Newly minted PADI DM needs job! What should I do?

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To put things into context... I can easily do 60 dives in 2 weeks when I am working as an instructor. That is what you are in competition with.
 
Man, the guy I signed up my DM with told me I can get a job anywhere in the world. I thought I'd be DM'ing on a boat and diving on my days off for free. It sounded really glamorous. I guess I'll study and get more $$ to get EFRI,IDC,etc. So long for that dream dive job in Hawaii or Thailand.
 
Man, the guy I signed up my DM with told me I can get a job anywhere in the world. I thought I'd be DM'ing on a boat and diving on my days off for free.

He said you'd have days off? Yeah he completely made up a line of crap. Your fastest track would be doing all the stuff to be licensed to drive the boat. Bear in mind you won't be diving much being on the boat and all...
 
He said you'd have days off? Yeah he completely made up a line of crap. Your fastest track would be doing all the stuff to be licensed to drive the boat. Bear in mind you won't be diving much being on the boat and all...

Pretty much. DMing (or teaching for that matter) pays somehwere between "nothing" and "almost nothing".

The guy who cleans cabins on a cruise ship gets more money than a DM.

flots.
 
But the guy who teaches scuba on the cruise ship makes more than the cabin boy and gets to socialize with the guests.
 
When you ask the question about DM's getting work you will always get these responses and although in many cases they are true there are still always possibilities, you just need to find them and make them happen. your dives personality, training etc will not stand up against experience as a DM and of course an instructor cert.

I would advise you to think about where you want to go, start contacting the dive centres and ask them what you need to do to get the next available job that comes up. In the mean time you can think about getting experience with your LDS on weekends or whatever and while you're doing it try to get involved with anything going on like equipment maintenance etc.

Getting a DM cert is by no means a golden ticket but it is a step in the direction towards getting a job that you want.

When selecting your desired location think about how many other people want to be in that area e.g. jobs in the caribbean are high demand which normally equates to low prospects and wages. if you want to actually have money in your pocket then you need to be working towards cruise ships and liveaboards but you will definately need more certification and experience before this.

2 things that will always help are sales skills and languages.

good luck
 
halemanō;5527224:
But the guy who teaches scuba on the cruise ship makes more than the cabin boy and gets to socialize with the guests.

Actually, I'm not sure the SCUBA guy makes more than the Cabin Boy. He gets a minimum of 70$/week per cabin just in tips, and I believe they each have something like 15-20 cabins to take care of.

However SCUBA Instructor isn't a bad job on a ship, although I'm pretty sure there's a ton of competition for it. It's unlikely they would hire a freshly minted DM.

flots.
 
With 000's of newly qualified DMs willing to work for nothing, just to get experience, on the step to instructor status, or just to get free dives.... your earning potential is zero.

The only DMs who earn money, are either dive company owners (self-employed) or have amassed a huge amount of specialist knowledge in a given geographical area. This is usually only common in remote, tropical areas that have limited scuba facilities.
 
I'm safe,professional and helpful diver with 70+ dives. I have excellent communication skills,know CPR & 1st aid. I have a VW bus so I've a vehicle with cargo capacity.

The bus is good, you can live in it. Go down to the keys ( a very high concentration of dive shops), hit every dive shop again and again until they get tired of seeing your face. Eventually someone will call in hungover one too many times and they will need a replacement, usually on short notice, like an hour.

When it comes to salary, you'll be glad you have that bus to live in.

I just have a problem with a "professional divemaster" with 70+ dive. Being in the right place at the right time may make up for your lack of experience.
 
Eth,
get yourself a career plan.
accept that right at this moment, it may be difficult, so work out how it can be easier.
Use the information on this thread to improve your chances.
Work on your own business, the employment of yourself in the industry.
You can hang your head and say of well impossible, but its not, it will just take a little longer than you have believed.
Put a time frame to it. Two years maybe.
Work in another job so you can earn the funds to pay for more training.
The easiest thing to do is give up. The smartest thing to do is get working on it.
Surgeons are not immediately qualified, they have to become doctors, and then etc etc.
Two years in a career is a fart in the wind. It will go quickly.
Consider how you will feel in the future if you just sit back waiting for the door to open.
Think you will feel like someone who has sat for two years waiting for a door to open.
Pick up your bat and ball and go do something, then return, who knows lots of other doors may be presented to you on the way.
You can listen and take on the negative, or you can be positive and have faith in yourself and your dream. Since it is yours, manage it yourself.
 
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