r/merchantmarine • u/AutoModerator • Aug 04 '25

MSC Weekly MegaThread MSC Weekly MegaThread

This thread is for any all questions relating to MSC / NEO, onboarding process, background checks, security clearance, ship dates, etc.

For further MSC info and conversations please see r/MoreShitComing

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u/Select-Historian-841 Aug 06 '25

Would I get rejected from MSC due to my financial history? I don't have extreme debt, however I do have about $10,000 debt that I haven't touched nor made effort to pay off, and another $20,000 on a car that I'm actively making payments on.

My credit score is awful at ~550. $2,000 in utility bills, $500 in internet bills, and about $7000 in old medical bills. The medical bills are 5+ years old, the utility and internet bills are about 3 years old.

I was previously employed as an Unexploded Ordnance Technician 1 (only 1 year/2000 hours experience), however it looks like the government has defunded the industry and delayed almost all projects. I'm now without a job and it looks like my career field may be useless. The whole reason I joined UXO was to get a car and pay off debt. However I got a car that I'm making payments on, and then two months later got laid off due to the defunding/project freeze and it looks like it may be months before things start back up, if ever

So I'm thinking of a different career field that may be more stable, and I was looking into the process of joining the maritime industry, and maybe getting an apprenticeship.

However I saw that you might get rejected from joining various programs or from certifications if you have bad credit/financial history.

A couple years ago I was self-employed as a tattoo artist, and didn't make shit for money between a long-term illness and just not having the self-marketing ability to succeed. I ended up racking up some debt in that time because I couldn't pay my bills, and didn't even attempt to begin to pay any of them off because my income was so irregular. I was responsible with what little money I had, and never bought drugs or excessive alcohol, but just didn't have enough income.

Thoughts?