A Maritime Industry Career Case Study
My name is Elizabeth Dykes; I’m a 2nd Officer and work on coastal tankers carrying clean oil products around UK and Northern European coasts.
I started my career at James Fisher as a cadet before becoming a permanent employee upon qualifying, and to this day I still enjoy the challenge that working in the oil industry requires.
With James Fisher I have had the chance to work on a variety of vessels, ranging from a fully automated ship with remotely operated cargo system and an integrated bridge to a fully manual vessel. I am also lucky enough to work on board our new paperless vessels which were launched this year.
Despite tradition, I am actually the first member of my family to work in the maritime industry and it was a holiday on a cruise ship that first sparked my interest.
Many of my colleagues relish the opportunities the job brings such as getting to see the world and the chance to travel however; I do this job simply because I enjoy it.
I could never see myself working in an office and I’ve always yearned to do a job which was different and required responsibility, something which being a 2nd Officer certainly provides.
I am proud to say that I am a British seafarer and that I have been trained by a well-established British company and a highly reputable British college, Fleetwood Nautical Campus, part of Blackpool & Fylde College. I think with our maritime history the UK is a wonderful place to begin a career. The international maritime community seems to listen to the UK; acknowledge our opinions and follow examples the UK sets.
My ambitions for the future are to gain my Masters ticket and then progress into the accident and investigation sector of the maritime industry. I would enjoy establishing myself in this area- understanding where the shortfalls within the industry still are and hopefully assist with the production of legislation to help keep our seafarers safe at work.
