The third officer is the first officer's rank a deck cadet reaches — the moment you stand a bridge watch on your own. It is also the rank with the hardest first step: every company wants a third officer with experience, and nobody has it at the start.
What the third officer does
- Watchkeeping. Usually keeps the 08:00–12:00 and 20:00–24:00 watches, often the one the master is most likely to visit.
- Safety equipment. Usually in charge of the life-saving and fire-fighting equipment: lifeboats and rafts, lifejackets and immersion suits, fire extinguishers, breathing apparatus, the monthly and weekly checks and their records.
- Assisting the master. On many ships helps with port papers, crew lists and arrival documents, and keeps the flags and signals.
- Moorings and cargo. Usually forward at mooring with the bosun, and keeps cargo watches in port.
What it takes
The certificate is officer in charge of a navigational watch under STCW Regulation II/1, for ships of 500 GT or more:
- at least 18 years old;
- at least 12 months of approved sea service as part of an approved training programme with a training record book — or 36 months without one;
- of that, at least six months of bridge watchkeeping under the supervision of the master or a qualified officer;
- the GMDSS operator certificate, the basic safety courses, Advanced Fire Fighting, Medical First Aid and survival craft (PSCRB);
- the exams of your maritime administration.
Companies almost always add ECDIS (and a type-specific course for their equipment) and ERM/BRM.
The first contract
The certificate is the easy part. The hard part is the first company. What works:
- Stay with the company you were a cadet with. It is the most common way — they already know you.
- Accept the vessel type that is hiring — bulk carriers and general cargo take juniors more often than tankers and gas carriers.
- Show the cadet time in detail in your CV: vessel types, months, what you did on the bridge.
- Apply widely and keep your documents valid — a missing course is the most common reason for a fast "no".
Pay and the path
Third officer is the entry level for officers; the step to second officer usually comes after one or two contracts. The current range from real vacancies is on the third officer jobs page, and a comparison by rank on our salaries page.
Your CV
For a junior officer, the maritime CV matters more than for anyone: it shows the cadet sea service, the courses and their dates on one page, the way crewing managers read them.
Requirements follow STCW; your flag state may add its own. Check them with your maritime administration.