Finding a reputable and reliable crewing agency in the highly competitive maritime industry can make a big difference in a seafarer's career.
Oleksandr Lukyanov, a Ukrainian Second Engineer who has worked on ships since 2012, recently shared his experience working with Seafair, a digital-first crewing agency.
Oleksandr was inspired to pursue a career in electrical engineering by his father's work as a radioman.
As a young boy, he was always fascinated by the wires and cables that made communication possible. He decided to pursue his passion and went to study in Kerch, Ukraine, to become an electrician.
After serving in the army in 2004, Oleksandr Lukyanov worked as a motor mechanic and electrician before becoming a ship mechanic. He followed his dream by studying ship modeling at a shipbuilding institute. Despite his qualifications, he had difficulty finding a job after graduation. Still, he has successfully grown to the second engineer position, overcoming all the industry's obstacles.
In his experience, one of the essentials for seafarers when choosing a crewing agency is knowing what to expect when working on a ship.
"It's important to know the reality about what awaits you on the ship, Seafair was honest with me from the beginning about what the job entailed, and I appreciated that."
Further on, Oleksandr was surprised to find that the agency's managers quickly responded and provided him with all the information he needed. They even took the time to explain what he could expect while working on a ship. He was impressed by their responsiveness and professionalism.
"The managers were very responsive and gave me straight answers when I had questions," he said. "They were also very efficient in responding to my inquiries."
Despite his positive experience with Seafair, Oleksandr admits that he had never heard of the company before applying to work with them.
"Seafair is a new company, and I had never heard of them before," he said. "I looked for information about the agency online, but I couldn't find much. I found only one or two reviews from three years ago. So, I asked around in maritime groups on Facebook."
And despite being new to the market, Oleksandr is glad that he started the cooperation with Seafair, as it resulted in a great job opportunity. Seafair allows seafarers to stay in control of the contract by updating preferences (embarkation date, expected salary, vessel type, etc.) from anywhere and anytime; Oleksandr ended up being matched by algorithms with one of the top Shipping companies with a competitive salary.
"I worked with a shipping company I was employed to thanks to Seafair for 8.5 months, and it was a stable job," he said. "They paid me on time, and the ship's atmosphere was friendly and familial."
Oleksandr finds his current employer committed to providing seafarers with good working conditions.
"The food was good, and we had no problems with our work clothes," he said. "And one thing that's very important for seafarers during long ocean passages is having access to affordable internet. Shipping company provides this, which is a big plus."
In addition to these excellent working conditions, the seafarer also mentions that the internet on board the ships is available at very reasonable prices. This is also very important for seafarers during long voyages.
"Overall, I am happy with my experience working with Seafair digital crewing platform and their Shipping company partners, will highly recommend it to other seafarers."
To follow a successful career path and ensure a smooth embarkation process, go and create a free profile on Seafair digital platform. Select the most suitable positions, apply directly via the platform, and receive real-time updates.