A career at sea is very attractive for many of us. Whether you’re interested in engineering or technical roles in tanker operations or want to join the crew of a superyacht, a maritime career can be exciting, rewarding and inspiring.
Maritime careers are not always at sea either. You can create a really exciting life for yourself based onshore working in boatyards and marinas or selling the dream to customers as a yacht broker. With the right skills, experience and commitment you can work anywhere in the world and achieve enviable work-life balance.
However, it’s no surprise that it’s a competitive industry to work in. The lifestyle and rewards are great, so lots of people want to pursue maritime careers. That’s why it’s really important to give yourself an edge on other candidates chasing the same dream as you. An investment in your skills and knowledge can make a real difference between whether you get the job, or someone else.
Here we explore the benefits of investing in your maritime career with a short course or by studying for a maritime diploma.
Breaking into The Maritime Industry
Many junior roles such as being a deck hand on a superyacht are typically thought to be unskilled roles. These are the kinds of jobs you can get if you can demonstrate excellent soft skills like being good at working in a team, a clear communicator etc. etc. Training is ‘on the job’, and with experience you can get more financially rewarding work or find a niche within the industry.
Yet these roles are highly sought after, everyone wants to get a break and spend the summer season working out of Palma de Mallorca or another popular destination. For that reason, if you really want to break into the industry, you can get ahead of the competition by doing a short course that provides the necessary background and technical knowledge you need to do the job.
Courses are also available for people who want to get into more technical aspects of the maritime industry, for example if your dream is to build your own boat or get a job in a boatyard. Or perhaps you don’t want a new boat but instead want to get involved in historic boat restoration? Again, there are courses that will give you knowledge and skills that will help you stand out from other applicants also looking to embark on a maritime career.
Even if you’re currently on a maritime apprenticeship, a short course or diploma can be a great addition on your CV. It can also help you find your niche by allowing you to gain more specialist skills that you might not be getting through your apprenticeship.
Professional Development
If you have already broken into the industry you might want to consider investing in training to further your career. Getting the right diploma could help you move up a pay bracket or allow you to specialise in an area that you find particularly interesting and rewarding.
In many maritime careers there are professional qualifications that you need for compliance reasons, or they are a requirement to move up the career ladder. If you’re not sure about what qualifications you need, have a look at job advertisements for the roles you’re interested in to see what employers expect.
Your Employees Development
Maritime training is not just something you should consider for your own professional development. If you have staff or head up a team, everyone can benefit from new skills. From a business perspective it makes sense. The business benefits from more qualified staff, which might increase your capabilities and attract more work, and it’s also great for employee engagement and retention.
If you have ambitious people on your staff, give them the skills they need to progress their careers with your business, not with another company.
Want to get started? Explore our maritime training courses to find a distance learning or classroom based course here. Our course authors are experts in their field, actively working in the maritime industry and sharing their knowledge and practical experience with our students.
More details on maritime training courses can be found here.