Ship assistant engineer to sailor
A ship assistant engineer already meets 24% of what the sailor role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.
78.4/ 100
1 How much of what a sailor is expected to do is already part of a ship assistant engineer’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 6 of its required skills as things a ship assistant engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
- moor vessels
- prepare lifeboats
- unmoor vessels
- use different types of fire extinguishers
- use maritime English
What stands in the way is 18 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 7 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 a ship assistant engineer background worth leading with.
- already held prepare lifeboats 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
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System services
- already held use maritime English communication, collaboration and creativity
All 7 carried skills, including the 6 the sailor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 25 missing skills fall into 9 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 secure ships using rope required
- still to learn guide ships into docks required
- still to learn clean ships required
- 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 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 watch for maritime navigation aids required
- still to learn communicate reports provided by passengers required
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held perform lookout duties during maritime operations optional
- still to learn follow verbal instructions required
- still to learn follow written instructions required
- still to learn paint ship decks required
3 further areas 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 clean ships practise this
- 03 steer vessels in ports 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 7 skills that carry over
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held prepare lifeboats 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
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn anchors used in maritime water transport required
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
- optional, not held have computer literacy optional
7 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels 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
- optional, not held perform lookout duties during maritime operations optional
26 held skills the sailor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role International Maritime Organisation conventions knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on maritime regulations skill
- not needed by the target role apply vessel engine regulations skill
- not needed by the target role detect malfunctions in engines skill
- not needed by the target role electrical systems used in transportation knowledge
- not needed by the target role engine components knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel engine room skill
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel inventory skill
- not needed by the target role manage on-board water systems skill
- not needed by the target role manage ship electrical systems skill
- not needed by the target role manage vessel engines and systems skill
- not needed by the target role operate diesel propulsion plants skill
- not needed by the target role operate fire extinguishers skill
- not needed by the target role operate sewage treatment plans on ships skill
- not needed by the target role operate vessel engine room skill
- not needed by the target role operation of different engines knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform bunkering skill
- not needed by the target role perform routine lube oil tests skill
- not needed by the target role perform routine maintenance of ship engines skill
- not needed by the target role physics knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare engine room for operation skill
- not needed by the target role principles of mechanical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide support in vessel machinery systems skill
- not needed by the target role regulation on the discharge of raw materials into the sea knowledge
- not needed by the target role repair vessel mechanical systems skill
- not needed by the target role stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology skill
2 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
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
Common questions about this move
Can a ship assistant engineer become a sailor?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A ship assistant engineer already covers 24% of what a sailor is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 6 of which the sailor role treats as required.
What skills does a ship assistant engineer need to become a sailor?
18 required skills are missing, plus 7 optional ones. They fall into 9 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 ship assistant engineer to sailor?
Its learning distance is 78.4 out of 100, which is the career change 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.