Advice for Greenhorns / Finding Work Opportunities
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Hi all,
Does anyone have advice for new people joining the industry to find work. I feel that many people, including myself, would be very interested in joining the industry but finding opportunities can be tough and cumbersome from the outside looking in. If anyone has advice on how to find job opportunities, what sort of experience and knowledge may be necessary and / or advantageous, what type of work to expect (short term, seasonal, part time, etc) and perhaps pay ranges, It would be much appreciated.
-Matt
Trying to keep the inquiry above general to follow community guidelines. A bit more about me specifically below,
I believe in the future of seaweed as food, fuel, and feedstock for renewable plastics (among other uses). I hope to one day start my own seaweed cultivation project but in the mean time would love to get on the water and gain practical experience. I'm interested in all aspects of the industry from R&D, nursery, cultivation, to final processing and feel that the best way to join the community is to surround myself with experienced, industry leaders and immerse myself in the process. I am under no illusions that this is a get rich quick scheme or that the work is easy and high pay, but it is something that I believe in and see opportunities in. Any advice for where and how to look for work in the industry would be appreciated, as well as advice on what type of work I should expect (seasonal, taking multiple short term positions, etc.).
I am currently a dive instructor in the Caribbean but will be moving to the East Coast US sometime this fall (although, I am flexible and could move anywhere for the right opportunity). I do have a 100 ton USCG mate near coastal / OUPV near coastal license but it has been nearly 4 years since working as crew on boats (private yachting) and so I don't expect to utilize this license in the near future. I have had a fair bit of experience doing shipyard work, albeit for the very different yachting industry, as well as a pretty good working knowledge of fiberglass, carpentry, plumbing, mechanics, electrical, etc. An all around handy person to have onboard. While I don't have experience rigging cultivation lines or fishing gear, I do have boating experience, rock climbing experience, and arborist / tree climbing experience and I feel confident working with lines, I can quickly learn any industry specific rigging techniques with minimal guidance. From boats, davits, gantry cranes, motorcycles, planes, tractors, bulldozers, chainsaws, etc, I enjoy operating equipment and can quickly adapt previous knowledge to industry tasks.
Any advice on where to start in this industry is appreciated,
-Matt