Five reasons why studying a degree will supercharge your long term career

We discuss the five reasons a new online distance learning BSc and MSc Sustainable Maritime Operations degree might be the answer to your future career dilemmas. 

ONE: Your key to a successful exit strategy or empowering your career progression: 

Your career working as a crew member in the superyacht industry, provides you with multiple skill sets, which evolve as you work your way up the ranks from deck to bridge. Initially more practical in nature as your responsibilities grow, so do the range of tasks and responsibilities that you have to take on. To a certain extent, it is easy to take for granted the sheer array of knowledge and ability that you have. Not everyone is looking to further their studies in order to successfully leave the industry, however one of the biggest challenges facing superyacht crew when considering their future career, is the tricky issue of illustratingtheir incredible range of experience, skills and responsibilities into something that translates into success outside of, or alongside the industry. 

 The irony is that you should really start planning for the future the moment you enter the industry, however there is a lot to keep you both busy and distracted for a number of years until you are at the point of considering your options. The best approach is to accept that every everything you have done so far is invaluable, but the most effective next step is to build on that experience. It is for this reason that gaining a degree qualification, can provide the “glue” that ties all the threads of your experience and knowledge together, thecombination of extensive maritime experience and academic qualification is very powerful and completely changes your professional dynamic, resulting in a huge difference to how you are perceived and the success you achieve when trying to move forward in your career. 

TWO: Tap into the industries need to value human capital:

The superyacht sectors drive towards sustainability is not just focused on the need to change our impact on the oceans, there is about to be a sea change in the attitude of the industry to the way they work with crew. The turnover of crew in the industry is phenomenal, andhistorically there has been a presumption that there is an endless stream of ready trained and primed crew ready to step into the shoes of those who drop out; rather than focusing on negating the issues that mean crew leave the industry and cause all their experience and value to be lost. Whilst there are many ways to improve the situation, one of the most basic and effective is to support crews’ quality of life and improve their working environment. Allowing time for a good work/life balance and offering support to crew to allow them to pursue study and professional development, will be a powerful way for them to achieve personal achievement and allow crew to grow and commit to long term careers in the industry. 

THREE: Empower yourself with professional development:

Professional development means exactly that, any additional study that you do will enhance your knowledge and understanding of the job you currently do in order to advance your career. It is all about continuing your education beyond your mandatory qualifications, to enable you to stay up-to-date on current ideas and innovations and develop as an individual. This process of taking positive steps toward improving your skills and knowledge and in effect taking ownership of your own development, can make a massive difference in making you feel more empowered and confident in your abilities. Being able to show a potential employer that you have dedicated time to building up expertise, helps build the perception that you are someone who is able to make intelligent, perceptive and valuable contributions. You may also find that by increasing your skillset, you find that you are able to approach challenging projects and operational issues with an increased confidence as you are able to draw on newly learnt strategies. All of this combined, increases your personal and professional value and employability

FOUR: Be part of the drive to sustainability:

Most crew because they have chosen a career at sea and see the effects of pollution and the impact of the yachts on a daily basis, are passionate about the oceans and would say that they care about the planet. But this does not always mean that they feel in a position to make much of a personal impact. The reality is that whilst we stand on the edge of a global ecological disaster, the industry has been focusing on evolving for some time and is now takingsignificant and immediate action. As a result it is an incredibly positive and exciting time,with huge change on the horizon from the major build yards focusing on design materials and build processes and initiating major research into alternative solutions for alternative fuels,battery technology and emissions innovations. Whilst many crew are following this with interest, how many crew take it upon themselves to develop a strong understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals or the IMO Emissions Targets or are familiar with the theory and purpose behind the Circular Economy? Now is the time to actually do something about equipping yourself with the knowledge to truly make a difference, so you can do more than just keep up and instead be part of contributing to this new era. 

FIVE: Develop your academic skills and research new innovations. 

By the time you reach officer level in the industry you will already be using a wide range of operational and academic skills even if you do not recognise them as such, compliance with legislation and regulations, accounting and budgeting, leading on refit and development projects requiring analysis and research and comparison skills as examples. So it not such a huge leap, to step into final year degree study. You will also have the advantage of not having spent two years sitting in the sofa watching “Countdown” like most students and will be familiar with multitasking and working to deadlines. 

After completing the main modules of a degree your final piece of work is a dissertation or a research project this allows you the opportunity to tackle an issue in the industry that you care about and through research, bring new ideas to the table ...this part of the study process is the bit that you can really use for your own benefit. Perhaps you have a business idea, or you are focused on moving into yacht management or project management role and your research could be the opportunity to raise ideas and solutions that have a major impact on the industry. This could be new ideas for process driven innovation, new sustainable operational practices that would transform working life on board for both owner and crew. New technical advances, which would make a major difference on the yachts environmental impact. The only limit being your imagination, it is a fantastic opportunity to highlight your ideas and build a strategy that can be used to help you achieve your career own goals. 

If any of this resonates with you, and you are considering how your current experience and qualifications will translate into the next stages of your career, Emma Baggett and her company THE OM has partnered with MLA College who have produced something truly ground-breaking for crew looking at their future alongside and after yachting. They have developed an opportunity for Superyacht Crew to access a final year BSc or MSc In Sustainable Maritime Operations delivered via online distance learning, designed to be accessible and completely flexible around working routines. If you do not have previous academic qualifications, you can use your CoC’s to gain entry. With the opportunity for qualified masters to jump straight to a MSc. Whether you want to build on your maritime qualifications to empower your current role or translate your experience and qualifications gained in the sector into a meaningful and successful future career ashore find out more http://the-om.co.uk/smo