Maritime & Shipping Careers

This section provides a resource for people looking for a career or a job. Don't know what to do? Think about the maritime industries. The UK maritime sector has a turnover of £37 billion, twice the size of aerospace or agriculture, and employs more than a quarter of a million people. There are so many avenues open, it is hard to know where to start.

Sea Vision UK's guide to careers in the maritime sector, is a good place to start. It explains some of the opportunities in maritime business, education and training, leisure, science and technology, and seafaring.

The following websites and downloads also provide a pretty comprehensive review of the opportunities open to you. Happy surfing!

Careers in the Marine Environment:  This is a really useful site from the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), an international professional membership body for marine professionals. It provides information on career paths for the shipping, offshore, underwater, and shipbuilding and shiprepair industries. Whichever path you decide to take, you can be sure that you will be embarking on a career that offers not only the chance for worldwide travel, high levels of responsibility, and intellectual challenge, but also one with attractive financial rewards, hi-tech and cutting edge equipment and systems, and exciting and diverse opportunities that involve the sea in some way or another.

Careers in the Boating Industry:  The leisure boating industry is very diverse and there is a huge range of opportunities available. The industry covers everything from large luxury powerboats to sailing boats, narrowboats, personal watercraft (such as Jet Skis) and small wooden dinghies. There’s also all the associated equipment and services that go with these, such as engines, electronics, equipment, marinas and watersports centres. Whilst much of the industry is located in coastal areas there’s also a thriving waterways industry based around the country’s extensive network of canals, rivers and lakes. This brochure from the British Marine Federation will introduce you to the opportunities.

Careers in Marine Science:  Interested in a career in the marine sciences? This is the place to go! It will introduce you to a wide range of marine career fields and to people working in those fields. In addition, it will give those men and women a chance to tell you what they like and dislike about their careers, what they see for the future in their fields, and much more. This site also provides you with some experts' views on what the future holds for marine science careers.

Careers in Maritime:  This website will provide you with an introduction to careers at sea and the wider maritime industries. The Merchant Navy is the collective term for the British Shipping Industry. Opportunities exist in navigation, engineering and catering & hospitality. You will have the potential to succeed to the levels of Captain, Chief Engineer or Hotel Services Manager. Training is conducted in a nautical college or university and worldwide aboard ships. Once qualified you will be rewarded with generous pay and leave periods. The wider maritime industry offers opportunities in Marine equipment manufacturering, leisure boating, Watersports, ship classification & surveying, underwater technology, the Royal Navy, ports, shipyards, boat-building, oil & gas exploration and production, the Coastguard, the RNLI, maritime financial and legal services, environmental research, Government departments, Unions, commercial fishing, nautical colleges, professional institutes and societies, and last but not least voluntary services & associations.

Careers at Sea and Careers in International Shipping:  Here are two websites focussed primarily on how to embark on a seagoing career.

Move on to Teachers and Children.