KKPauk
i am bassically a marine engineer ...i have sent my cv to them and they have given me a postive response....i also have a sailing experience of around 3 years and will it be count as an addition thing for getting a job...please guide me.....thanks
Hi KK Paul, (is this your real name, if yes, then I am a fan of your openness)
I am answering because you will never find any Indian working as Senior Supervisor or Superintendent or even as freelancer ROV PT answering or responding to such queries, because such is the fear of a new person entering in ROV industry to them. If it is not so then go to linkedIn & find many Indian working in ROV since long & put this in your email to them. You have to have GOD Father or GOD Mother to be in this ROV industry now. This fear is not only in Indian but also in many foreigners. But they have more chances because whole ROV industry is and started from there. The only positive point we have for entering this field is cheap labour, mostly loathed by others. Once you entered & get experienced than you are one of the best. Many foreigners who trained us & worked with us will openly acknowledge this.
I guess like CYRILO you too are an Indian. Let us realise the truth. I being an India will be answering all your queries so that all my brothers following ROV World, a great treasure of knowledge and where true and impartial advices, suggestions and answers to all questions related to ROV can be found.
Got frustrated by doing 6 months on and 2 months off. (there were a few Indian like you in this forum asking same Questions, I think one of them was Abhimanyu, I PM him than, you can find about him in linkedIn, he did ROV course & works as ROV PT)
Q=-You are sailing as 4th Eng in Main Fleet (MF) doing 6 months on and 2 months off & got frustrated.
So simple solution to avoid long stay on-board without losing tons of Forex on ROV course for trying to enter in the queue of trainee ROV PT at this period of slow down in oil market, is to try & get into any offshore vessels like PSV, AHTS, ROV support, DSV, Construction, Drill ships, Pipe Lay or Cable lay etc where tenure may range from 4 to 15 weeks and work concern may be similar as MF. By this you will realise that you are getting two answers at the same time.
Q- Sailing experience of around 3 years and will it be count as an addition thing for getting a job
First one is your MF experience counted or not in same field i.e. mechanical engineering in offshore. This will give some hint to your second answer, that is about ROV which is a system mostly electrical, electronics, IT, fiber optics (just basic knowledge & skill about fiber optics is sufficient) & hydraulics (Electro-hydraulic ROV - not always, but Launching & Recovery system yes all are almost fully hydraulic), whether your experience will be counted as an addition thing in ROV .
In India there is no ROV manufacturer. Companies operating ROVs are just getting system maintenance done ashore, if it was demobilised earlier due to some reasons, only if the system is to be mobilized again soon. If the system is not going to be mobilized soon on board and to be kept in shop than no one wants to spend on equipment & on your day rate with no possibility of returns soon.
For India, I have used word like shop not workshop because there you are not going to get all the jobs done, even like painting of system in professional way. Casual way painting can be done in the shop where companies are keeping the spare systems. Yes you can get it painted in approved professional way by other contractor, but in his workshop.
Q-Course & Job Guarantee or prospects after paying Dollars
Tell me which training school will refuse anybody CV to undergo any course run by them which is not required to be approved & certified by any countrys technical body and almost not asked & required by ROV industry. On top of that one has to pay tons of dollars (according to an average Indian). So why will they employ you to shut their own training shop. Because how many ROV PT they require for 10 years can just be trained in 10 courses within one year only. Actually you all are giving them employment that also guaranteed one for getting a certificate which other company will not accept.
Can you take this paper from Fugro & go to Oceaneering and say I am trained in ROV by a reputed ROV Manufacture/Operator company, so I am suitable. They will definitely say no, because they themselves have opened training institute where one has to pay to undergo a course. Even SMD & other manufactures have started their own training institutes. So, now you have Training institute run by manufacturers, operators besides existing training institute who all re neither operator nor manufacturer.
All the ROVs are similar, means if it is Electro-hydraulics, then all EH WROVs will be 80% similar. If it is an Electrical inspection Class then also all are 80% similar, because all ROVs are one way assemble piece. No ROV manufacture in the world makes all the part themselves. But Fugro certificate will not be accepted by Oceaneering for entry in their company as ROV PT
It is a common sense to think what will happen if I have to employ 10 people in my organization & train them from my pocket, will I be selecting the best of the best or in second situation where I say I will give paid training to you all & then after all screening only, select the best provided he is meeting my company requirements. So this way no one has the chance to get employed because what are my company standard are secret & I am the only selector not any second person or third party. If anyhow to show other I may employ one for some days & fire him out soon. So that way I keep make more money from paid training business. So, in this way I will be employed by the entire aspiring future employee. And think what is their training standard if they cannt select one out of all to whom they have themselves trained in their institute. Will they be selected by others?
Moreover people like you are already highly over qualified for such jobs of maintenance.
Operation part will be by years of practice only, if you get a chance. And you didnt then what will be your frustration can you imagine?
The biggest scam in world id this employment scheme refer www.fraudwatcher.com
Many fake universities, employment website, offices are opened & new ones will be continually opening everyday this training business is one of them. (Try to understand logic given above)
Being in India and in shipping world you are very well familiar with Service charges given by new Cadets, GS, OS per trip. Which cant be recovered back by them by way of salary for 12 months working on-board? So, you are working for free and still you find people in line in front of such officers. Now many ex-seafarers has left the sea going jobs & opened offices of such a profitable business. Can you answer this why people behave like this? It is just ignorance. May be they dont want to use mind, which may lead to wear & tear as in case of items used too much gets broken or they are keeping it for future use (3rd world war).
Have institutes where you have undergone BE, BTec or Marine Engineer or any marine related courses promised you a job guarantee. If yes, then was it full filled? You are the better judge for that.
And during this slow down many experienced ROV people have to acquire or are acquiring & learning new skills like making coffee, tea etc. I am also going to join such recognised & famous institutes where one can learn making coffee, tea, paper cigarettes etc and get a job as ROV PT as I will be trying to re-enter the ROV field as ROV PT-I. So, I humbly request all my senior & colleague to forward me the web addresses of such institutes where doing a course can guarantee me a job of ROV PT back again. It was just a Joke, but if you are a helpful human being than yours order & advice is most welcome.
Friend if you are sailing in Indian owned companies or Companies managed by Indian company you get oiler, fitter, wiper in Engine Department. This may be possible in offshore vessels also if managed by Indian Company. But many foreign company vessel (OSV) you will find only CE & 2n Eng no 3rd Eng, no EO/ETO and they both do 6 on 6 off hours. For defect rectification if two are required then you imagine the situation.
A picture of ROV Trainee
OK as a trainee ROV PT, you are the in-charge of whole system. Dont get frighten now by knowing this, dont worry you will not be ask to attend client meeting, fly ROV perfectly & accomplish the task, paper work, carryout re-term alone solve complex issues related to ROV system.
By in-charge I mean to say whole ROV area, work & control vans, ROV related systems like APU, HPU, LARS, Winch, etc. Again dont take too much tension on hearing this from ROV Supervisor (your GOD there) & senior (even ---- there), you just have to keep them in ship shape, shinning, chipping and chirping alone, painting, even polishing sometime to show others that you are the busiest ROV Chap on board. Keeping area free from oil & grease to avoid slip & trip. If you are lucky enough than you may get crane in your area with grease & oil from heaven in addition to oil from sea means ROV on deck, and surface means LARS, Winch etc. You have to work like magician and vanish all that, before someone find & put observation/start/stop card, taking it as a god gift only for you as you are the only blessed one.
You may be surprised that I have described about work area only, which may be hot and humid like southern part of India or in the month of Aug-Sep in Singapore. If you are working as ROV PT 2,3,4 in cold region then I cannt tell because I dont have that experience. But I stay and belong to one of the hill states of India where snow fall take place every winter and I born and brought up in desert state i.e. Rajasthan can bear that even being the offspring of snow people. So by this time you now started to look for an AC room that is work van. At present I am not covering Control Van as every thing is under your control only as you being the only in-charge of whole ROV system.
See all tools including special tools, spare parts, hand power tools, special repair kit for say fibre optics. Learn their different all kinds of name as someone may call it wrench, spanner, adjustable, screw spanner etc. Use of special tools, repair kits etc with which you are not familiar with will be shown to you. Try to learn to use them correctly first than to be fast. In doubt ask again, but not again & again. Observe others also how they are using it safely. If then also in doubt dont say yes for the job & get injured. Like in ships it happens.
Good observation is the best way to learn & common sense makes you uncommon from the crowd.
Q - If money is your concern. A - after this topic.
If money is your concern, then do you know what is the day rate of Maintenance Supervisior/CE/Chief Mechanic etc in Drill ships, Accommodations, self propelled barges or installations?
CEs of MF are to first sail as 3rd Eng in Drill ships or self propelled barge or installation. So, from here you could guess the work & responsibility to be carried out by anyone in offshore. System like ROV, BOP, LMRP & etc which are subsea related cant be run & maintain in the way like done on-board, where due to unavailability of spares, skilled person or any other reasons defects which cant be closed are somehow managed & get repair in next port call.
I dont say that to be a ROV PT or even trainee is not possible. It is very much possible now also. There was a time when people from non-technical background could easily become ROV PT & now out of them many are ROV Superintendents. Most have been performing very well, except a few who due to their other qualities are still in their company.
Truly speaking to work initial as ROV PT, one does not requires any technical degree or experience. Just to be a matriculate, medical fit & solider like temperament to bear the hardship while enjoying work and learning. Good reasoning & common sense. Top safety acumen for self, colleague, system, environment & installation. For this sometimes some careless people may laugh at you. You being in marine field are already familiar with Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen. One have to take safety courses related to Offshore Industry like BOSIET, HUET, FOET, MIST, H2S etc all these are somewhat similar to STCW courses AFF, MFA, PSC&RB, PSSR, PST etc. Out of those many are region specific.
On board one ROV system is operated & maintained by a team comprising of 2 or 3 people & in workshop by a big team of excellent & talented people who all are expert in their field.
You being in marine field are the most suitable in term of standards, temperament & knowledge etc. Only if you have interested, improved & learned little bit more in electrical & electronics field, which all were taught to you during your mechanical degree. I know most of mechanical guys in marine world try to escape from word ELECTR + ICAL or ONICS, but many has to carry out willingly or unwillingly EO or ETO duty on-board in addition to their own. During your stay on-board if you have became familiar, at least about 10 %, with the electricity generation, controls of engines, battery, UPS , AC, DC, basic principle of some navigational equipment like gyro for direction of the ship. RADAR for directions, ranges, speeds of targets on surface & air. RADAR is not used on ROV but you can very well interpret RADAR principle or logic (EM waves cannot travel under water) into underwater field where sound energy (acoustic wave) is used in echo sounder for depth, types of logs for ships speed, for finding direction, range, speed of targets in water in sonar, beacon like pinger, USBL etc.
If not, than just start now and in your 06 months onboard tenure you will learn many things for which you were going to pay huge amount. So, best is learning while earning & no frustration.
And there is nothing like guarantee in this universe, everything is changing. If you have 10 dollar in your pocket, then dont always presume that its value is & will always remain 10 dollar. You can buy 10 Kgs of mango in India today with that 10 Dollar but after Oct can you. Simple answer is No. So its value changes every time.
If something that you want to be guaranteed or permanent should be your good character, helping nature, be available at least to near & dear in need and in time.
A Spend what your earn wisely (no on some course which promises job after that)
Listen, my friend a very noble truth or fact.
Best Wisdoms & Knowledges which you get free & through experience only are the best and accurate. Because these are different from biased & paid ones which are motivate from the salespersons point of view.
OK, let me disclose my present profession now, I am sailing as ETO on-board AHTS DP-2 vessels since Apr 2013. Ok now prior to this 03 years as ROV PT and 20 years in Indian Navy as Electrical Artificer Power (EAP),
Now it is up to you to take it as a joke or time pass and again ask same type of questions again & again without going through the already discussed topics.
I tried to cover almost all your questions with many questions even not asked by my friends like you at one go to make it easy for all you new future ROV PT.
If you think you got the best and complete answers here, then in that case please cut and paste all these information with your & other inputs and correction ( grammar also), if there are any, whenever you find such question from newbies without first doing some labour. Because this is my first & last comment on this topic. And more over in ROV world one cannt like a topic as in Facebook of foolbook or LinkedIn. Here you have to speak through your brain. I cannt guide you all again and again like senior members in ROV world like Rayshield, Raptor and many more. It is now 0430 hours in Okono field at offshore Nigeria. I took 7 hours to put my views here & I am totally tried. Words are jumping in front of my eyes on Laptop screen, so error rate is going to increase.
For any query you can PM me & if by chance we met on board or at land I assure you that within 10 days I will try to enhance your technical knowledge about ROV equivalent to what training school does. I if you are lucky to be on board with me on any ROV support vessel and ROV supervisor allow us then operations matter can also be taken care of in 05 days. Only remains are flying skill that depends on individuals. Some take one day to learn swimming & driving & some takes months.
It up to you to agree or not with my point of view. Sorry I cannt add more to it now.
Wish all aspiring ROV PT best of luck in their endeavor.
REDBLUEGREEN