Sailor to ordinary seaman
A sailor already meets 36% of what the ordinary seaman role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.8/ 100
1 How much of what an ordinary seaman is expected to do is already part of a sailor’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 ordinary seaman role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An ordinary seaman role treats 9 of its required skills as things a sailor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
- clean ships
- moor vessels
- perform lookout duties during maritime operations
- secure ships using rope
- types of maritime vessels
What stands in the way is 16 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. An ordinary seaman role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a sailor 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 ordinary seaman role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 21 missing skills fall into 8 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 maintain ship brightwork required
- still to learn secure cargo on ships required
- still to learn load cargo onto ships required
- still to learn handle cargo required
- still to learn sort waste required
- optional, not held perform manual work autonomously optional
- still to learn physical parts of the vessel required
- still to learn principles of cargo stowage required
- still to learn vessel safety equipment required
- still to learn assist water-based navigation required
- still to learn operate life-saving appliances required
- optional, not held manipulate sails on vessels optional
- still to learn maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment required
- still to learn follow hygienic procedures during food processing required
- still to learn swim required
- optional, not held work in a water transport team optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
- still to learn maintain ropes required
- optional, not held inspect construction of ships optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an ordinary seaman role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 maintain ship brightwork practise this
- 02 secure cargo on ships practise this
- 03 assist water-based navigation 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 moor vessels skill
- already held perform lookout duties during maritime operations skill
- already held secure ships using rope skill
- already held types of maritime vessels knowledge
- 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 follow verbal instructions skill
- already held follow written instructions skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn maintain vessel engine room required
- still to learn handle stressful situations in the work place required
5 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held inspect construction of ships optional
- optional, not held manipulate sails on vessels optional
- optional, not held perform manual work autonomously optional
- optional, not held work in a water transport team optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
20 held skills the ordinary seaman role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role anchor ships to the port skill
- not needed by the target role anchors used in maritime water transport knowledge
- not needed by the target role assist anchoring operations skill
- not needed by the target role assist in maritime rescue operations skill
- not needed by the target role clean parts of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role communicate reports provided by passengers skill
- not needed by the target role conduct on board safety inspections skill
- not needed by the target role deal with challenging work conditions skill
- not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
- not needed by the target role follow work procedures skill
- not needed by the target role guide ships into docks skill
- not needed by the target role have computer literacy skill
- not needed by the target role lift heavy weights skill
- not needed by the target role operate echo sounding equipment skill
- not needed by the target role operate traditional water depth measurement equipment skill
- not needed by the target role paint ship decks skill
- not needed by the target role prepare deck equipment skill
- not needed by the target role prepare lifeboats skill
- not needed by the target role steer vessels in ports skill
- not needed by the target role watch for maritime navigation aids skill
3 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 physical parts of the vessel required
- still to learn principles of cargo stowage required
- still to learn vessel safety equipment required
Common questions about this move
Can a sailor become an ordinary seaman?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A sailor already covers 36% of what an ordinary seaman is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 9 of which the ordinary seaman role treats as required.
What skills does a sailor need to become an ordinary seaman?
16 required skills are missing, plus 5 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is maintain ship brightwork.
How hard is the move from sailor to ordinary seaman?
Its learning distance is 68.8 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.