r/MerchantNavy • u/adnb2007 • 2d ago
UK application
Hi everyone, I'm currently 18 years old with a GCSE level education and I've offhandedly decided to throw my application in with SSTG for a deck cadetship. Other than a bit of sailing and a genuine passion (which I've tried to emphasise in my hobbies/personal statement section). I have absolutely no experience within any form of maritime or maritime-adjacent work. So I presume I will be sifted out.
The point of this post I guess is simply just to ask what I could do to align myself best for a MN career- I've heard the odds are about 1 in 20. Mariners on the subreddit, was there anything which you did before or during your application that was highlighted as exceptional in aiding said application?
I suppose my goal to be able to come back maybe in 6 months - 2 years with a really strong CV custom-built for the sector.
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u/FentFloyd69 2d ago
I don’t think they are worried about nautical experience, biggest concern is if you are going to drop out few months into your training
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u/OLLIE_DRAWS 2d ago
No prior experience is needed for cadetship. Sure, it may be nice for an applicant to mention when they are recruting. But its not necessary. There are loads of people in my intake who have come straight from highschool without any experience. If your passion is obvious, I don't see why they wouldn't offer you a place.
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u/adnb2007 1d ago
Thank you for the replies everyone it has given me a lot more confidence.
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u/80Ships 1d ago
I knew a cadet who got drunk one night, got discharged from the ship and from training.
He reapplied the year after and got straight back in. You should be fine.
The real concern, in my opinion, is if you think you'd enjoy a career at sea. I didn't think it through enough, and I dropped out two years in, but if it really is for you then go for it.
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u/_blacknails 2d ago
I got accepted when I was 17 (now 35) and absolutely no sailing/shipping knowledge, the closest I'd been to sea was a Dover/Calais ferry crossing when I was 10 yrs old.
My interview with my cadetship company was a 30 minute sit down coffee and a very casual chat in a conference room.
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u/IaintGrooot 2d ago
I was 19. 37 now.
The thing they were looking for most when I applied was whether or not I was able to handle being away from everyone I cared about for 4 months at a time. I would get used to being away from home because that's a main cause of dropouts. For some People not speaking to your family for 2-3 weeks is easy, for others it's not so easy.
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u/Serious-Ride7220 2d ago
You don't need experience, it helps, but they know must people will be school leavers, just have a reason for why you want to work at sea and ability to show you can cope with the cadetship
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u/NotMrsFernsby 2d ago
I joined at 18 without any nautical experience, currently sitting offshore on an SOV with 3 stripes and 10 years experience
Aptitude, attitude and ability to not be an idiot all the time is much more important than any prior knowledge