Please select your home edition
Edition
Haven Knox-Johnston Commercial

Looking for your next marine industry role? The experts at Marine Resources give their advice

by Mark Jardine 20 Jul 2022 12:00 BST
Looking for your next marine industry role? © Marine Resources

The marine industry is brimming with opportunity at the moment, which means there has never been a better time to join or move on to new and exciting roles. But moving jobs can be daunting, so we asked the specialist recruitment consultants at Marine Resources for their advice, so that you can make that next step in your career.

James Ward, CEO and founder of Marine Resources said, "The demand from employers is huge. There are very few businesses that are not recruiting or wouldn't recruit opportunistically if the right person was put in front of them in the right circumstances."

This was backed up by Tom Scott, Skilled Trades Resource Consultant at Marine Resources, who has been talking to employers on a daily basis about their needs, "Companies are busy, there are lots of jobs to fill and companies are having to find the balance between upskilling people or taking people outside of the industry. To meet demands, while keeping quality and timescales right, is where bespoke consultants are most valuable and can offer advice on what works."

So, the opportunities are there for the right candidates with the right skills to make that leap in their career, but how should you go about this?

Alisha O'Flanagan, Design, Engineering and Technical - Managing Consultant at Marine Resources, says that appreciation of the person is key to successful transitions, through: "Understanding why they want to move on, what change they are seeking, and then understanding their own top three priorities."

Discretion is often needed so as to not cause problems with current employers, and Paul Green, Sales, Marketing and Operations - Senior Recruitment Consultant at Marine Resources, outlines the way that candidates can initially go about this, "They have the option of contacting myself confidentially as well as reviewing job posts online to see if they have a real interest."

Tom Scott echoes Paul's comment about contacting the Marine Resources team confidentially, highlighting how the specialist industry knowledge is so important, "Speak to a recruitment consultant specialising in your field of expertise who can offer advice on market trends, salaries and understanding of growth and development opportunities within a field. Everything is done with privacy as the utmost importance."

James Ward as always, with his many years of experience in the industry, has the overview of the marketplace, and asks the potential candidates to think carefully as to what they want in their career, "The first thing you need to do is ask yourself 'Why am I looking to change roles?'. Can those reasons be achieved with your current employer? If not, the best thing is to be very clear, not just with the sort of job, but the type of employer you want to work for. If you are really actively looking at the moment, you can have the pick of the bunch so to speak. Just because there are a lot of jobs out there, it doesn't mean that you have to take the first one available."

With so many fantastic opportunities, the chance to find your dream role in the industry is exceptionally good. But matching the right candidate for a role is vital for both the employer and the employee. This is where the tailored approach of Marine Resources comes into its own.

As Alisha O'Flanagan says, "It's not only about skills but about understanding someone's personality and what they need in the future, as well as their current needs. Understand the candidate helps the employer then retain their staff, which ultimately will help someone get closer to their ultimate career goals."

Sarah Hill, Skilled Trades Senior Recruitment Consultant, focuses on the tailored service that Marine Resources provide, "We offer a completely bespoke process as we understand that no two people or businesses are the same!"

Again, James Ward gives the overview, recognising that a job specification is only part of the matching process, and that it is far more nuanced: "We don't just discuss a lot of detail around the hard facts of the job, such as salary, location etc. We really try to get under the skin of the role and the client. Details such as where the company is going, what are the opportunities, what is the culture like, paying points for the client, both hard skill and soft skill requirements and so on. So, by the time we go to market we have a very clear picture of the role itself and are able to represent our clients in a very accurate way. We also have various tools that we use to support our clients throughout the process to find the right candidate for their roles; these include Behavioural Profiling Assessments which are a great way to really understand a candidate and help match them into current teams."

If you're looking for your next opportunity, what's your next step? First up look at your CV. As Sarah Hill suggests, "Update your CV and don't be afraid of having multiple CVs that are geared towards different roles that you are interested in."

Tom Scott says pick up the phone and chat to the Marine Resources team: "Speak to a consultant who can offer advice on opportunities, open your eyes to a larger market and talk about how people in similar positions developed their career."

Alisha O'Flanagan adds, "Discover your motivations to leave, or what would pull you out of a role, and be open to listening, but you don't have to move quickly or on every opportunity."

Wise words by all, which will help you progress your career, potentially leading you to a more fulfilling role.

James Ward concludes, "Talk to a recruitment consultant and build a relationship with them where you are confident that they will represent you in the right way. Avoid spreading yourself across multiple recruitment agencies who all recruit into the same industry as this could cause a negative effect if you are being submitted into jobs by multiple recruiters."

If you're looking for your next step in the Marine Industry, then why not pick up the phone and chat with the team at Marine Resources? Find out more at www.marineresources.co.uk or call 02380 633 399 to make that next step in your career.

Related Articles

Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
Project FEAR is in the final few days
Charity circumnavigation almost over, in record time, with a record total raised Jazz Turner is expected to reach home (Brighton Marina) on Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July. She has sailed round the British Isles - all round Ireland and the Shetland Islands - without any assistance in 27 days so far. Posted on 28 Jun
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Project FEAR turns southwards
Charity circumnavigation progress report from the Shetland Islands Last month I didn't even know that Muckle Flugga existed. Yet today, the very name of the island brought tears of emotion to my eyes, as I heard Jazz Turner scream it out in victory, in a video she took when passing the lighthouse. Posted on 22 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
P&BC-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 BOTTOMBarton Marine Pipe Glands