Tankers with no tanker experience

[mrbob]

Hi everyone,
I recently qualified as an OOW and had served my cadetship on container ships. I've tried applying to several tanker companies but have been rejected each time because I do not have 6 months tanker experience. Unless I'm to understand that only those who have done cadetships on tankers ever get to serve on them as mates I'm not sure how to get that experience.
Have any of you transferred from dry ships to tankers and if so, how did you manage it?

Thanks all,
Bob

[cappy208]

Sometimes you have to ' step down to step up' if only for the six months. This should be a wake-up call that cadet time is only worth the seatime accrued for your license, and any possible 'network' connections you make.

[mrbob]

Well a couple of them were asking for 6 months experience in rank, which becomes a bit more difficult.

[BMCSRetired]

So go back to the companies and explain the you have the license, want the job and will take the "step down" as Cappy 208 recommended, and learn from the deck plate level. If I was a human resources guy, this would demonstrate to me that you are committed to the job by stepping back to learn and gain experience while investing your own time in the company to ensure you will do a good job.

[New3M]

Are you in the US?

The problem with working on tankers is that you need the PIC, but you can't get on a ship to get it. I got mine by being an "observer" through a tanker company - I know people that have done time as a cadet in hopes of impressing somebody. Just keep trying.

[cetaceous]

I managed to do this by working for a company that manages and provides crew for a range of vessels, I went from bulkies to RO-PAX then to tankers. I had to take a demotion sail as a 3/O whilst understudying for my tanker endorsement, which meant the chief officer had to watch over me during cargo ops for a few months.
If you find a company like this you'll need to serve some time on dry ships first whilst proving to the company that you're a good, professional operator that they should consider for a change to tankers, conduct reports and the like from captains and chief mates that you sail with will help greatly.
Well worth doing if you can find a way, the cargo work can be challenging (which I enjoy) and I find them to be more comfortable at sea when loaded than most dry ships. The only downside I find is the amount of over-regulation and paperwork that constantly builds and is starting to become detrimental to the operation of these vessels.
Good luck.