Master Your Maritime Career

Survival from the Old System

WHY AM I SHARING MY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE?

When I started as a cadet, I didn't have the officers who are passionate about sharing what they know. It doesn't mean they don't want to teach, they are just way too overloaded with paperworks. I can count some who taught me well but I have a lot more who were what we call "makalumang sistema". We couldn't touch any equipment even if we were well-versed with the manual (I've even solved alarms they couldn't solve). If we ask them questions, they will just return the question to us plus insults why we don't know 'anything' (which is btw a redflag for officers who are on survival mode).

And then I was mostly assigned on deck. I nearly thought of settling as a rating as it was comfortable (though not physically). The officers even kept intimidating us. They said being an officer is scary "andami mong iisipin, di ka pwede magkamali. Baka hindi nyo kakayanin." And a lot of series of unnecessary yabang irrational authoritarian leadership. I don't know what their intentions were but it definitely scared the heck out of us.

Cut this short. I wondered what's in the ranks that made them 'mayayabang' and too rude to ratings?

I pursued being an officer anyway. Managed to impress a known terror captain who told me he never ever and will never promote a cadet. His history had real evidence. And then "Ikaw pa lang ang pinakaunang cadet na ipopromote ko." Was the sweetest thing I've heard from him ofcourse including the malutong na Pocha. 😆

So yeah, starting your career onboard is no way near any career on the planet. I even somehow agreed to one article that said seafarers are no longer professionals. We are not PRC licensed. Guess they are right. The working environment onboard was waaaay too toxic. 😅

But nah let's skip that, when I reached 3/O. I said this is it. Why are they "mayayabang" before? 😅 I can't find any reason. Why can't they just answer a polite question the right way? Nothing.

So I decided to be the officer I never had. I teach and I'm open for corrections. If I don't know your question then we will learn together.

Then I transferred to another company. Here I've heard that some companies are giving promotion way too easily. And that we should chase them. In my previous company we had a lot of good appraisals and recommendations piling up but we were never given a chance. In other companies their ex-crew will be forced to take up the next rank 😆 There I found that even the officers are just relying on their 'experience'. Experience can be deceiving. You can do your job wrong a thousand times and call it 'experience'. Given the amount of time, you will then reject corrections or updates to laws coz "antagal ko na tong ginagawa, wala namang nangyari". Pumapasok sa tanke na di naventilate dahil matagal ng ginagawa wala namang nangyari at dagdag trabaho lang ang permits 😅

I found this alarming. They will become the officers I had 😅. So I decided to broaden my reach. I started sharing my knowledge online. But I'm more willing to educate the aspiring seafarers. We can change your soon to be working environment and it doesn't have to be toxic!

For one, "nandito tayo sa barko para magtrabaho" yeah right that's a motivational qoute for ratings. But for officers it's dangerous 😅 come on. Do your job and manage their rest hours. Hindi na pwede yung from sunrise to cargo light 😅

If you are an aspiring seafarer, stick with me I'll share with you what I know.
If you are an active seafarer please share yours too.
We can make seafaring a fun work and home.
Remember seafaring is not just a job.
The ship is both your workplace and your home.
Seafaring is a way of life.

eaconag

Second Officer / CEO and Founder, Navigators Club