Crewing interview - tips and tricks
Automatic translation
As we said in previous articles, crewing companies are akin to a recruiting agency. This means that, acting as an intermediary between the employer (ship owner) and the candidate (seafarer), these companies must provide one party with guarantees that the employee they need will come to work, and the other - choose the most suitable vacancy. Both are achieved through an interview, most often held in the office of a crewing company. Let's take a look at the highlights of this interview.
The main point
The most important point is what kind of position on the ship you are applying for. It is clear that depending on this, different requirements will be put to you and different questions will be asked. Therefore, if you have a diploma, for example, a seafarer, then this will be your first job at sea, then you will definitely be asked about the skills to perform tasks such as cleaning, priming, washing holds, working with rigging, etc. In the case of other positions, questions will vary according to duties on board.
The second, but no less important point is knowledge of the English language. Moreover, there is also a certain distinction in the knowledge of specific marine terminology, depending on the position. Continuing the example of the seafarer, you may be asked about the knowledge of the names of the parts of the ship in English, the equipment on the bridge, the ability to explain and understand the interlocutor in general. There is no single list of questions, but, more often than not, they coincide in different crewing. In addition, it is likely that during the interview you will be asked to take the Marlins or CES tests. Or, you may be asked for their results if you did so just before the interview. This also applies to competency tests, in particular CES, SETS 6000. In either case, it is extremely important to practice at home first.
The third point - after passing the tests and answering the basic questions of the representative of the crewing company, you may be required to go through an interview with the representative of the shipowner. In 95% of cases it will also be in English. Here, as in the case of a crewing interview, there is no single list of questions asked. According to seafarers' reviews, the most frequently asked questions will be below:
- duties
- knowledge of the International Code of Signals
- questions regarding the specifics of performing certain duties (for example, a question about the stages of painting, what equipment should be used for this, etc.)
- types of alarms and the ability to behave in emergency situations
- deck equipment, its types and types, as well as rules of use
- general knowledge of maritime conventions (e.g. SOLAS, MARPOL)
List of questions
I repeat, there is no single list of questions and there is no guarantee that you will be asked exactly these. In many ways, these questions depend on the specialty you are applying for, as well as on whether this is your first flight or you are already an experienced seafarer. If this is not your first job at sea, then the questions will most often relate to those duties that you have already performed on the previous vessel. A sample list of interview questions might look like this:
- What is your current specialization / title?
- What types of ships have you worked on? Dwt?
- What was your area of responsibility (area of operation)?
- Did you work in a mixed team? What nationalities?
- How many crew members were on board?
- What were your main responsibilities / were you responsible for….
- What kind of cargo did you transport?
- What kind of cargo did you transport on the last voyage?
- Have you taken part in inspections on board the ship?
- What are your salary expectations?
- How long would you like the contract?
- Who was your last shipowner / ship manager?
- Why do you want to change your company?
An interview with a crewing company is the main step towards working at sea. Therefore, you should not treat him carelessly in any case, if you do not want to waste time and money.
