To old to begin the Training???

[PistolPeat]

Hi, 😆

I have 18 years experience as a lift and escalator engineer and I am looking to move into the field of ROV’s. I have electro/mechanical, hydraulic and a little electronic experience in both installation and servicing.

I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate an honest opinion on:-

1. At the tender age of 35, am I to old to be considered for a trainee ROV pilot/tech? :tup: :tdn:

2. Will paying for a couple of courses (ten grand 😯 ) at Fort William give me an advantage as I have no previous offshore experience?

I have been interested in an offshore career for some time now and have read more about ROV Pilot/Tech’s than any other career. It would be interesting to hear if you thought it was a rewarding career.

Any response would be greatly appreciated, no matter how honest! 🙄

Cheers Nik

[Scott Beveridge]

1. No.

2.You decide if you want to spend the money… read training threads. There’s enough opinions / facts there.

Rewarding?? Just a point of view… I won’t have to work after 53. 😉

[Ray Shields]

1. No, definately not too old. Oldest trainee we ever had was late 40’s.

2. What Scott said, read through the threads, different people have different opinions. Some say yes, some say no (me, I say depends on your background already and you should at least start applying before taking it because you’ll feel like a right tit if you spend all that money and would have got the job anyway :D).

And if you do I would suggest you do not need the full £10k course, as your background is already electrical you do not need to spend the extra £’s doing their electrical/electronics course

3. Definately rewarding, lots of money and lots of time off (or shitloads of money with little time off, depends on what you want!)

[Andy Shiers]

What do you mean by

Oldest trainee we ever had was late 40’s.

😕 That’s not old 😯

[Ray Shields]

What do you mean by

Oldest trainee we ever had was late 40’s.

😕 That’s not old 😯

I mean that the oldest trainee we ever had was late 40’s. PistolPete is 35. Therefore the answer is no, he is not too old to be a trainee.

Is this a trick question?? 😯 😕

[Andy Shiers]

Yep 😀 Multiple choice lateral thinking 🙂

[PistolPeat]

Thanks for your opinions guys.:D

The most important question was about age.

The reason I asked was that any advert I have seen advertising for trainee posts in the oil industry have said they are looking for people under 30.

Any Idea if there is a list of companies that take trainees or should I just send my cv to all.

Also should I send my cv and cover letter in a presentation folder or is that over the top bull s**t. The reason I ask is that in my trade my cv would simply be a formality (and it would be full of 😳 "buzzwords" 😳 ) but as I want to move into a new trade my cv and its contents become very important(I guess).

Any newbies out there who can pass on thier secrets??

regards Nik 😉

[Ray Shields]

Firstly can you point out ANY job advert in the UK which says " trainee posts in the oil industry have said they are looking for people under 30. " as this is illegal under the Age Discrimination Act. I have never seen any advert saying this.

All of the major ROV companies take on and train Trainees. The smaller ROv companies take on 1 or 2 but your best bet is with the major players. Read through all the messages in the ROV Rookies section on here for details and links to the different companies.

Read through the FAQs, especially the one about how to lay out your CV before starting to sending them off. You need to equate the skills and experience that you have to suit offshore. Presentation folder?? Err no, and dont bother printing it on dayglo paper or any such like either.

[PistolPeat]

Ray,

I have been looking at the oil industry for a few years and it was always my intention to wait until my youngest started school(this year). It is only in the last year that I have narrowed in on the ROV sector. I know that after 1st October 2006 it would be very hard for a company in the UK to advertise a job with an age limit, but I have found a UK based oil site that advises you that you will find it very difficult to get a trainee position after the age of 30.(not an ROV position)

http://oilrecruiter.net/index.php?page=d_industry_technician

This was the main reason I asked the question.

The info regarding the cv is much appreciated. The reason I was asking is that I have read another oil related forum where someone suggested that some companies won’t even open your cv/letter if its in a brown envelope or doesn’t have a first class stamp on it. They suggested printing it on coloured paper and putting a photo of youself in with it.

Anyway just been on subsea7 site and missed the boat on sending them a cv as they had advertised for a trainee rov pilot/tech but the closing date was 29th February.(will send my cv anyway)

Will start printing my cv/cover letters and send them off in big white envelopes with first class stamps.

Will post again when(if) I hear back from any of the companies I send off to.

cheers again

Nik Peat

[luckyjim37]

I have recently been working with a lot of ex-Oceaneering guys. Seems if you want to get a quick foot in the door with a half decent training course they might be worth sending a C.V. into.

Fugro-Rovtech are not to bad to work for just ask Ray all about them.

Also try a couple of the recruitment companies, Mansell Recruitment and Omega resources both recruit for some of the ROV companies.

If you do not get in with a company then email all the major agencies as well they sometimes can get you a start.

Also with your background you should have no bother with the technical aspects of the job.

There is also a company called MTCS (Maritime Training and Competence Scheme) based in Kendal (I think). They run introduction courses to the idustry for much less than 10k and there is a fantastic female to male ratio in Kendal.

Keep plugging at companies and follow up all emails with a phone call a couple of days later if you have no response.

Happy hunting.

[Andy Shiers]

A Note here Pistolpeat 😕 I have said this on many occasions
And I am being deadly serious , Don’t go through an agency 🙁
You are not helping yourself and you are definately NOT helping the situation offshore !
You are only hearing this from my gob but I assure you that Many many people think the same.
You might think ………..foot in the door ,
I think…………. F#’k not again 👿
Completley green through an agency is unprofesional and if the agency knows this and changes your CV to suit then they are just money grabbing barstewards That I will personally take great pleasure in name and shaming them for what they are 😈

[PistolPeat]

Thanks for the info guys. :tup:

I have no right to be so presumptuous as to think that I will send off a few cv’s and I will be given a trainee position, however I don’t think I would go for an agency as I have my doubts about them in my own Industry. I like the security of working for a company (not an agency) and anyway who wants to give an agency a slice of your pie for the hard work you are doing.

Cheers Nik 😛

[Andy Shiers]

Good on you mate 🙂
And good luck

[Ray Shields]

I know that after 1st October 2006 it would be very hard for a company in the UK to advertise a job with an age limit, but I have found a UK based oil site that advises you that you will find it very difficult to get a trainee position after the age of 30.(not an ROV position)

http://oilrecruiter.net/index.php?page=d_industry_technician

This was the main reason I asked the question.

The info regarding the cv is much appreciated. The reason I was asking is that I have read another oil related forum where someone suggested that some companies won’t even open your cv/letter if its in a brown envelope or doesn’t have a first class stamp on it. They suggested printing it on coloured paper and putting a photo of youself in with it.

I’ve emailed the website in question and pointed them in the direction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 and suggested they update their website info as it does not give a true representation.

Im not sure where they’re getting their ideas of no brown envelopes or 1st class stamp?? They will be suggesting folding it to make a secret Masonic sign or maybe bunging a tenner in there next 😀

You can put a photo in if you wish but its not a beauty contest 😀 😀 (just as well really!)

[luckyjim37]

Lost boy.

I personally took a couple of agency jobs to get my foot in the door at the start of my ROV careeer. It does help and that is from personal experience not an opinion.

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