Automatic translation
In the context of a global pandemic and, in general, some decline in the marine industry, the issue of employment on ships again became acute. It is difficult even for a young specialist to find a good job today. But what if you are already 60 or more years old? Is it really impossible to find a job at sea at this age? There is no unequivocal answer to this question, although all specialists and seafarers agree on one thing - after 60 years, the chances of joining a ship are significantly reduced. This is especially true for those seafarers who have had a long period of downtime since their last work at sea. Not only will they have to go through a lengthy procedure for restoring documents, no one guarantees that they will be able to be hired without demotion. Age limit According to the testimony of experienced seafarers, for senior officers, the age limit for admission to another company is from 50 to 55 years. However, even being a very good and generally recognized specialist in this field, when contacting a large shipping company in 9 out of 10 cases, you will simply be refused. The chances increase when contacting smaller companies, where the requirements will be significantly lower, but here there is a high probability that your salary will also be lower, and the fleet, most likely, will not be "fresh". A separate line is worth mentioning about the junior officers. Here, the critical age limit will already be 45 years. But here, too, exceptions are possible, depending largely on the education, length of service and the requirements of the crewing company itself. It is important to note that in the practice of foreign ship-owning companies, there are often internal circulars that define this age threshold. For example, in India, a document was adopted that sets the upper bar for the age of recruitment of a member of the officer corps at 65 years. It is worth emphasizing that, as such, there is no pronounced or documented age limit for seafarers. Many seafarers have examples of people continuing to work on ships when they were 65-70 years old. Therefore, when deciding to find a job in any seafaring company, you should not pre-set yourself up that you will not find anything. In many ways, the success of your endeavor will depend on the principles adopted in the company itself, as well as your success and qualifications on previous ships. An impeccable track record But do not forget that even if you have an impeccable track record, the longer you have a break between sailings, the less chances you will get on a good boat with good pay. Today, the largest maritime organizations prefer to recruit both senior and junior officers from seafarers under 35 years old. This is especially true for work on RO-RO vessels, bulk carriers and large container ships. This is due to the fact that there are rather difficult working conditions and an aged seafarer will not be able to properly cope with the load, and also will not be able to adapt to work with the latest electronics, which such ships are equipped with. Crewing companies recommend that older seafarers get jobs on, conventionally, "lighter ships", such as bonfires and feeders. This certainly does not mean that it is impossible for people over 50 to get on new ships, however, To summarize: if you are close to the age of 60 and are thinking about going on a flight, be prepared for a long search for a company that will accept you. But, as practice shows, efforts are often rewarded and, if you have high qualifications, then you will certainly find such a company. The main thing is not to despair!
