I have been working at sea for around 4 years now and its an experience that has really opened my eyes to the world, I have been in most ports and seen most cultures as well as things like the pyramids in Egypt and many other wonders...of course the work is tough but I got in at the right time so the pay is good and I am nearly finished paying off my house at 27, next year I will be finished. There are still jobs out here though, and they like South Africans cos we (most of us) have a good work ethic. I recently got a mail from a friend who works shoreside for Carnival Corp. (they own pretty much everything) and he is looking for guys to work on the carnival ships as computer officers, these are renowned as party ships but I must warn you its not all fun and games.

The upside is you get to travel the world and get some time off in most ports, you also dont spend much money when onboard so you can party hard when you get home (or buy a house) I think the were offering $32000 / year (approx R190K)- remember that you get your cash tax-free because you are out of the country for more than 6 months of the year (as a seaman), now while I would not work for that kind of money, this is a perfect opportunity for young tekkies to find themselves a good learning curve.

The downside is that you are at work all the time, you can get called at 2AM to fix shit so you can get a bit pissed off especially because these guys are offering 6-month contracts so you are onboard for 6 months at a time and you have to share a cabin with another computer officer. I am on a 4-on-2-off rotation so that means I work 4 months then have 2 months of leave, so when I go on leave in southampton on April 23rd, I dont have to work until 30th June when I sign back on. Of course I am trying to book myself in on the MCSE 2K3 while on leave so I can stay marketable. Also if you are in a stable relationship back home, I wouldnt suggest trying this, the life out there is fast paced and there are lots of 'temptations' out there. I am lucky, I met my fiance at sea so we both work together onboard then spend our leave together so have it pretty much sorted. But if you are single and looking for a good time, this is the place to be!

You will need some experience but just slap a CV together and send it to me if you are interested at Sputmalut@hotmail.com and you stand a really good chance, of course it would be better if I knew you cos I dont usually submit 'unknowns' but I am all for getting South Africans out into the world to experience what its like to have a broader view on things...