With 70% of the earth’s surface covered by oceans and 90% of the world’s trade carried by ship, the marine industry is a vital part of the global economy.
In fact, without sea transport, the world economy would collapse. It’s no surprise, then, that the marine environment offers a range of interesting and rewarding job opportunities - especially if you’re interested in technology and engineering.
Read on to discover how to get into marine engineering and the reasons why you should consider working in this exciting industry.
What is marine engineering?
A marine engineer is someone who designs, builds, tests and repairs ships, boats, offshore platforms and drilling equipment.
There are several mechanical systems involved in the operations of any vessel, such as propulsion mechanics, electricity and power generation systems, lubrication, fuel systems, lighting and air conditioning.
Marine engineers are responsible for the operation, maintenance and repair of all major mechanical and engineered equipment.
Want to find out how to get into marine engineering? Read on to find out more!
The role
As a marine engineer, you’ll report to the chief engineer and will often work closely with naval architects.
You will use various engineering disciplines to develop, improve or maintain systems. As such, some of the important duties you might perform include the monitoring and maintenance of mechanical systems, record keeping and planning maintenance, fuel oil bunkering and emergency breakdown and repair.
The benefits of working in marine engineering
If all this sounds interesting and you are considering a career in marine engineering, take a look at the top seven reasons why you should consider a contract role in marine engineering listed below.
From career progression and variety to the chance to travel overseas and more, if you’re hard-working and hungry for success, marine engineering could be the right route for you.
Seven reasons to work in marine engineering
1. There’s unbeatable career progression
When you work in a marine engineering contract role, there are positions available at all levels. So, no matter what experience you have, you’ll find a job that suits you.
What’s more, because contract roles are dedicated for a particular period of time, you can change roles and expand your experience and practical skills with each position, enabling you to progress your career.
Working as a marine engineer can open many doors for you in the future, too - with contracting overseas also giving you a competitive edge over other candidates.
2. You can learn new skills
Thanks to stringent safety standards and the fast-paced nature of marine engineering, those working in the marine industry possess a wealth of skills that are constantly being developed.
As well as honing your professional skills working at the forefront of marine technology, you will also improve your interpersonal skills too.
From working to tight deadlines and prioritising workloads to problem-solving skills and communication skills, the skills you will pick up as a marine engineer will set you in good stead for the future.
3. Your role is crucial
Working in the marine industry offers plenty of responsibility right from the beginning of your career. Whatever your skill set or previous experience, you are part of a team that is directly responsible for maintaining the safety of a vessel.
Most people like to feel that their role fulfils a purpose - and as a marine engineer, you’ll be experiencing this on a day-to-day basis. Your job is crucial to the inner workings of the vessel, keeping everyone safe and ensuring that the ship is in a good running condition.
Plus, with the marine industry being so essential to the smooth running of the global economy, the role of a marine engineer couldn’t be more critical!
4. You’ll never be bored
How many people can claim their jobs are interesting every day of the week? Well, with marine engineering, that is possible!
Marine engineers are responsible for designing, building and taking care of the ship's mechanics and electrical systems. As a result, your job will have plenty of variety because you could be working on building the ship or working onboard the ship itself to keep everything running smoothly.
You’ll regularly survey ships, assessing whether they are safe to use. You could even find yourself working in offshore oil and gas systems, making sure the design and construction of these are fit for purpose.
5. You’ll be in demand
Skilled personnel in the marine engineering sector are hard to come across and highly sought after. This means that as a marine engineer, you won’t ever find yourself short of work or exciting opportunities - especially if you are open to the idea of contract roles overseas.
6. You can work at the forefront of technology
In recent years, there have been many new introductions to the marine technologies that have further enhanced machines and services like the fuel cells and magneto hydrodynamics.
What’s more, with further research and development constantly in progress it would be safe to state that marine engineering is a very dynamic field. So, if you want the chance to work at the forefront of technology, marine engineering could be the perfect career for you.
7. There’s the chance to travel overseas
Since 2016, M&E have provided skilled technicians for marine engineering and marine industry jobs on short term assignments to support Foreign Military Sales contracts in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, providing maintenance personnel to meet scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on particular RNSF naval vessels.
So, if you find yourself longing to see more of the world and are interested in pursuing a career overseas, marine engineering contract work with M&E is a fantastic option.
Contracting overseas gives you a unique opportunity to visit different countries, explore different cultures and meet new people, and allow you to enhance your CV at the same time. Undertaking a contract role in the Middle East means you will be able to enjoy the warm climate too!
What’s more, because the Middle East is central to the globe, many people use their time in the Middle East to explore further afield, using their leave allowance to visit countries that are closer than if they were to fly from the UK or Europe.
Want to find out more?
If you’re thinking about moving to the marine industry and want to find out how to get into marine engineering, look no further than M&E for expert advice and help.
With more than 20 years of experience, we support our contractors from start to finish, from initial application right through to the completion of your contract.
So, if you’re looking to get into marine engineering, be sure to contact our team today to find out how we can help. Alternatively, download this guide to find out more about applying for a contract role overseas.
