Ordinary seaman to sailor
An ordinary seaman already meets 38% of what the sailor role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.
67.7/ 100
1 How much of what a sailor is expected to do is already part of an ordinary seaman’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the sailor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A sailor role treats 9 of its required skills as things an ordinary seaman already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
- clean ships
- follow verbal instructions
- follow written instructions
- moor vessels
- secure ships using rope
What stands in the way is 15 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A sailor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an ordinary seaman background worth leading with.
- already held clean ships handling and moving
- already held perform lookout duties during maritime operations information skills
- already held secure ships using rope working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held moor vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held unmoor vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held use different types of fire extinguishers assisting and caring
All 12 carried skills, including the 9 the sailor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 20 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn steer vessels in ports required
- still to learn anchor ships to the port required
- still to learn assist anchoring operations required
- still to learn operate echo sounding equipment required
- still to learn operate traditional water depth measurement equipment required
- still to learn prepare lifeboats required
- still to learn guide ships into docks required
- still to learn ensure public safety and security required
- still to learn follow work procedures required
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
- optional, not held deal with challenging work conditions optional
- still to learn clean parts of vessels required
- still to learn prepare deck equipment required
- optional, not held lift heavy weights optional
- still to learn watch for maritime navigation aids required
- still to learn communicate reports provided by passengers required
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- still to learn paint ship decks required
- still to learn anchors used in maritime water transport required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a sailor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 anchors used in maritime water transport study this
- 02 steer vessels in ports practise this
- 03 watch for maritime navigation aids practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- already held clean ships skill
- already held follow verbal instructions skill
- already held follow written instructions skill
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held secure ships using rope skill
- already held unmoor vessels skill
- already held use different types of fire extinguishers skill
- already held use maritime English skill
- already held act reliably skill
- already held perform lookout duties during maritime operations skill
- already held types of maritime vessels knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held have computer literacy optional
5 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held deal with challenging work conditions optional
- optional, not held have computer literacy optional
- optional, not held lift heavy weights optional
21 held skills the sailor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assist water-based navigation skill
- not needed by the target role follow hygienic procedures during food processing skill
- not needed by the target role handle cargo skill
- not needed by the target role handle stressful situations in the work place skill
- not needed by the target role inspect construction of ships skill
- not needed by the target role load cargo onto ships skill
- not needed by the target role maintain ropes skill
- not needed by the target role maintain ship brightwork skill
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel engine room skill
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manipulate sails on vessels skill
- not needed by the target role operate life-saving appliances skill
- not needed by the target role perform manual work autonomously skill
- not needed by the target role physical parts of the vessel knowledge
- not needed by the target role principles of cargo stowage knowledge
- not needed by the target role secure cargo on ships skill
- not needed by the target role sort waste skill
- not needed by the target role swim skill
- not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
- not needed by the target role vessel safety equipment knowledge
- not needed by the target role work in a water transport team skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn anchors used in maritime water transport required
Common questions about this move
Can an ordinary seaman become a sailor?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An ordinary seaman already covers 38% of what a sailor is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 9 of which the sailor role treats as required.
What skills does an ordinary seaman need to become a sailor?
15 required skills are missing, plus 5 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is anchors used in maritime water transport.
How hard is the move from ordinary seaman to sailor?
Its learning distance is 67.7 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.