technical experience timings

[chris rawnsley]

so I read loads and loads on here, one thing I cant find is if I did 7 yrs in the royal navy as an aircraft (helicopter) engineer doing electrical, mech and hyd work, then 4 as a gas boiler service and repair engineer that is classed as decent technical exp.. but that was 5 yrs ago!! with that past exp am I better off doing the 7 week rov course as say a refresher as it has a month of electronics inc, or do I do an electronics hnd over the next 18 months and wait… everything seems pretty mixed and really unsure of best thing to do, I want to crack on with my new career but at same time don’t want to spunk money on a course for nothing, iv read good and bad things and know that with no past exp an rov course is pointless, but I have past exp and engineering quals but that was 5+ yrs ago… HELP!!!!!
sorry if this seems like another rookie question, I have looked, and trawled the rookie posts past and present, faq’s etc but nothing hits the tit exactly!

[John Bridgett]

so I read loads and loads on here, one thing I cant find is if I did 7 yrs in the royal navy as an aircraft (helicopter) engineer doing electrical, mech and hyd work, then 4 as a gas boiler service and repair engineer that is classed as decent technical exp.. but that was 5 yrs ago!! with that past exp am I better off doing the 7 week rov course as say a refresher as it has a month of electronics inc, or do I do an electronics hnd over the next 18 months and wait… everything seems pretty mixed and really unsure of best thing to do, I want to crack on with my new career but at same time don’t want to spunk money on a course for nothing, iv read good and bad things and know that with no past exp an rov course is pointless, but I have past exp and engineering quals but that was 5+ yrs ago… HELP!!!!!
sorry if this seems like another rookie question, I have looked, and trawled the rookie posts past and present, faq’s etc but nothing hits the tit exactly!

If you don’t have basic electronics experience / knowledge the TUC 7 week course may fit the bill nicely, I would be very tempted to apply directly to companies, most seem to be recruiting at this time of year.
IS

[chris rawnsley]

Thanks for the reply,
Thats what I thought but at 12k its alot to spend without being sire its the right path lol..

[michael kilby]

i was an avionics tech in the army for 14 years, got out in dec 2007, pottered around doing various jobs untill last may where i first heard of ROVs.

it took me 10 months of applications to lots of companies, big and small, before i got very lucky with a CV hitting a desk at exactly the right time as someone had dropped out of a course and i had stated on my cover letter that i could start immediately. i went from posting a CV to starting a course in 11 days, so got very lucky indeed.

all i can say is that your experience is relevant to the job, your forces background shows that you can live away from home, have discipline (even though you were navy!) and have hand skills couple with mental ability, all things an employer wants.

the only problem you really have, the same as so many others, including myself 6 months ago, is that there are a LOT of applicants for a FEW positions.

keep sending CVs, keep phoning companies, use as many networking sites as you can, linkedin, your RFEA as you are ex military, even facebook, to get as many contacts as possible, and keep persevering.

email, post, phone calls, dont stop trying, and you could get taken on next week, or it might take a year, but if you want to do this job, then keep at it and dont get down if it doesnt happen straight away

Mick

[chris rawnsley]

Exactly what im doing mate. Luckily I own my own company atm so can leave at thr drop of a hat. Iv signed onto the electronics hnc and booked the mtcs course for feb nxt yr. Il just keep pushing and annoying ppl lol.. have u got a contacts list by anychance I have around 12 so far but im sure there’s more . And I qorked as a "jungly" engineer on seakings with the marines, sf and army air Corps didnt spend much time on ship lol.. but if I need to have spent 3 yrs offshore on ark royal for a job then I did lol..

[David]

I’d approach the rig companies like Trans Ocean, Ensco etc about being rig maintenance crew. the industry is booming and they need engineers.
I wasted my resettlement grant on ROV stuff. I now work on rigs and I’m raking it in AND it’s a regular salary. I’ve spoken to ROV crews and they aren’t on as much as a rig mechanic. Rig crews also get a regular rotation if that’s what you want.

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