Career in Merchant Navy

Do you have any desire to travel the whole world without any extra cost? Then you can join the Merchant Navy where you get such facility. The Merchant Navy includes passenger vessels, liners, cargo vessels, ore carriers and different types of dedicated ships. These vessels are usually run by the private shipping companies and operated by the trained Marine Engineers, crew, and navigators.

The Merchant Navy fleet consists of container ships, cargo ships, tankers, refrigerator ships, bulk carriers, and passenger ships. Here, different ships carry various types of products. For example- The bulk ships carry heavy weight cargos like grain, ore, oil, etc. Container ships carry the cargos in their containers. Similarly, tanker ships are those ships that carry oil and other types of petroleum products in their large tanks that are built into the large ship. Refrigerator ships have gigantic cold storage plants so that they can carry perishable foodstuff and objects on particular service routes. Besides, the passenger ships carry the passengers from one place to another place. These ships are either just a ship having different classes for carrying the passengers or are luxury voyage liners.

To join in the Merchant Navy, you must have love for the sea, willingness to travel, strong leadership abilities, presence of mind. You should also be hard-working and physically fit for sea service. To be suitable for a place on a Merchant Navy ships, you must complete B.Sc. in Nautical Science or Deck Cadet Officer course from training academies. On the other hand, one of the shipping companies could support your studies, but then you need to be contractually indulged to serve the merchants for a definite number of years.

In Merchant Navy, you have many job opportunities. You may get any of the following posts by your hard labor and your willingness/passion for the post. The available posts of Merchant Navy are -

- Captain,

- First Officer/Chief Officer/Mate, 

- 2nd Officer/Mate, 

- 3rd Officer/Mate, and 

- Deck Cadet.

Besides, in the Engineering section, you will join as a Junior Engineer or Fifth Engineer. But, you will have many opportunities for promoting from a lower post to a higher post. For example- You can be promoted to the valuable and attractive post of Chief Engineer Officer after improving your qualifications. But, you cannot become the captain of the ship because that is reserved only for the deck officers.

Merchant navy is known as the backbone of the both national and international trade. Most of the domestic and international shipping industries are engaged in various sea trades which have a great impact on the economy. Here, the foreign shipping companies usually control a large share of the national and international trades. But, it is tough to get a good and standard job in the foreign shipping companies. But, when you start your career in Merchant Navy, you get a standard salary which will increase according to your working efforts. Besides, you are usually permitted to take four months leave each year.