San’bonani from South Africa!

[Geoffrey Lotz]

Hello All!

I haven’t been around this site since about 2005 – so here goes the standard newbie greetings and introductions.

I studied a technical diploma (Marine engineering) back in the ’80’s, and served seatime aboard a few ships, first as a Cadet Engineering Officer then as an acting Junior Engineering Officer. The company was Safmarine. I still have my Seamans record book and my last discharge certificate!! If I knew then what I know now, I would never have left!

Over the years I have done all manner of things, Affirmative Action having been implemented in my country since ’94, which made employment opportunities for pale natives of advancing years a little difficult. One took what one could get……transport brokerage ( got to managerial level though, then got tired of doing the same thing day in day out), tech manager on a doomed farm (retrenched, no severance), domestic maintenance contracting ( got sick in the city and of not getting paid timeously by clients) etc etc.

In terms of relevant experience, I worked for several years as a crane safety tech, installing, servicing and maintaining micro-processor controlled crane safety systems that dynamically measure load by means of load cells or pressure transducers, measure telescoping boom length by means of a pot driven through gears by a cable winding on and off a drum at one end and fixed to the boom tip at the other, calculate and compare to a load chart programmed on an E-PROM, giving a warning at 90% and dumping hydraulic pressure through a solenoid at 95% of safe load. Interesting stuff, doing odd component-level repairs in the middle of a minefield on the border ‘tween Zimbabwe and Mozambique! We started getting into CANBUS stuff, then my then wife got fed up with my travelling all the time, so I resigned just in time to get divorced! Good Times!

Did a little boat building as a systems tech and machinist, ’til salaries were being paid in scrap ally plate! Senior management were up to no good, suppliers weren’t supplying anymore etc. Beautiful boat though – Corsta V ( Google it) – she got finished in the end.

I have had something like twelve jobs in 25 years, enduring boredom, frustration, low pay, no pay, boredom, making silly decisions and poor choices, boredom, oh, and boredom; yet I still think I was designed and built for ROV’s.

And inasmuch as there are undoubtedly good grounds for the occasional moans and complaints about cr**py companies and sh**ty vessels, I cant help feeling that those who are employed in this field are singularly fortunate to be doing this kind of work. I make boxes out of MDF all day, call them cupboards and people sometimes pay for them. The prospects for forty-somethings are bleak in this country, we have serious problems with electricity supply for the next eight or ten years or so, the economy is soon to start shrinking – I guess what I am saying is I would be grateful to have reasonably well paying work in a field of endeavour that is surely set to be around for some time, and that is a lot more interesting and challenging than box-building!

On that note, yes, I will send out some CV’s, and be positive and persistent and hopeful for a berth somewhere, and I wish all the other newbies the very best of luck in their search too.

And I would hope for peace and prosperity for everyone. 😀

[ionicwings]

it seems like you have a good technical background 8)

goodluck on your job hunt! 😉

[Geoffrey Lotz]

🙄 well, 28 applications sent out thus far.

Negative from one so far. A bunch of automated replies from some others.

Ho hum……… 8)

We have been lucky to have power all day today. Touch wood. No, not that kind of wood. 🙄

I better shutdown and get home…….

[Geoffrey Lotz]

Forty sent out – six negative replies so far.

Perseverance furthers…

Downloaded a few manuals for study at home – LARGE files!!

Even if i don’t get a berth somewhere, hey, it’s knowledge that can’t be taken away!

Yabba-dabba! 😉

EDIT: Make that 43.

[ionicwings]

When I was jobhunting, Ive sent a total of 133 emails with my CV not included those email that bounced back. Ive received alot of automated replies, alot of message saying ive been added to database and saying they forwarded it to the appropriate people. Out of those 133 emails/companies, only 2 replied with a positive feedback and 1 of the 2 hired me.

And now, few of the ones I emailed 2 mos back replied with positive feedbacks, however, I already have a job. 😕

I think you wont have to send that much since you have a good qualification though… so goodluck 😉

[sam]

Good luck in your job search Jiggz, did you consider doing an internship ?
It worked like this for me, i’ve been offered a job in the company i did an internship last summer (one month in total).
Even if you don’t have the job, you get some experience.

[Geoffrey Lotz]

Those are the kind of ratios I anticipated, Ionic. (Like your gurgling pussy, BTW. Can’t help wondering how you get those harmonic oscillations going…) Every time I am in town I send out a few more CV (if the power is on.)

"Moor po’or, Scottie! Ah need moor po’or!"

Exo – I have read your posts from the past detailing how you got into the industry. Problem is it is not short hop cross Channel from South Africa to Aberdeen, and currently the exchange rate is about 15 ZAR to the pound. So knocking on doors is not so easy from this distance. But I get your point, and I have thought of attending a course too.

Thanks to both of you guys for the feedback.

[Andy Shiers]

It appears that the Brits have been getting a little disgruntled in the Middle-eastern area with shitty pay , shitty conditions and ignorant Arabs and Indians , 😯
This is to say that an orifice has opened in the ROV and Diving market and the hole has been plugged by Zuid Africaaners 😀
Try CCC or NPCC- Both of which are in Mussafah, Abu Dhobi

[sinbad]

Is NPCC really working in ROV business?
I checked their website (as many, it seems not up to date), and didn’t see anything explicitely relative to ROV.

Yet they are registered at IMCA… Any contact name?

[Andy Shiers]

Can’t help there as the person I knew has now left.
No doubt if you type in Moreham ed Mustafacrap you will get someone who might help 😀
They did have a Panther or two but they kept getting them buggered due to Arrogant Barge Superintendants and bad pilots 😯
H20mrv might be able to help as he has fought with them send him a PM
( I think they take on all walks of life , Thats including frogs 😀 )
😯

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