Ships and More: A Guide to Pursuing Maritime Careers

About 90% of the goods traded globally are shipped across the oceans. This means there’s a thriving industry for maritime jobs. 

The maritime industry needs people across a wide range of jobs. If you love being on the ocean or want to work on ships and in shipyards, there’s probably a job for you!

Keep reading to learn more about your options in maritime careers. 

General Crew

The general crew is the people working on the deck, doing all the hands-on tasks. Common tasks include moving things and securing them to the deck, machine maintenance, ship maintenance, and more. 

Some general crew will also assist with navigation and berthing or docking the ship. A deck officer oversees the general crew and manages these processes, making sure everything works smoothly. 

As is the case for most maritime industry roles, if you’re going to be working on or with the ships, you need the proper qualification. OSHA maritime training is a good place to start. 

Marine Engineer

There are a lot of mechanical and electrical components to ships. They’re responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly.

Since the different systems are so complicated, maritime engineers specialize in specific sections. For example, you won’t find the engine room engineers working on the electronic systems. 

Cook

There are a lot of people on board, and they’ve all got to eat. The cook works in the galley of the ship. They manage budgets, order supplies, plan meals, and prepare the food. 

Depending on the size of the ship, there might be other kitchen staff or several cooks. 

Steward

Stewards are common in high-end or long-haul voyages. They clean cabins, both of the staff and any guests. They also perform other chores around the ship. 

Ultimately, they make sure the accommodations are comfortable. 

They also tend to help out with odd jobs as needed. For example, you might find stewards helping out in the galley. 

Maritime Jobs on Land

Surprisingly, a lot of maritime industry careers spend all their time on land. There are a lot of careers involved in the building and administrating of ships and maritime voyages that don’t need to get on the boats. 

The main contenders in this type of maritime careers list are shipbuilders and repairmen, and jobs at the ports themselves. 

Shipping companies have regular company operations too. You might also have a more traditional career path with a maritime specialization. These sorts of jobs include lawyers, accountants, marine biologists, and even public relations. 

Knowing the Maritime Careers

If you have always seen yourself on the ocean or working with ships, it’s time to look at the maritime careers available to you. 

With some short training courses, there’s a world of ocean adventures waiting for you. Careers in maritime industries are available, you just need to know what you want to do. 

For more job and career advice, check out our blog!

Vivek is a published author of Meidilight and a cofounder of Zestful Outreach Agency. He is passionate about helping webmaster to rank their keywords through good-quality website backlinks. In his spare time, he loves to swim and cycle. You can find him on Twitter and Linkedin.