Hey guys, I wanted to share a quick DM exchange I had with a member recently. It hits on the exact roadblock everyone runs into when trying to land their first offshore start, and I think it’s worth opening up to the room. Here’s the gist of the message I got: "Certs are in date, ready to travel at a moment's notice, and I’m hitting up recruiters and companies constantly. But 99% of the time, it’s total radio silence or getting left on read on WhatsApp. Is this just the reality now? I know the old heads used to just sit in ports and ask for work, but everything feels different online." My response: Even with 15 years offshore, I still deal with the same thing. On my last swing home, I hit up three companies who advertised open slots and got back exactly one automated reply saying the slot was filled. The days of door-knocking or cold-calling are basically dead. It’s a pure numbers game now. When you're hunting, you have to treat finding work like a full-time job—sending out targeted emails to dozens of companies every single week and following up ruthlessly until you get a hard no, chasing that one YES. The real shortcut is the network. A personal recommendation bypasses the HR filters and crewing agents entirely and goes straight to the desk of the guy actually running the job. I want to throw this out to the guys in here who are currently working offshore: How are you actually locking down contracts in 2026? If you’ve got a foot in the door recently, what worked for you? Is it cold emails, LinkedIn, or just knowing the right guy on the job? Drop your advice below—let’s get some real, practical advice together for the guys trying to crack this nut.