THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY,ONE OF THE MOST UNDER-RATED SECTORS IN INDIA,IS OPENING UP WITH ABUNDANT JOBS ON OFFER

  If you are aware of the career opportunities existing in the maritime field, consider yourself lucky, as the majority of students in the market are clueless about the vast openings available here. Mind you, opportunities not only exist for people with a technical background, but also for those with a professional degree.

INDUSTRY SPEAK

Many still do not know the industry. "The shipping industry is booming at a breakneck speed and so there is a dearth of qualified professionals. The biggest hindrance for getting candidates is that the industry is not advertised well. People are still not aware of the various opportunities in the industry," says Captain Dasgupta. 

   Captain Pandey believes that the shipping industry is best for those from a modest background, "There is a lot of hard work required here and the difference is that if you are on board, the income that you get is taxfree, and the efforts you put in is actually appreciated. A person coming from a simple background understands the value of time and money."

ELIGIBILITY AND OPTIONS

The technical fields (oil, gas, and chemical carriers) demand candidates with an engineering /polytechnic background. The Captain warns, "Unlike other industries, where you first opt for a degree and then look for a job, in shipping it's best to find a company that would provide you with the necessary training. This is because there aren't enough good training institutes." 

   As mentioned earlier, the shipping industry has much more than meets the eye. A cruise liner on an average carries around 2,000 passengers of different nationalities. Therefore, there is immense demand for professional chefs, photographers, musicians and dancers. 

"As a photographer my job is to click pictures of the guests (passengers) and display it in the gallery. If your picture gets picked up, you get paid for it," says Prathmesh K, photographer-on-board. 

   On the other hand, Chef Allen Hodges says that the challenge of the job is tremendous. "Catering to 2,000-plus passengers is quite a task. Moreover, we have to interact with people from different countries."

SCOPE

If you are aspiring to get into the technical field you could start as a cadet and in a couple of years become an officer and eventually a Captain. "Although it takes around 10 years to become a captain, it's worth investing the time because the respect and money you get cannot be matched," says Captain Manoj Chaudhari from World Tankers Management Pvt Ltd. 

   "Promotions on board cruise ship are purely performance-based. A world-class performance management system ensures that you could be promoted mid-contract depending on your performance and vacancies available," assures Captain Hodges. 

   The companies conduct training and knowledge enhancement programmes. This helps keeping oneself updated and competent to scale to the next level.

PERKS

A cadet normally earns around $400-500 a month and once you get promoted to a junior level officer, expect nothing less than $2,500. All this is taxfree. Other benefits given to employees include medical insurance to rewards to timely appraisals. "We extend help to the immediate family members also. 

   Apart from helping the employees monetarily in times of emergency and sometimes allowing family members on board. Since every ship has a satellite phone and an email facility, employees can be in touch with family," informs Captain Choudhary. As Captain Pandey sums up: "Without ships, half the world will starve and the rest will freeze. This is the right time to be in the industry."

INSTITUTE INDEX

International Maritime Training Centre (IMTC), Mumbai Anglo Eastern Maritime Training Centre, Mumbai Trident College of Marine Technology,West Bengal Coimbatore Marine college C V Raman College of Engineering, Orissa (indicative)