Meet our Cadets – Jordan Thomson

Hey, I’m Jordan a Deck Cadet with Global Marine, currently in the 4th phase of my Cadetship. I started my Cadetship in September of 2022 at South Shields Marine School.

I’ve been working in the Merchant Navy since I turned 18 as a deckhand. I have worked on various vessels including dredgers, buoyage maintenance, and pilot vessels. I’ve always aspired to become an Officer, so I began my Cadetship with Global Marine to pursue this goal.

The marine industry is global, and many people like me are attracted to it because of the travel opportunities and the chance to experience different cultures. During my Cadetship, I have visited four continents (Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia) and experienced a vast array of cultures. While in port, we have had a lot of opportunities to disembark the vessel and explore.

A day for a Cadet in Global Marine varies a lot. Each day presents different challenges, depending on whether you’re on a sea passage, in port, or on cable operations. In port, the day entails planned maintenance on life-saving and firefighting equipment, as well as participating in monthly drills and exercises. When on a sea passage, you’ll have the chance to maintain a navigational watch under the supervision of an Officer. Finally, during cable operations, there’s a lot of work to get involved in, from operating the Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) to learning and participating in deck activities such as cable retrieval, repair, and laying.

Life onboard our vessels can be a lot of fun. The vessels offer plenty of amenities to help pass the time during the long days, including gyms, games and TV rooms. Depending on the vessel, some even have pool tables and saunas. The onboard WIFI is excellent, as all our vessels have Starlink. This means that even when we are far offshore, we have perfect WIFI. This is great for our overall well-being onboard, as we can stay connected with family and friends. Sometimes, being a cadet onboard can be tough due to the long trips we take to gain our sea time. You will see the same crew leaving and joining back again while you are still onboard and have a lot of time left to go.

In order to reach my current position, I have worked hard while keeping the goal of being an Officer as my motivation to continue. The Cadetship can be challenging throughout the process, and there will always be new challenges to face, from college work to being thousands of miles away from family and friends. With Global Marine, this has been a positive experience due to the amount of support from the company, and there’s always somebody to reach out to.

The advice I would give to people who want to pursue a career at sea is to research your options in the industry and know what you want out of it. The main career paths in this industry are Deck, Engine, and Electrical officers. Initially, I always wanted to be a Marine Engineer but after experiencing the deck department I haven’t left.

If you are in any doubt about choosing this career I would suggest looking for opportunities to gain practical experience in volunteer work. Hands-on experience is invaluable and can help you build skills and make connections in the industry.

Ultimately, choose a career path that aligns with your interests, passions, and values. Working at sea can be demanding, but it can also be incredibly rewarding.