A change in Career? What's holding me back...

I am now two thirds of the way through my career, all up it’s about a total of 9 years to get your Masters ticket and then move up the ranks to become a Captain. Two thirds doesn’t seem like that much, but when you think about it I have been doing all this for 6 years now. That’s 6 years straight from when I left High School. I am now 23 years old. Am I too old to maybe consider a change of career? Maybe take a break from working on ships to dive into other dreams that I have? Am I too old to start something new? Too old to go back and start a new career through University? So many questions and thoughts are flowing through my head when I think about this. Questions of what if’s, of doubt, of maybes and so on...

I am still young and have my entire life ahead of me. I want to become a commercial chef one day and own my own restaurant. I want to travel the world and visit the 7 Wonders of the World in a 6 months O.E. with my partner. I want to get married and have my own family one day. Visit Antarctica before the earth heats up and so much more. I have my whole life ahead of me. A whole life of dreams, plans, options and choices. What’s holding me back though you ask, it’s the question of can I do it or am I too old? I guess the only way that I am going to find out is by believing in myself, taking the step and just doing it, with no looking back. Ships are always going to be here for me to work on. The other stuff will only be experienced and found out when I take that step.

So you can probably guess that after my final Oral exam in mid November there will be a lot of thinking and decisions to be made. Fingers crossed I make the right choices with no regrets.

Advice to future students looking at a career in the Maritime Industry...

The only advice for future students from my own experience is learn how to your Excel Spreadsheets before even attempting Naval Architecture!!! This has been my only struggle so far during the academic side of my career. The mathematics involved with working our formulas and functions. Not my strong point and I know that now.

Life living on board a ship. What is it actually like for a woman?

I can answer this question from two perspectives. Life for a woman working on a deep sea trading ship and life as a woman working for Inter Islander on the Ferries. Both perspectives are from my own personal views.
Woman bring a unique touch into the maritime industry. I haven’t worked with only a couple of women in my sea career so from what I have been told woman bring a variety of competence to their job, pay a lot of attention to the finest details and they are highly reliable officers. The presence of even just one woman on board on a ship has proven to have an influence on the behaviour of the other 17 male crew members. Enthusiasm for their job is just one of the many keys to enjoyment.

There will come a day when woman will be accepted into the maritime industry on the same level as males, as shown in the increase in woman seafarers, this is looking promising for the near future.

When this world eliminates all gender discrimination and all associated hurdles, we will hopefully be able to see more of woman employed and promoted in the maritime industry. On deep sea voyages you get a lot of time to yourself to think about your life and things that you want to do in the future. Have the opportunity to watch sun rises and sun sets every day from your workplace and even from your cabin window. On coastal voyages you are surrounded by glorious coastline and sea life and not to mention opportunities to go ashore and sight see. Working on the Inter Islander Ferries you work full time for 7 days and then get 7 days off afterwards. Talk about a great deal, equal time on time off. The ships cruise the glorious Queen Charlotte sounds and at the end of your week on board you can choose whether you get off the ship in Wellington or Picton to travel the south island.