Electricians are needed in just about any type of industry. Each military branch is in need of the best electricians with ample hands-on training. A ship electrician, for instance, should have attended courses in fundamental knowledge, practical maintenance, the theory of equipment operation, and troubleshooting. Ask this professional about blueprint reading, power distribution system, controllers, motors, shore power, and electrical systems for small boats and he should be able to answer you, too.
A Great Responsibility
The cruise job of a ship electrician requires great responsibility. This is the very reason why the salary package for this kind of job is quite lucrative, this is more so if you are tasked to be the Chief Electrician.
The chief electrician is responsible for the entire ship’s electrical system. He is the one that is mainly responsible in keeping this system free from trouble. He must also be the one to set the maintenance schedules. This is a huge task, no wonder, he must have the necessary skills and experience to fulfill his duty.
It’s Time to Toughen Up
Someone who wishes to become a ship electrician – or the chief electrician at that – must first be fluent in the English language. Even those who just wish to start as electrician’s mates must first work their way through the ladder.
He does not just speak the language but must also be good in communicating with it, having the most desirable skills in speaking with different groups of people.
Apart from being a people-oriented person, he must also be equipped with team management skills. This set of skills is necessary in ensuring smooth relationships between colleagues.
Here are other things that a ship electrician must be an expert of –
- Steady hands – he will be tasked to install lighting and power circuits.
- He must learn how to troubleshoot since this is what he will do once he repairs distribution circuits, switches, controllers, switchboards, current transformers, motors, and many more.
- He must also be dutiful because he will be the one to maintain operating efficiency for electrical motors, the shipboard elevator system, power equipment, storage batteries, etc.
These are not the only things that a ship electrician must prepare acquire; his skills are nothing if he does not show training certification from an accredited school. This must be a diploma from any Maritime Training School that is duly accredited.
Getting the cruise job as a Chief Electrician means having more than enough, relevant experience (at least 2-5 years onboard a ship). After being employed as the chief electrician, he will then be answering to the Chief Engineer. As a team, they will look after the operation and maintenance of different electrical plants as well as related systems that are on the ship.
The ship electrician must also know environmental policies by heart. He must show his commitment by ensuring the safety of the environment whenever he needs to work on the electrical system on board the ship. This means that he must be familiar with the company’s environmental policies so that he could put them into practice, ascertaining also that his subordinates maintain the highest corporate standards.
The Work Environment
The majority of work is done indoors in different conditions whether at sea or ashore. The ship electrician may get used to working in a shop-like setting or he could be deployed with the rest of the ship’s crew. There are some ship companies that hire personnel every now and then. Interested applicants may also search for different shipping companies online. Veer away from crew agencies as it is better to apply directly to shipping companies. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
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