Merchant Navy has always been thought of as a career for males. But is this true? No! Women can work in Merchant Navy too.
What is Merchant Navy?
About 90% of goods are transported around the world via ships. This commercial shipping field is known as the Merchant Navy. The job requires you to be at sea most of the time. However, the salary is incredibly high.
There are three departments in the Merchant Navy:
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Deck
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Engine
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Catering/Galley
All three departments are ranked in two categories - officers and crew. Currently, there is no female crew in the Indian merchant navy. The officer category is a better choice for women due to working and living conditions.
Let's talk about the officer rank in each of the departments mentioned above:
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Officer in the Deck department:
A deck officer is also called a Navigation Officer. They are crucial to the ship's management team. The officers are in charge of the entire ship full of valuable cargo.
A deck officer on duty/watch needs to make decisions regarding the ship's journey. This includes steering, navigation and communication using the latest technology.
Senior officers will have a team under them. The topmost rank is that of a master/captain.
Officers in the deck department earn an average salary of 8 Lakhs per year (₹66.7k per month). This can go up to 20 lakhs per year.
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Engine-department Officer:
An engine officer is an engineer on board. This job needs a lot of physical work. Engine offices are responsible for maintaining and operating machinery on ships, both in the engine room and on deck. You can usually see engine officers wearing boiler suits when on the ship.
A mechanical engineer's salary in Merchant Navy ranges from ₹ 1.8 Lakhs to ₹ 11.5 Lakhs.
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Catering/ Galley department officers:
These officers are responsible for cleaning the ship's alleyways, messrooms, common rooms, etc. They are also in charge of food storage and preparation. They plan meals in advance, order and store the required ingredients and cook them for the staff on board.
A Catering Officer's salary in India ranges from ₹0.4 Lakhs to ₹12.1 Lakhs, with an average annual wage of ₹ 3.1 Lakhs.
Women on board merchant navy ships have their own cabins with an attached washroom. Hence, the accommodation and job are totally safe. There are no issues in terms of privacy. Women are respected and treated equally.
Even after retiring from the ship, there are a vast number of career options for women on land if they wish to remain with their families. This includes teaching, being an author, managing ship operations from land, etc. They can even board ships to guide them to port, which is a day's work or two.
Does this career option excite you? Check if it is the right option for you with the career guidance test at Glow & Lovely Careers (formally known as Fair & Lovely Career Foundation).
