Civmars, civmars

[Highball]

I need some advice from you CIVMARS.*

Okay, so I'm getting hired on with MSC as OSAP.*
It's been two months already and I've gone through all the steps: security clearance, medical, etc. My medical is waiting to be cleared by the MRO which takes about two weeks apparently.*

My question is:
How long does it usually take after they've cleared you before they send you to NEO? I've heard some horror stories about them putting you on the backburner for months. When can I expect to hear something? No one at CSC will give me any answers. I'm asking because if it's going to be months, I'd like to go to Alaska and do some longlining rather than just sit on my thumbs at home waiting for a phonecall. Bad idea? How long of a window do they give you to show up for classes? Is it like a "be in Norfolk tomorrow 0800" kind of deal? I'm getting a little restless.*

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also: Do your boots have to be black? What should I bring other than the common sense stuff?*

[Jeffrox]

Boots: black;
Stuff: common sense;
Report date: Negotiable over the phone.
Go fish
MSC is on Facebook, get all your question answered here: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/MSCdelivers

[captobie]

Ditto on the 'go fish' advice.

Years ago I took an AB job at MSC. While I was waiting in the pool I got a call from Chevron needing a relief 3/M for a few weeks. I told the detailer that something came up and that I'd be back in a few weeks. They weren't too happy about it, but technically they hadn't hired me yet, and when I got back it was like I never left. Still saw a lot of the same faces waiting in the pool.

Go fishing, MSC will always wait for you.

[Highball]

Thanks guys, I think I will go fish for a couple trips or more. I just wish I knew when to expect my date for orientation. I'm ready to go already. On the other hand, I definitely don't want to be sitting around in the pool for weeks but I guess that's how it goes.

I wonder if I can slide by with brown boots. I've got a brand new pair of really comfortable brown ones and I know the ones they issue you are gonna suck. This could be the deal breaker. Haha.

[Highball]

Like on the Shawshank Redemption: "How often do you notice a mans shoes?"

[Jeffrox]

They have a truck come to NEO and they have probably about 8-10 different brands of work footware available.

[CMA_Decky]

Boots: Supposed to be black. When you go through NEO they bring a truck in with about 20 choices, I like my pair that I got. That being said, most Captains don't care about your boots, but every once in awhile you find one who does care.

Go fish: I had a friend who in the middle of the hiring process got called to go help clean up the spill. They just said to give them a call when he got back. MSC doesn't hire for immediate, "the other OS broke his arm" needs, they hire to maintain a pool over the long term.

[Highball]

Damn, I just got the call today. They scheduled orientation for the week after Easter. Well there's always time for fishing later. The fleet isn't going anywhere. I was kinda looking forward to it though. It's like an addiction and when spring comes around I get a real bad yen.

[mastlight]

Hang out in the pool and get paid. Stay in the bar drinking all night and get paid. Don't worry about the hang over cause you be in the pool the next day all day. Watch JLo music videos on you tube after getting sick of watching TV while drinking black label all day while waiting for monday in the pool. Bring a hooker to the hotel and get paid.... become a pool rat at MSC.

[CMA_Decky]

When you get through with your training, if you pay for the flight yourself you can go to the SD pool instead of Norfolk. When I did it last year the ticket cost about $200, well worth while I speant a month in the pool.

[Highball]

Really? I thought guys spent a long time waiting to get transferred. Why would they do that if they could just fly over themselves? And why exactly is west coast better? I mean San Diego is obviously cooler than Norfolk, but does it really matter when your in the pool?

[DeckApe]

Really? I thought guys spent a long time waiting to get transferred. Why would they do that if they could just fly over themselves? And why exactly is west coast better?

We can go to either pool for training or waiting on an assignment. But our assignment to an East Coast or West Coast ship depends on what coast we are assigned, not what pool we wait in. It can take years to get a coastal transfer.

I mean San Diego is obviously cooler than Norfolk, but does it really matter when your in the pool?

At Norfolk they treat us like willful children that need to be reminded who the daddy is. At San Diego they know better then to waste their time herding cats.

Do what CMA_Decky said. After your training is done fly yourself to San Diego and wait in their pool. Never go back to the Norfolk pool, ever.

[Jeffrox]

You answered your own question: "San Diego is obviously cooler than Norfolk". No one waits in NJ; after training it's straight to the pool in VA by bus, or like was said you fly yourself to SD. You have to get permission to do this fly to SD thing BTW, and what was intimated to me was that they would only let the Licensed folks do it.

[DeckApe]

You have to get permission to do this fly to SD thing BTW, and what was intimated to me was that they would only let the Licensed folks do it.

Not true. You can't fly between coast pools on the clock so you do have to travel on a weekend, holiday or on leave. Anyone can do the pool shuffle, not just the officers. I've always notified the Norfolk pool I was flying to SD with a ticket already purchased. I don't ask for their blessing.

You will have to contact the SD pool at least a day ahead to let them know you are coming so they can hook you up with a hotel room.

A few years ago I signed off an oiler in Norfolk in the morning, took a taxi to the airport (driving past the Norfolk pool in the process) and flew to SD that afternoon. By the evening I was at the SD pool hotel. Later when I was assigned a ship they put me on a plane and sent me to join the ship in Norfolk.

Screw the nasty Norfolk pool.

[Jeffrox]

IT IS TRUE, or was last Nov. We are talking about a new hire finishing their initial training in NJ in this thread

Not true. You can't fly between coast pools on the clock so you do have to travel on a weekend, holiday or on leave. Anyone can do the pool shuffle, not just the officers. I've always notified the Norfolk pool I was flying to SD with a ticket already purchased. I don't ask for their blessing.

You will have to contact the SD pool at least a day ahead to let them know you are coming so they can hook you up with a hotel room.

A few years ago I signed off an oiler in Norfolk in the morning, took a taxi to the airport (driving past the Norfolk pool in the process) and flew to SD that afternoon. By the evening I was at the SD pool hotel. Later when I was assigned a ship they put me on a plane and sent me to join the ship in Norfolk.

Screw the nasty Norfolk pool.

[DeckApe]

IT IS TRUE, or was last Nov. We are talking about a new hire finishing their initial training in NJ in this thread

I don't doubt that Norfolk tries to feed that line of crap to new hires. But just because Norfolk tries to feed us a hot plate of steaming shit does not mean we have to eat it.

[CMA_Decky]

I'm not sure about the unlicensed. I was told the same thing everyone was in NEO, you can go to whichever pool you want to. When another CMA mate and I first asked Bobbi in NJ (it won't be hard to figure out who that is, trust me) if we could fly ourselves to the SD pool she said flat out no. So we went over her head and asked our detailer Lynn Carr if we could. Since she never see's mariners anyways she said she didn't care, we took that to Bobbi and she said that if it was alright with the detailer then it's fine with her. If Bobbi says no to you because you're unlicensed then call yoru detailer and ask for her blessing. If you still don't get it, well then it's not hard to get creative in the MSC shoreside beauraucracy.

[Highball]

Jesus, what kind of weirdo organization am I getting in bed with?

[DeckApe]

Jesus, what kind of weirdo organization am I getting in bed with?

A large bureaucracy following the normal rules of human nature: most people are fine most of the time, a few people are great all the time while a few others need to be taken out back and shot.

[seacomber]

damn, just when I am on the fence ready to jump in, there are posts on MSC facebook wall that o.t., has been getting the axe on alot of ships. any truth to this?