The seafarers spend months away from family and friends, there’s no weekend for them, and the life at sea is neither stable nor safe as the life on the land. Then why do so many people choose a career at sea? Have you ever thought why the vast sea and oceans attract so many entrepreneurs and the job seekers, despite being so risky?
Here we enlist the top reasons given by those who have chosen a career at sea. The reasons were first drafted by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
Money, money and lots of money – The most common reason for choosing a career at sea is the high rate of wages. The wages granted to the seafarers are always higher than their counterparts working on the land. And, the real value of the money shoots even high as in most countries the wages are tax-free. This means you can accumulate a wealth at the very young age if you choose a career at sea.
Rapid promotion opportunity – The professionals working at sea do not only get high wages as compared to those on land but also get responsibilities and promotions very early. A person can be promoted to be the Captain or Chief Engineer of a ship within 10 years of experience. Ten years are a very short experience for getting such responsible post when you are working on the land.
Opportunities to travel – The seafarers do not spend their whole time sailing at the sea. The ship lands to the ports and this gives the crew members opportunity to experience unique places around the globe. The traveling opportunities of a seafarer are much more enticing than the normal holiday trip and business meet-ups experienced by the land workforce. If you want to travel all varieties of countries you should submit your CV without a delay to marine recruitment experts.
International recognition – The ships’ officers carry internally recognized qualifications. This means that most of the ship officers are eligible to work for international shipping companies regardless of the country in which the company has been registered. This is one of the unique features of the marine industry.
Very long holidays – Yes the seafarers sail on the sea for months without a break. But, when they come back home they get those sea periods compensated by the long holidays. For those of us working on land, a long holiday cannot be longer than two to three weeks at a stretch. And, this will seem a very short holiday for the seafarers.
Transferable Skills – The experience and qualifications gained by working at sea do not end its importance in the sea itself. Once a seafarer retires, he can take up executive level jobs in many major international industries outside the merchant shipping. The candidates with seagoing experiences and the accumulated wealth can also become an entrepreneur and start his own logistics and other such businesses.
Do you think these perks of the marine industry outweighs the risks of the unpredictable seas for you?
