A Career in Shipping: The truth about getting a job in maritime

Shipping has a recruitment problem, but Panos Patsadas believes the industry also has a communication problem. Too many young people, graduates and career changers are looking at maritime from the outside without any clear sense of what the business actually is, how its different sectors work, or where they might fit. Some are drawn in by stories of quick money. Others are put off by the impression that shipping is closed, opaque and accessible only to those with family connections. Patsadas wants to challenge both ideas. The global chartering manager at Trans Global Projects is launching A Career in Shipping, a seven-part live online lecture series designed to walk participants through the main career options in the industry, the common mistakes people make when trying to enter it, and the myths that still distort how shipping presents itself to the next generation. Each lecture is followed by a 45-minute Q&A session. The course costs £750 ($990) per participant. “The inspiration is to help people make an informed decision about a career in shipping,” Patsadas tells Maritime CEO. “Not based on rumours or false expectations, but based on current reality.” Your moral compass will be tested, time and again For Patsadas, the project is personal. He has spent more than 20 years in shipping, working across breakbulk, heavylift, gas and petrochemicals, with roles spanning shipowners, energy majors and project cargo logistics. He also holds a degree in applied mathematics, a master’s in international trade and transport, and since 2021 has been a certified life coach. Alongside his shipping career, he works with graduates and career changers, sometimes as a coach, sometimes as a mentor. “A part of me wants to give the next generation what I didn’t have when starting out, which was guidance,” he says. “In my case, that led to mistakes. Some cost me time, and some required extra effort to align my career with my values and expectations.” The course is aimed at people who want more than generic encouragement. Patsadas says the goal is not simply to persuade more people to enter shipping, but to help them decide whether they should. “I want people to decide if shipping is a career for them based on facts,” he says. “Not fantasy, not rumours, not false expectations.” Those who do choose the industry, he argues, need to approach it with intent. “I don’t want them to spam their CV and hope something comes up,” he says. “At the end, they should know what they want to go into, why they want that area of shipping, and the basic dos and don’ts of how to get there.” The early reaction suggests he has found an audience. Within hours of posting a flyer on LinkedIn, Patsadas received interest from prospective participants as well as approaches from recruiters asking about possible cooperation. Part of the appeal is his willingness to confront shipping’s favourite half-truths. One is the idea that nobody gets into the industry without connections. “Knowing someone certainly helps,” he says. “It is the single most important factor when trying to get your foot in the door, but it certainly isn’t the only one.” The problem, he argues, is that too many candidates misunderstand what standing out now requires. “The secret is to learn how to stand out in the era of AI and Easy Apply,” he says. “There are too many candidates and usually very little effort involved when applying for a job. That’s where people get it completely wrong.” Another myth is that shipbroking is a shortcut to wealth. “Broking is currently the single most supplied sector of shipping, with thousands wishing to enter every year,” Patsadas says. Success, he says, depends on the company, the country, the timing of the cycle and personal ethics. “Your moral compass will be tested, time and again,” he says. That is where the course may be most useful. Shipping does not lack romance, but it often lacks honest signposting. Patsadas is trying to provide the map he wishes he had been handed at the start.