Are there contracts 4-6 months for ratings
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In our previous articles, we have already considered the issue of the terms of contracts for both the officer corps and the private. In fact, the question itself regarding the existence of such contracts could have arisen 10-15 years ago, when in many respects all issues of employment of seafarers were resolved by means of a crewing trip. Today, finding a contract that is suitable for yourself in terms of terms and payment is practically not difficult - it is enough to go online and find a decent labor exchange for seafarers, according to reviews.
Mass of proposals
Today, on the maritime vacancies market for rank and file (for simplicity, we will now consider exclusively AB and OS positions) there are a lot of offers with salaries starting at 800 USD. Upon further examination, it can be seen that the salary ceiling rises with the type of vessel and reaches the level of USD 2,500 for chemical carriers. We also noted earlier that the tanker fleet has some of the highest salaries among all types of ships. Nevertheless, it is striking that the offers for the rank and file for chemical carriers and other tankers are rather short-term - usually 2-3 months. This in no way makes such contracts less attractive, because, in fact, in 3 months you will earn the same, if not more, than in 6 months on a conventional bulk carrier.
Considering the proposals further, you can nevertheless notice that the bulk of the offers (about 80 percent of the total) relate to work on "dry cargo" and container ships. This is due to the fact that on this kind of ships the positions of ordinary seamen are more in demand than on tankers, which are becoming more and more automated. In addition, working at sea on ships carrying chemical or any other bulk cargo requires a slightly different set of skills and knowledge, which means that not every ordinary seaman can be up to the task.
Regardless of whether you have experience in the sea already in these specialties, you can submit your resume for any of the positions that suit you and count on this job as the first step in your career development. We also recommend that before making a final decision on responding to a particular vacancy, learn more directly about the shipowner and the conditions of work on his ships. There are often cases when, in pursuit of cost savings, shipping companies offer short-term contracts for ratings, with an average wage, but the working conditions turn out to be so unbearable that not every experienced seafarer can withstand. In addition, in addition to feedback from colleagues who have dealt with this shipowner, it is imperative to find out as much as possible about the ship you intend to operate on. Even without any experience behind you and expecting to go to sea for the first time, you hardly want to spend 4-6 months away from home for 8-10 hours dealing with rust and corroding sea salt on a very old ship. Do not forget that your specialty is only a launching pad for further development and you, as an inexperienced seafarer, should also acquire knowledge that will become an important help in career growth.
Real contracts
In any case, summing up, we can say that contracts for the rank and file, for a period of 4-6 months, are absolutely real and streamlined. The only nuances may be associated with the work of an ordinary seaman on different types of ships and the availability of experience in this specialty. As practice shows and a cursory examination of sites dedicated to vacancies, offers not only vary greatly in wages, but also in terms of time. However, 6 month contracts still prevail.
