Help Please! Interview for Clyde Marine Training

[Ron B Manderson]

Just be yourself.
Don't be a clever dick thinking you know all the answers.
One important thing ,if they asked a question you don't know the answer " I Don't know but I sure will find the answer" Don't bluff, be honest.
Be smart in dress code and clean . At sea that is very important as you are living with the same group for ages.
As I say at sea " you make friends , mates . and board of trade buddies"
Your friends will be friends for live.
One question my mate was asked was " If a certain person was facing east and praying what would you never do"
Answer " never walk in front of him as you are casting a shadow"
These things you will learn serving your life at sea
Good luck
Ps I wish I was in your shoes .
If you go to sea it will be in your mind the rest of your life.
Ron the batcave

[Ethan Read]

Ethan at 24 and with your mentioned GCSE results why have you left it so late to be thinking of a MN career? Good luck, but just remember getting on a ship is not like getting on a number 10 bus, the sea especially these days with multi national crews is and can be a very lonely place. One word of advice if you get a chance and a job presents itself after training try your luck and get a job on the ferries UK/Ireland or cross Channel. Just to see how you feel about working on a ship. Have you any small boat experience , sailboats etc!

Hi Lewis,

You're right, I do feel like 24 is old but from all the information i've seen it is no longer too old to be starting out at sea in the modern day and age. Is this true?

The reason why I have left it so late is quite simple, I have never thought about joining before approximately a fortnight ago. I have already had ten different jobs since leaving home at 16 and if the truth be known, I have never been satisfied with any of them. I have worked as a binman, in factories, on building sites and offices all the way through to being an office junior at a law firm for 2 years. I know that I will never be happy working in an office, a factory or as a tradesman, I want to do something special with my life and the MN seems perfect, a true career and one I can be proud of. At the moment I do not have much to be staying in my hometown for, things are hardly going places and I have had enough. I want to leave and explore the world!

I do not have any experience with ships other than travelling on them as a child. I am a quick learner though and love to learn new things, especially something as old and esteemed as seamanship. Does the fact I am so green around the gills raise alarm bells for any of you?

Thanks for the response Lewis
ER

[Ethan Read]

Just be yourself.
Don't be a clever dick thinking you know all the answers.
One important thing ,if they asked a question you don't know the answer " I Don't know but I sure will find the answer" Don't bluff, be honest.
Be smart in dress code and clean . At sea that is very important as you are living with the same group for ages.
As I say at sea " you make friends , mates . and board of trade buddies"
Your friends will be friends for live.
One question my mate was asked was " If a certain person was facing east and praying what would you never do"
Answer " never walk in front of him as you are casting a shadow"
These things you will learn serving your life at sea
Good luck
Ps I wish I was in your shoes .
If you go to sea it will be in your mind the rest of your life.
Ron the batcave

Hi Ron,

That is good advice, thank you for it. I have no intentions of being any thing other than transparent with the interviewer, I have nothing to gain by misleading them. I take care of my appearance and I think that part of the appeal is the uniform, as daft as i'm sure that may sound to the more experienced amongst you, I will be sure to be dressed as smartly as possible for the interview and when on board. Also thank you for the prayer tip, I had no idea so you may have helped me a lot there!

The fact that people on here have expressed envy at my position let me know that the MN is a great prospect, you don't get many careers where people wish they could start all over again. Most people retire and never want to think about their job ever again! It fills me with a desire to get stuck in!

Thanks for the tips and kind words
ER

[Ethan Read]

I truly appreciate it all. Feeling very positive about this choice and just want to get started on the next chapter of my life now!
ER

[John Arton]

Ethan
From your brief précis of your life to date you seem to be the right material for a life at sea. I was a lecturer in Nautical Science at Fleetwood's rival college in South Shields, lecturing to deck cadet's and candidates for Officer of the Watch ( the first licence you sit for after completing your cadetship). One of the courses I designed was a pre entry course to give would be cadets a brief grounding in the basics of ship construction etc. and the oldest candidate was 29 years old, so your age is no problem. I may still have that course synopsis somewhere on my desktop puter and if I get time I will try to email to you via a p.m. through this site. MCA qualifications are now being enhanced so as they will be nationally be recognised as being of degree standard.
Rgds
J.A.

[John Arton]

Ethan
I has just sent you an email requesting your private email address. If you reply to the email address in that mail I can send you quite a bit of stuff that may assist you.
rgds
J.A.

[Ron B Manderson]

As I say about this great site " ask and you will receive"
Ron the batcave

[j.sabourn]

Ethan as you know most of us here live in the past. The ones most likely to give the best info. Will be those still at sea. The final decision will be up to yourself so whatever it is you will have yourself to answer to. No one can live your life for you it has to be done through your own auspices. As in any walk of life enjoyment in your work is gained through job satisfaction. To many of us that is not there at sea anymore and many of us and are lost causes. You however have a clean slate to start on so can make your own judgements. Whatever you decide to do jump in with both feet and hope for the best. Life is what you make it. Cheers and Merry Xmas. You will have many away from home if you make the choice you already have your heart set on. Dont forget to hold your nose when you make that leap of faith stops getting salt water in the lungs. JWS

[John Arton]

Ethan
Sending you some info to your email address, meanwhile check this out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0e6A318cpw
rgds
J.A.