wild cards 3
Cook Jobs - Mates - Chief Engineers - Designated Duty Engineers - Interviews - Deckhands Able
Bodied Seamen - Food Service - Chef - Short Order Cook
A problem facing candidates seeking work on tugboats is that the competition has
stiffened because people from dinner cruise boats and commercial fishing boats
are looking for the same jobs. Some people have simply said "to heck with it" and
looked into  getting a fast food job  or  getting a water treatment plant job .
Other options have included security guard jobs .or commercial diver jobs. Things
have changed a lot. Gone are the days  when a college student could sign on a boat
for a summer job. With STCW, TWIC, drug tests... it can be an effort. Some have
decided to get a job as a janitor ,rather than invest for a job they may or may not find.
Some people would find it strange
that someone who set out to find a
job on a tugboat is also looking
into things like math tutor jobs,
hotel customer service jobs, fast
food jobs, delivery truck jobs,
security guard jobs, airport jobs,
warehouse jobs, janitor jobs,
water treatment and sewage jobs,
bartender jobs and just about
anything else under the sun. Sure,
it can be a no-brainer to say, "Oh,
I'd rather use my 100 ton license
to drive a water taxi for $52,000 a
year rather than work third shift at
a motel off the freeway." But it's not
always that simple. That's why we
put these wild card pages to help
people find different avenues of
employment when the traditionally
sought ones haven't materialized.  
An alternative to tugs is working aboard research ships are another option. Since
this section appears to be relevant to the times, we'll build it up with more job
opportunities. See  wild cards 4 for other random and different job opportunities  .
In some cases, it seems like no matter what a person does, they can't find a job. We
can believe it because we see it. These people aren't lazy or incompetent. The job
market is simply upside down in some parts. "Don't beat yourself up, people!" We
know it's insane out there. Just hang in there, keep your spirits up, keep plugging
away and submitting your resumes. Although it may seem like it's for naught, you can
prevail if you're determined and persistent. Good luck....   and we love all of you!
Here is a link to apply for a
General Vessel Assistant position
with NOAA. Click link to NOAA
Job - Messman, Ordinary
Seaman, Fisherman, Wiper.
We're happy about this particular
opening because it lists multiple
locations, some of which involve
cooking, mess, and kitchen duties
which we realize so many people
are seeking. We wish there were
more of these types of positions.
Well, actually, there's another...  
NOAA Job as an Oiler . We also
link to additional research vessel
opportunities below together with
a mixed bag of "wild cards". Good
luck.
More to come....
By the way, speaking of
determination and persistence...   
you may be fascinated by the
story of a man whose
determination to survive enabled
him to last 133 days on a life raft.
His name was Poon Lim. He
was second mess steward on
the steamer S.S. Ben Lomond,
sunk on November 23, 1942 by
the U-172 some 750 miles east
of the Amazon River on the South
Atlantic Ocean. Read more
below.
By the time he was picked up by
a fishing vessel in April of 1943,
the poor steward had survived by
collecting rainwater and catching
fish. Read more about this
amazing tale of ordeal and
hardship on the open ocean by
clicking here.
With some jobs, you can leave
anytime you like if it's not for
you. With others, you may be
locked into a commitment. It's
best to be sure about the
terms of your employment. For
instance, with cruise ships, an
employee might sign up for a
three month term. If he or she
leaves early, there may be
conditions in the contract that
can come into play. Although
employment in general is an
"at will" relationship between
the company and the
employee, certain maritime
jobs, because of their nature,
may require contracts that
spell out a time period. Make
sure you learn about such
conditions and terms.