Do you need time at sea to work in shipping?

The same prejudice that may hamper shipping's growth, makes communication possible

By Ryan Skinner (email)
WWII poster apparently aims to recruit gay sailors 

If you work in the shipping industry but you haven't worked on a ship, you'll know what I'm talking about. The condescension, even the contempt, of the mariner for the land-lubber. Even if the mariner has long since come ashore and he's talking to an accountant, or lawyer, or PR flack (about accounting, law or PR), he'll make it clear that only he knows what's what in this industry.

It's infuriating, to put it mildly. How many times have I asked myself: "Do astronauts express condescension for the rocket scientists who make space travel possible? Does anyone give a damn if you've flown a plane if you're working in the airlines business? So who cares about time at sea?"

Yet, I've discovered a reason for this prejudice. The shipping business regularly requires its practitioners to get very up close and personal with people they might otherwise have nothing in common with. Perhaps the quickest and easiest route to any common ground goes via the shared experience of battling the sea (and perhaps battling the crap equipment installed on the ship).

Good communication is very dependent on cultural values. If the least common value denominator in shipping is time at sea, that becomes the gold standard. And if you don't share it, well, you're just out of the picture. You don't understand.

As a communicator in this industry, and one without any professional time at sea, it's a challenge. So mariners, what do you think? Is this a gross over-simplification, or not? And non-mariner types, do you empathize? Felt the same pain?

Comments

[velu]

I can understand your point of view. There is definitely a disconnect between the two parties. But I'm sure even the astronauts must have a different spin over things from the technicians.

That said, I;m sure that the disconnect is shrinking rapidly.

[Nish]

I can understand your pain. Unfortunately, businesses follow the conservative approach and the truth is that the similar pactice is followed in all industries. They call it the job requiremnts.

I have felt the similar problem when I started looking for a profile in logistics after obtaining an MBA degree in Logistics and SCM from a top business school in Asia. Unfortunately, I had worked as a sailor rather than as a warehouseman though one may always say that the ship is a floating warehouse.

Similar is the sorrow of those who after having some experience in non- investment banking profile, are lured to go for an MBA in Finance. That is one of the reason I didn't go for it though I had tremendous knowledge of and interest in capital markets.

Interest and unformal experience does not any place in this highly competitive job market.