pretty much cannot do anything about it…

I guess I just have to get alot of courses that involves ROV after this and hope a company may hire me as their trainee.

Or maybe it isnt that bad either, i get to travel to UK (my first time out of the country) and I get to experience new culture lol. The food here in FW is great too.. Buffet Breakfast.. etc hehe. I guess I am just looking at the brighter side (although 10+ Grand, if this is really a waste, is such an expensive waste).

🙂

[TheBaron]

Ionicwings, the stage you are at now will be a crucial indicator of your own character. This is where YOU are in control of your own destiny. Turn a negative into a positive and get marketing yourself. Bang on doors, take appliqué technical courses, ask around, listen-in, read all relevant material, get in peoples faces, look for back doors, look for side entrances, cut the dross from your CV, nepotism, drink in bars frequented by offshore workers, prostitution and/or whatever it takes. If you want it…..you’ll get it!
Good luck, and I hope to hear back from you in these forums in the future.

[centurion]

Or maybe it isnt that bad either, i get to travel to UK (my first time out of the country)

Scotland in November – Wonderful

[ionicwings]

Ionicwings, the stage you are at now will be a crucial indicator of your own character. This is where YOU are in control of your own destiny. Turn a negative into a positive and get marketing yourself. Bang on doors, take appliqué technical courses, ask around, listen-in, read all relevant material, get in peoples faces, look for back doors, look for side entrances, cut the dross from your CV, nepotism, drink in bars frequented by offshore workers, prostitution and/or whatever it takes. If you want it…..you’ll get it!
Good luck, and I hope to hear back from you in these forums in the future.

Getting my grades up might not be really helpful, but I am still trying to do well on exams (did well on our recent exam :D). I guess I really need, aside from determination, all the luck I can get!

Though being the only Asian in our class can be tough… I kinda feel vulnerable and intimidated. My problem is that I cant express myself in english that much, but I can perfectly understand and write english (except for deep glasgow/scottish accent) 😳

Also, Im so glad I took up basic electronics before studying here at FW. The other guys are very confused with the basic principles (like rectifiers, capacitors, resistors, power, voltage.. etc..). And our electronics class is like 2 weeks from now… 2 of my classmates already did electronics before but the rest have no electronics background at all. Most are divers though…

🙂

[ROV_Monkey]

Also, Im so glad I took up basic electronics before studying here at FW. The other guys are very confused with the basic principles (like rectifiers, capacitors, resistors, power, voltage.. etc..). And our electronics class is like 2 weeks from now… 2 of my classmates already did electronics before but the rest have no electronics background at all. Most are divers though…

Rant on/
This really depresses me. I thought after the debacle at Wraycastle (how many years ago?) that the idea was that people running these courses had to ensure that the personnel on these courses met a minimum requirement, i.e some variety of technical experience mech / electrical BEFORE they were accepted on the course.
If they’re putting muppets through these courses who’re confused by basic electronics then they are:
1 – Ripping them off for f*ck knows how much money
2 – Inflicting them upon the teams working offshore
Given the present shortfall of personnel I can look forward to getting one, or more, of these "confused with the basic principles" guys on my team…oh happy day 👿
Rant off\
Aaah…..feel much better for that 😀

Monkey

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