Advice needed..

Hi,

Without knowing the questions and your answers or what you expected to be asked it is difficult to know how to answer your question.

If you want to PM me the questions I will give you my thoughts as an experienced Chief Engineer who has given a lot of telephone interviews.

Years ago, while walking the docks at Bahia Mar FLIBS, I encountered the owner of a dinner yacht and asked about a job. He asked how much I was looking for. I told him that in NY I'd been making $15 an hour. He took my number and said he'd give me a call. He didn't. Several week later I was on the dock and ran into him again, and again asked him. Once again he asked how much I was looking for. I told I'd work that night for free and we could discuss my rate after he saw how I work. He nixed that and offered me $7 an hour. I said sure. I worked the rest of the season for him at $7 an hour, and every couple of days he handed me an extra $100 bill. Bottom line: the decision whether or not to hire someone is made within seconds. The rest of the interview just confirms the decision. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

But still, you got two Nycap!

perseverance pays

The way I learned to follow up an interview that I was hopefull about and interested in was:
1) always be mindful that there is a fine line between following up, being a PITA, and stalking.
2) Try to finish the interview with getting a sense of when the decission is to be made. (Although it's most often already been made if you're the one.) A lot depends on the type of position and the type of people you're dealing with.
3) Follow up the following day with a note (today it would be an e-mail) thanking the person for the interview and in it mention something like 'If alright I'll check back with you in a couple of days.' Not a bad idea if you can also mention that after the interview it occured to you that (something relevent that makes you a little more attractive to them)
4) Depending on the answer to (2) above, give him a call a couple of days later at a time when you'd expect him not to be busy. In an office that's often around 1000 or 1100 on Friday as they look forward to the end of their week. With a boat you might want to just 'happen by on your way to another interview' just before lunch. Every situation is different though and you need to develope a feel for timing. It's sort of like trying to develope a relationship with a girl. No right answer and a million wrong ones.
Understand that with many people no answer is your answer. Be tuned in for that and don't waste your time or leave them feeling stalked. Good luck.

So far I've been waiting 24 years for someone to give me my big break. Personally I'd never hire anyone without at least 5 years of OJT. The paradox of your next question will be what has perplexed job seekers in every field for ages.
P.S. Along the way I've made my own breaks.

Hi,

Stick with it, If you make a good impression with the engineers during your temp job these will be good references plus they no doubt know other engineers so things will start to happen.

As K1W1 says, stick with it.

Once you get known within yachting circles, jobs and offers will come. Since 1986 I've only ever got one job from an agent.

As NYCAP said, 'peserverence pays'. It does. You just have to put in your time and effort. Some people are just lucky enough to walk into jobs even without good qualifications.

Getting jobs from agents is tough, especially now that there are not so many jobs. Even so, get in with as many as you can. If you have good qualifications and keep with it, you'll start getting the calls.

Hi,

Beerengineer- I have sent you two PM's with info about jobs I have seen advertised or had sent to me including an unsolicited PM I received here.

I would be interested to hear how you get on if you apply for either job.