Avoid Stifling the Ship-to-Shore Transition

How to Avoid Stifling the Ship-to-Shore Transition?

According to a survey conducted by the UK Institute of Marine Engineering , Science and Technology ( IMarEST ) on the experiences of seafarers going through the ship-to-shore transition, the prospect of moving ashore to further their careers can be daunting for many seafarers. Many, understandably, feel anxious about career advancement.

Those who found the transition relatively easy emphasized the importance of studying for certain qualifications before going offshore. As one engineering supervisor explained, maritime qualifications are acceptable for operational positions, but not for the management positions that senior seafarers aspire to: "To get management positions, they need university degrees and postgraduate qualifications."

Many who faced difficulties expressed frustration with the practicalities of scheduling interviews. Seafarers often struggled to schedule interviews while on leave and then convince potential employers to wait until they completed their next cruise before taking the next step. One participant warned that the recruitment process could "take longer than my vacation," while another had to take the drastic step of resigning from their current position to stay ashore long enough to complete the recruitment process.

Culture shock

Another common difficulty is adjusting to an office environment, where the pace of work isn't as intense as it was for previous seafarers. A common saying at sea is, "Things have to get done, and the consequences of not getting them done are more immediate and noticeable. Ashore, people go home at 5 p.m. They don't make work their life."

Other cultural shocks include the need for greater diplomacy and patience, as well as adjusting to a rigidly hierarchical management structure. Management ashore tends to be flatter, but as one participant noted, this can actually complicate interpersonal relationships: "Sometimes the lines are blurred." For newcomers, learning and adapting to the slow, bureaucratic pace of this new environment can take time.

Life at sea, away from family and friends, is often described as lonely. However, moving ashore means that this loneliness can take on new forms, especially in new positions far from family. Another technical supervisor stated, "It takes time to adjust to the new environment and the unfamiliar surroundings outside of work." However, upon reflection, he added that persevering was worth it because "ultimately, it opens up many opportunities for advancement and career development."

Soft skills

Technical skills and abilities are only part of the equation when you move ashore. These skills must be combined with the "soft skills" required to effectively manage people and projects, such as leadership, communication (verbal and report writing), negotiation, and communication, as well as management skills such as budgeting, finance, logistics, and procurement. While administrative work onboard provides a solid foundation for developing this last aspect, developing the necessary interpersonal skills may take longer.

A senior engineer who moved ashore as a class surveyor offered advice to seafarers considering a career change on how to make the most of their time at sea: "That extra grade is crucial. The difference between a senior engineer and a second or third engineer is huge." He added that the management skills and responsibilities required ashore typically come with higher grades. Understanding the roles of classification, protection, and indemnity, and science, and how they interact, is crucial.

Potential Developments

Many respondents stated that secondments during their seafaring careers have (or have) prepared them for "adventure." 88% of respondents believe that appropriate education or training helped them make the transition. Two-thirds of respondents stated that management/business training, higher education qualifications such as a bachelor's or master's degree, or both, would be beneficial.

A senior engineer who transitioned to a shore-based gas processing management position stated, "Leadership and management skills are crucial for demonstrating your value to employers and complementing the engineering skills you acquired at sea." Earning these qualifications requires significant effort. Consequently, many seafarers pursue university degrees or similar qualifications through distance learning to advance their careers.

The Chief Engineer , who rarely feels out of place while working onboard, says his new role as Senior Technical Manager, where he oversees a wide variety of projects, demands a completely different approach and attitude. "Understanding the interplay between different disciplines has given me a deeper appreciation for the diversity of the maritime world," he comments, adding that it's "a huge leap from the (relatively) routine of ship management."

IMarEST developed the Sustainable Maritime Operations qualification precisely to address this need. This distance-learning program can be completed while working at sea and leads to a postgraduate or bachelor's/master's degree.

David Loosely, CEO of IMarEST, said: "Continuous training at sea allows seafarers to stay at sea longer and helps them develop their careers. Those who don't feel the need to go ashore can avoid it unless they really want to."

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Lost in Translation

Over half (56%) of participants were promoted to more senior positions after their time ashore. However, some experienced a salary decrease, often attributed to a lack of formal qualifications or difficulty communicating the importance of their skills. As one respondent explained, "People who work on board are treated like newcomers once they leave."

Many seafarers surveyed felt their skills were not fully appreciated or valued by their colleagues ashore. A typical response was, "I'm seen as just another person with limited specialization, rather than a flexible employee with extensive engineering experience and the ability to work independently."

A common challenge is explaining how skills acquired at sea are transferable to a land-based position.

As one respondent noted, the diversity of skills in the maritime environment is largely overlooked: "I've had to stop describing my work experience in terms of maritime positions; instead, everything has to be expressed in terms of transferable skills." Another respondent added that this situation is exacerbated by the fact that some skills acquired at sea are difficult to translate into the business environment ashore.

One seafarer admitted that his CEng MIMarEST designation (an informal designation for Chartered Engineer and Member of IMarEST) was his primary route to a land-based career. However, few employers seemed to recognize his seafaring qualifications and experience. Ultimately, he was appointed a senior lecturer at a maritime academy.

He explains, "I firmly believe that the CEng designation was the key to most interviews I attended, more so than years of leadership experience." This experience led him to become a member of IMarEST (or FIMarEST).

This demonstrates that professional registrations, whether certified, registered/incorporated, or technical, hold a high reputation in the industry. David Loosely concludes, "This status is a simple indicator of professional excellence, especially for those without formal qualifications." All aspiring seafarers should seize the opportunity to obtain professional registration.