Interview with a Shipowner: How Not to Blow It and Get a Contract

A call from the agency: "The shipowner wants to talk with you tomorrow at three o'clock, Skype." Your heart races — is this good or bad?

Good. Very good. It means your CV passed the initial screening and you were considered an interesting enough candidate to warrant their time.

Now the main thing is not to spoil this impression during the interview itself.

Why an interview is needed at all

It seems like documents speak for themselves: you have a diploma, you have certificates, your experience is relevant. Why talk at all?

The shipowner or the company captain doesn't just look at papers. He looks at the person. You'll be living and working together for several months in a confined space. Professional level is a necessary condition. But it's also important: how you think, how you react to non-standard situations, whether you can keep your cool, whether you speak English normally.

How to prepare

Re-read your CV. It sounds banal, but it's important. The interviewer will ask questions based on what's written. If you mentioned in your CV that you worked on a chemical tanker — be ready to talk about the peculiarities of working with chemical cargo. Don't remember the details — better not to write it.

Study the company. Go to the shipowner's website. What's their fleet? What types of vessels? What regions do they operate in? One question at the interview "what do you know about our company?" — and you'll already look completely different if you don't mumble in confusion, but say: "You have about thirty bulk carriers, you primarily operate on Asia-Europe routes."

Review your professional foundation. Especially if time has passed since your last contract. Emergency procedures, main conventions, technical features of the vessel type you're applying for. You might be asked both theoretical questions and situational ones — "what would you do if..."

Check your technology in advance. If the interview is online — make sure Skype/Zoom works, your camera is decent, the connection is stable. Sit in a neutral place, with no mess behind you and no cats that will walk across the table.

Typical questions and how to answer them

"Tell me about your last contract."
Don't recount everything. Say: the type of vessel, your position, what was special or interesting, what you did well. Specifically, to the point, without filler.

"Why did you leave your previous position?"
Honestly, but diplomatically. "The company reduced its fleet", "I was looking for a different type of vessel", "family circumstances" — these are normal answers. "The captain was an idiot" — no, even if that's true.

"How do you act in a fire in the engine room?"
This is a check of basic knowledge. Don't panic, answer according to procedure. If you're unsure about something — say honestly that in that specific situation, you'd first check the SMS (Safety Management System).

"What are your weaknesses?"
A classic question. Don't say "I have no weaknesses" — it sounds either arrogant or insincere. Name a weakness you recognize and are working on.

"Why do you want to work specifically for us?"
This is where what you learned about the company comes in handy. Specific reasons always work better than general phrases.

Technical questions in your specialty.
It's simple here: you know — you answer. You don't know — say honestly and explain how you'd find the answer. Lying on technical questions is a bad idea; it'll be checked on the vessel on day one.

What to do if your English isn't brilliant

Speak slower than you're used to. Better slow and correct than fast and incomprehensible.

If you didn't understand the question — ask them to repeat it. "Could you please repeat that?" — this is normal, it's not a failure.

Don't try to speak beautifully — speak clearly. Maritime English is primarily about precision, not beautiful turns of phrase.

After the interview

If nothing specific was said at the end of the conversation — it's normal to clarify: "When can I expect to hear back from you?" This isn't being pushy, it's professionalism.

If you were rejected — ask for brief feedback. Not always given, but sometimes it's really useful to hear what exactly didn't match. It's free information for next time.

And yes, rejections — that's part of the process. For some people, the first interview results in a contract. For others — the fifth or tenth. It's all normal.

Ready for your next interview? Find a suitable vacancy on seajobs.pro and submit your application today.