An analysis on career planning criteria of oceangoing officers

This study, in addition to forming a career path map on Turkish Oceangoing Officers, analyzes the reasons for choosing the sea initialy, the duration of the sea career and the factors which affect the sea career, the reasons and the means they use for coming ashore, identifying their status at the end of their twentieth year of career life and the factors that affect their personal career planning. The conclusions of the study is limited with the answers of former mariners whose graduated the Merchant Marine Academy in 1987. This study was concluded in four parts as follows: Part 1: Basic concepts of the Human resource Management and seafaring profession. Part 2: The relationship between man and career, career planning and career path. Part 3: The career path in the maritime industries and the international and national conventions, organizations, codes which affect the career path of Oceangoing Officers. Part 4: A research about the career path of the Turkish Oceangoing Officers and the data obtained from the questionnaire. The results of the study indicate that although the seafaring profession isn?t a well known career choice in Turkish society, the main reason for choosing the sea initially ( by 42 % Turkish Oceangoing Officers) is, individual?s planned career choice. The ? Uncertainty Avoidance? (as a characteristic behavior of Turkish society) is highly affecting the individual choice of shipping company. Their choice about ship type and voyage duration are, general cargo/bulk carrier and long period voyages. Being Ship Master/Chief Engineer is a career goal and the duration of career at sea is 10 years for Turkish Oceangoing Officers. Pressure from the family is the major reason for coming ashore. The officers first choice when coming ashore is finding a job within the marine industry. The excemption is those who have their own business, only a very few officers employed as senior managers ashore.