Shipping Jobs in India

It is a fact that shipping companies in India offer employment opportunities galore particularly for career-minded persons who are fond of the seas. Of course, there are also shipping jobs that are confined to the land. The shipping jobs include Merchant Navy Jobs, Cruise ship Jobs, Marine jobs etc.

Merchant Navy

The Merchant Navy offers a career in commercial transportation of goods on the seas. Merchant navy ships are used for transporting cargo and passengers from one part of the world to another. The Merchant Navy fleet includes cargo ships, container ships, barge carrying ships, tankers, bulk carriers, refrigerator ships, passenger ships as well as roll off/roll on ships. The Merchant Navy employs in a big way - Engineers, Radio Officers and Navigators with specialized Marine Engineering Training.

The Chief engineer assumes complete responsibility of the ship's engine room comprising of the main engine, boilers, pumps, hydraulic and fuel systems and the ship's electrical generating plant and distribution system. There are second, third and fourth engineering officers – each with his tasks cut out. The electrical officer maintains and repairs all electrical circuits and motors. The Radio officers carry out all tasks pertaining to the operation, maintenance, and repair of radio and other electronic communications devices

Starting salaries are in the range Rs 15,000 to 25,000 per month. Engineering officers earn from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2, 00,000 a month, depending on the level of seniority and shipping organization. Every officer and crew of the merchant navy working on board a vessel, which is carrying foreign cargo, is entitled to draw 75 per cent of his net earnings in foreign exchange.

The elite shipping jobs are reserved for the marine engineers, ocean engineers and experts in naval architecture. The Marine Engineering, Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture are three professions that are interrelated. Marine Engineers are responsible for managing the technical department of the ships. Their work is primarily based on selecting the ships' machinery, which may include diesel engines, steam turbines, gas turbines, etc., and for the design of mechanical, electrical, fluid and control systems throughout the vessel.

Ocean engineers determine the ocean environment's effects on ships and other marine vehicles and structures. Naval Architects come under the category of people who deal with basic ship design, starting with hull forms and overall arrangements, power requirements, structure and stability.

Aspirants for ship engineers jobs must possess a Bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering / Nautical Science coupled with PG Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. The plus two equivalent with high percentage of marks in science subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are the basic requirement for pursuing a Bachelors degree in Marine Engineering or Nautical science.

To become a marine engineer, one should get a four-year BE in Marine Engineering approved by the Director-General of Shipping (DGS). Some prominent Indian Institutes that offer degree courses in Marine Engineering are A.M.E.T. University, Chennai( Tamil Nadu ); Andhra University (A.U.) College of Engineering, Vishakapatnam( Andhra Pradesh ); C.V Raman College Of Engineering, Bhubaneshwar( Orissa ); Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (C.C.E.T.), Chandigarh( Chandigarh ); and Engineer's Training Centre ( E.T.C), Thrissur( Kerala ).

Marine engineers can find jobs in public and private shipping companies. The Indian navy, ship designing firms, ship engine manufacturing companies, ship building and ship engineering research bodies, on-the-seas ship maintenance, ship repair work yards are some of the establishments where marine engineers are highly in demand.

The most coveted and glamorous of all ship jobs are the Cruise Ship Jobs. However, candidates opting for cruise ship employment have to realize that they are applying for a a very demading and strenuous job. The candidate cannot choose the cruise ship or the trading area they operate in, but they must comply with the requirements of the Cruise Line which employed them. They must accept rigid discipline and comply with certain other stiff restrictions. The cruise ship work certainly provides young people a good income and the chance to visit a variety of gorgeous and exotic places.

There are 15,000 cruise ship job vacancies to be filled every year, just to keep up with all the new mega cruise ships that are launched. Whatever the academic background, the employers favor candidates who have experience in hotel casino, beauty therapy, photography, security, retail, food and beverage, administration, entertainers, hotel personnel, IT, travel staff, health and fitness, tour coordinator etc.

Most cruise lines post job openings, application forms, and information about how to apply on their own websites. The average salary of cruise job is between $2000 to $3000 dollars per month. When you take into consideration that you do not have any living expenses, a large part of salary you receive can go to savings to make you a millionaire in the quickest possible time.