Career Opportunities in Merchant Navy
Merchant Navy is working in a sea transportation career which is the largest carrier of freight in the world. Most of the international world trade carries through shipping. Without the merchant navy, import-export business is not possible. The Merchant Navy offers a career like no other. This profession mostly involves the transportation of cargo and passengers by Sea.
A merchant navy career is full of new adventure and travel. It is also rewarding at times. In India, the requirements of well trained naval officers are huge. A career in the merchant navy is considered a glamorous on. The opportunity to travel around the world and high salaries attracts many youngsters to make a career in merchant navy.
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 career is a very challenging job, which requires you to shoulder immense responsibilities. As a Merchant Navy officer, one can spent a good life on the sea, traveling on board of some of the best cargo and passenger liners.
There are mainly three departments in Merchant Navy as Deck department, Engine department and the Service department. And two kinds of officers as Deck / Navigation Officer and Engineering Officer.
A? Navigation Officer is responsible for the vessel and the passenger, cargo and crew in the vessel. He is in charge of the navigation of the ship. He is the command of the ship. Whereas the engineering officer is responsible for the ships engineering functions like boilers, pumps, hydraulic, fuel systems.
Those who are seeking a career as Merchant Navy must need to pass a medical fitness test for sea service under standard norms and with eyesight 6/6 and no colour blindness. They must be immune to sea sickness.
The eligibility to become a merchant navy officer having the qualification of at least 10+2 or a diploma holder. Or the candidates need to have an degree in marine engineering or must have completed your pre-sea training. The prominent institutes which offers Merchant Navy course in India are TS Chanakya, Mumbai and Marine Engineering Research Institute (MERI), in Kolkata and Mumbai.
There is an option of direct entry into the Merchant Navy for students who have completed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are eligible to join as Deck Cadets but they have to undergo basic pre-sea training arranged by the recruiting company.
The Merchant Navy jobs are on contract basis for 6 to 9 months. The remuneration of these officers is also really good. There are various job profiles being enjoyed by aspirants in the field of Merchant Navy in both Public sector as well as Private sector. They have a wide variety of job profiles abroad as well. Most of the shipping companies have requirements to travel to the western side. Foreign companies offer better pay scales compared to Indian Shipping companies.