MERCHANT NAVY IS GOOD OR BAD
To answer the main question posed by you would be that not many students are aware of it. When a kid is on the 12th, all he thinks about is Engineering/commerce fields and also because of the societal pressure and obligations and as a result, he/she end up following the herd. Mumbai/Chennai/Kolkata/Delhi are some cities that account for the maximum Indian seafarers.
Pros,
· High salaries(not two times rather even 8 times that of a starter, my friends in TCS, Accenture, etc. cash in a salary of around 30k pm, whereas I cash in around 2.3 lakh pm. However, the current fall in the value of Rupee is responsible for it. Also, this salary is on a monthly basis for the time one is sailing and there's no basic salary paid when you are on vacation. Still, the remuneration is pretty good.
· Port stays are good and ships might take you to the best places around the world like Malta, Cyprus, Italy, etc. (don’t dream ships to take you to Switzerland though ;))
· Long voyages are peaceful and free of any hassles unlike the daily demands of a land job.
· Handsome salary
· Real-time challenges
· Cultural diversity
· Paid travelers
· International experience
· Fresh air and beautiful sights when out at sea (picture dolphins racing by your side and seeing complete rainbows)
· If your boss is a jerk, you have to bear him for just 5-6 months at max, unlike the land jobs where you have to either put up with him/her or resign and find a new job.
· The last one and my personal favorite. You can fool the greedy cops by showing your Govt. of India Shipping License and scare them by saying you are in the Navy. Some might even salute you ;)
Cons:
· Reduced social circles.
· Difficulty in finding the girl of your dreams (they stay on land, you don't)
· Sea-sickness, though one gets used to it soon.
· Relentless working hours at times of emergency.
· Away from the loved ones for several months...
· Volatile market condition.
· Contract based career.
· Social life is zero.
· it’s in one of the top 10 most risky professions (fire/flooding/grounding to mention a few)
· Family life gets affected unless you have a supporting wife and family.
All in all, it's a really wonderful field. One must have a knack for it. Crybabies and "mamma’s boys" should refrain from it.
The main issue that the Merchant Navy is facing today is the lack of true information among the common people. There are certain types of people in our society who are planting this false information among the common people and the funny part is these people don’t even know the basics of Merchant Navy.
Misconceptions about merchant navy
· Is Merchant Navy the same as the Indian Navy? (No, it is not. One of the biggest doubts)
· 6 months on the ship and 6 months holidays. (Which is not true, it depends on your rank and company)
· Seafarers drink and smoke. (Most of the companies have zero drugs and alcohol policy)
· Mariners have wives in every port. (Turnaround time has reduced and ISPS is strict which has led to almost no shore leaves)
· Work is less on board. (Work never gets over on Ship)
· Only Non-Veg food on board. (Absolutely not, lots of vegetarian food)
· No Internet. No phones. (Wi-Fi is available onboard. It is the 21st century)
· Pirates. (Piracy has reduced significantly with the help of Navies all around the world)
These are the kind of negative misconceptions among the cultural and traditional families of India which has led to a negative impact on the Merchant Navy and people still doubt the safety of their children on board ship and hence, refrain their children to join Merchant Navy.
Yes, the salaries are high. Salary in Merchant Navy depends on the standard of living of the people in a particular country and in India the salaries for Seafarers are quite high.
A very general salary pay slip for all the ranks is as follows.
· Chief Engineer/ Captain - $8000–15000
· 2nd Engineer / Chief Officer - $6000–11000
· 3rd Engineer / 2nd Officer - $4500–5800
· 4th Engineer / 3rd Officer - $2400–4000
· Engine Cadet/ Deck Cadet - $300–1200
Merchant Navy is quite famous in India (though full of mystery and misconceptions but it is famous) and looking at the present market conditions, I would like to tell you that the market is flooded with 1000’s of Juniors Officers still unemployed and looking out for the job.
Comments