Military Sealift Command reviews

If you are overly jealous of union-affiliated, oil tanker or offshore drill rig mariners who spend half their year on vacation, MSC is not for you. Four months is a typical tour, though as an Engineer you are often relieved a month late, so in essence five month tours. After one month vacation you get called in again. Do not expect to have much of a life beyond MSC. New entry-level engineers flee from this organization regularly due to lack of vacation. Drop-out rate for maritime school grads is very high within first few years.

Don't apply unless you are prepared to be away from home a LOT. Hiring process is difficult and takes time. Working with people that have "homesteaded" on a vessel and are poor performers. Leadership on the ship cannot fire a dirt bag. Some mariners in the outfit are extremely unhealthy and some are not very clean... I have seen two employees pass away while at sea, they should have never been sent out to the ship. Traveling to meet the ship is seldom a good experience, with the amount of traveling we do, we should be able to fly business class just for the extra leg room, 13 hour flights are a nightmare if you are even close to 6 feet tall.