The backbone and the pillar of strength of international trade and carrying cargo throughout the world are merchant navy. There are a huge amount of workers are employed for merchant ships who need to carry and deliver goods from one country to many different countries. Many of the import and export businesses are done only through merchant navy and without this much of the business would come to a grinding halt. So all the non-military ships that include coasters, bulk carriers, tankers, container ships, passenger liners, etc but with excluding of research vessels and fishing which is listed on the official registry of a country is merchant marine.
Things to know Before Joining the Merchant Marine
There are some things to be noted before joining the merchant navy. They are as follows,
- To have the right skill set and qualification for the respective work is mandatory.
- The best judge of your capabilities is none other than yourself, so choose the right stream accordingly.
- Health and fitness are much important for merchant navy work. Both physical and mental fitness are necessary that are to be prepared for any situation on board.
- The life at sea will be lonely and it almost takes a toll on your social life. So be away from your social life in case of willing to become a merchant marine worker.
- Being the part of merchant navy one should have a positive personality and the right attitude towards the work.
- Job opportunities on shore have increased many times for the merchant marine professionals. There is a high income provided for the persons working in merchant navy according to their job role.
- There is a need to complete the required sea time in a financial year in order to claim the tax-free income or else you will be having tax slab for paying the income tax.
- The seafarers can take his/her family on board only after satisfying the company norms or only if the company allows this condition. This is applicable only for the management level officers but has the entry-level officer have the lesser chance to carry the family on the ship.
Eligibility Criteria in the Merchant Marine
The merchant navy eligibility is to finish higher secondary (class XII) with the subjects of physics, chemistry, and mathematics (any science related subjects). The candidates applying for the merchant navy have to be an unmarried Indian citizen. It can either male or female under the age of 20 years. While considering the vision of the eyes, normal vision is most required one but in exception glasses up to plus or minus 2.5 can be allowed. So these are some of the criteria that come under the person interested in joining merchant marine work.
Qualification for Merchant Navy Officer
There are many job roles and designation available in the merchant navy on board. The entry-level officer, management level officer and some more which involves the merchant navy qualification. The joining qualification can be from the age of 16 onwards as an officer cadet or a marine apprentice and then train as a deck rating. There is a need for at least four GCSEs (grade A-C) or equivalent qualifications. Those include English, mathematics, and physics (or combined science).
All About the Entrance Exams for Merchant Navy
The interested candidates who are willing to join in the merchant navy or merchant marine job, first they should complete the higher secondary (class XII). After completing class XII, they can apply for the Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test (IMU CET) which is also known as All India Merchant Navy Entrance Exam. In order get a job in the merchant marine on board there are some other exams also available which serves as the gateway for the Marine engineering are JEE, MERI Entrance exam, TIMSAT, etc.
Courses and fee Structure for Merchant Marine Job
There is a one-year diploma course and also a three years B.Sc course in the field of nautical science for merchant marine job. These courses and their fees structure are institute specific. A three years course of B.Sc in the field of nautical science will obviously be more of fee than that of the one-year diploma nautical science course. Basically, for male candidates, the fees will be higher than that of the female cadets.
Some of the Best Maritime Courses
The best maritime courses for getting into the merchant navy work are as follows,
- B.E/ B.Tech (marine engineering)
- GME course (a pre-sea training course done by the graduates)
- B.Sc nautical science
- DME course (diploma in marine engineering)
- GP rating course
- Deck rating course
- Engine rating course
- Saloon rating course etc.
The Process Involved in Joining Merchant Navy and its Recruitment Process
There are many kinds of jobs that are available in the merchant navy and they employ the person after completing the pre-sea course or any merchant navy exam. In that case, there are many marine institutes which directly deal with the shipping companies and runs wherein a cadet (deck or engine) is placed on board or to the shipping company. For instance, a company for shipping process possesses its own training institute in order to train the cadets to become the officers of the next level in which they are at present.
For those kinds of company-specific institutes, there is also a process involved that is specific to an interview process and written exam for the cadets. When the cadet does not undergo any such institute which guide and trains for the next level and that is not affiliated with the shipping company, then is quite common for the individual to take care of the employment process to join merchant navy.
Guides to the Merchant Navy Officer of Various Departments
In general, the ranking system on merchant’s vessels mainly depend on the categories which are as followed,
- Deck department
- Engine department
- Catering Department
The bridge of the vessel is a hub which is fitted to the critical equipment for the safe navigation and also for watchkeeping of the merchant ship.
Merchant navy ranks include the captain or master of the ship is the final authority of the ship and is the highest rank holder on board. The entire operation and the total responsibility of the ship come under the captain. When the captain of the ship is absent then the chief mate takes in charge for the shipboard operations. The departments like deck, engine, and catering possess of various officers and are as follows.
Deck Department
The deck department of the ship has the role of managing the ship navigation with the help of seafarers. Along with that they also include the handling of cargo operations and berthing instruments that are present on the deck of the ship. The deck department includes the officers of,
- Chief officer/mate
- Second officer/mate
- Third officer/ mate
- Deck cadets
The non-officers are
- Bosun (head of the rating staff)
- Welder/ Fitter
- Able-bodied seaman (AB)
- Ordinary seaman (OS)
- Trainee OS
Engine Department
The engine department may include the cadets of,
- Chief engineer
- Second engineer/ first assistant engineer
- Third engineer/ second assistant engineer
- Fourth engineer/ third assistant engineer
- Fifth engineer/ engine cadet
- Electrical officer
Catering Department
The catering department may include the persons of
- Chief cook
- Trainee cook
- Steward
So these are the different types of departments allotted for the merchant navy workers to work on a ship and complete the assignments in a professional and formal manner.
We are sure this article from CareerJobs360 will help you to understand about Tip to have victory in the Merchant Navy Entrance Exam.