A sea career offers early responsibility, a challenging job with good prospects and an opportunity to acquire qualifications that are internationally recognized and transferable. It is possible to achieve senior rank at an early age, to earn a decent salary while enjoying world travel, and experience the sea in all its moods.
Shipping is increasingly specialized and there are great differences between the operations of different types of ship and their patterns of trade. The operation of a Very Large Crude Carrie (VLCC) is very different from life on a short sea container ship, a cruise ship or ferry. Nevertheless the huge variety of different trades must surely be an attraction in itself.
There are however, certain common characteristics that the person seeking a sea career ought to have. A ship is a small society, and the successful seafarer needs to have patience, tolerance and rub along harmoniously with people of different cultures. A disciplined approach to life and a degree of self sufficiency will be an advantage.
Ships’ officers are usually trained as cadets and undertake a blend of college and at-sea training, with a number of statutory examinations as they progress through the ranks. It is usual to specialize as a deck officer, responsible for navigation and cargo, or as a marine engineer officer, responsible for the ship’s technical systems, although it is now possible to train for dual deck/engineroom licenses. Ratings (non officer class) are usually general purpose trained and work either on deck or in the engineroom. There is a range of specialized training available for particular ship types such as tankers, or gas ships.
From the cadetship, a young officer progresses into a junior officers’ post either as a watch-keeping deck officer or a junior engineer, after more study and sea time there will be opportunities for promotion to senior officers positions and eventually to a job as master or chief engineer, highly responsible and challenging roles.
But the sea career offers further opportunities into a whole range of associated marine industry careers ashore in what is described as the “maritime infrastructure” that supports the ships at sea and provides services to the industry. Superintendency, ship management, technical operations, port management, surveying, marine education, pilotage, marine equipment, hydrography, marine safety and regulation are just some of the further careers available to sea-trained officers.
Some people are perfectly happy to spend their whole career at sea, valuing the longer leaves that are compensation for time at sea, but not infrequently an officer will elect to move from the sea into one of the these associated professions.
The shipping industry itself offers other careers for people who prefer to follow a commercial path, moving into ship broking or marine insurance, working ashore in shipping companies or agents. Ashore or afloat, the marine professional does an essential job, which can be fulfilling and very interesting.
Kind Courtesy Capt RN Gulati, Pune
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