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Merchant Mariners

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

No experience is needed for many non-officer positions, but those with prior work experience will increase their chances of landing a job, getting promoted, and possibly earning higher pay. Captains and other officers must obtain experience by attending a maritime academy or by working as a member of the deck crew for at least three years.

Ultimately, merchant mariners must like to work on board water vessels. If you have ambitions of becoming a captain or an officer, you'll need a sense of leadership, good academic standing, and determination, as competition for jobs is strong. Engineers must have a desire to work with the vessel's operating machinery. Alternatively, deckhands and steward crew should be willing to do more general work. Naturally, the cooks and bakers should enjoy working in the kitchen. Newly hired deckhands usually learn their skills on the job.