What does a ship worker do?
Ship workers are employees assigned to crew the ship. They may be transferred to cargo ships, cruise ships, or any other sea vessel. Ship workers usually handle a variety of tasks on the boat, depending on their needs. They may be assigned to do the cooking, cleaning, maintenance work, navigation, and security. Ship workers must be familiar with essential maintenance and navigation techniques. They should know how to do repairs on the ship, as well as do basic troubleshooting. They should also be willing to be assigned to different tasks.
Ship worker responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real ship worker resumes:
- Stack ice cream bricks and tubs onto pallets in freezer by hand and move into position by electric pallet jack.
- General maintenance such as but not limit to HVAC maintenance/repair, electrical maintenance/repair, minor plumbing maintenance/repair.
- Work the dryers in which the linen are dried in.
- Used FIFO system to see what need to be pick first.
- Collect payment in cash, credit and debit using POS systems.
- build carts, run the wash and robot, unload and load trucks ,
- Conduct loading and unloading items from machines, carts and dollies including processing equipment.
- Move freight off and onto aircraft using k-loaders, conveyors, tugs and dollies.
- Perform commercial asbestos removal, demo work, core drilling, and lead abatement projects.
- Help do demo work and remodel for houses do some plumbing, framing, building cabinets.
- Handle a client in emergency situation, applying effective first aid and CPR while the ambulance reach.
- Arrange rooms for faculty, paint hallways, cut grass, and tend to the campus grounds.
- Maintain and optimize plastic injection and blow molding machines, as well as robotic extractors and assembly machines.
- Be aware of client s safety in home and assistance as needed in 1st aid, CPR, and alerting family.
- Bag groceries for customers and which also include assisting the customer to their personal vehicle to unload groceries.
Ship worker skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Ship Workers are proficient in Customer Orders, Safety Procedures, and Crisis Intervention. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hearing ability, Manual dexterity, and Mechanical skills.
We break down the percentage of Ship Workers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Orders, 15%
Carried out customer orders and inquiries-Organized product by a rotation schedule-Helped management staff with paperwork and store progression-Cashed out customers/handled cash
- Safety Procedures, 14%
Described safety procedures and ushered customers between different areas of the building.
- Crisis Intervention, 9%
Engaged families in home based intensive stabilization services to adoptive and guardianship families who had requested crisis intervention.
- Community Resources, 9%
Provide information on community resources and outreach to community-based organizations and refers clients to these activities/clinics.
- Customer Service, 9%
Delivered exceptional, friendly, and reliable customer service while consistently adhering to quality expectations and standards.
- CPR, 4%
Trained and certified in Adult, Infant and Child CPR, the procedure of Safety Holding, and the Sanctuary Model.
Most ship workers use their skills in "customer orders," "safety procedures," and "crisis intervention" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential ship worker responsibilities here:
Hearing ability. One of the key soft skills for a ship worker to have is hearing ability. You can see how this relates to what ship workers do because "mariners must pass a hearing test to get an mmc." Additionally, a ship worker resume shows how ship workers use hearing ability: "scheduled hearings in computer system. "
Manual dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling ship worker duties is manual dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "crewmembers need good balance to maneuver through tight spaces and on wet or uneven surfaces." According to a ship worker resume, here's how ship workers can utilize manual dexterity in their job responsibilities: "re-engineered front office procedures by creating an office manual for front desk employees. "
Mechanical skills. ship workers are also known for mechanical skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to ship worker responsibilities, because "members of the engine department keep complex machines working properly." A ship worker resume example shows how mechanical skills is used in the workplace: "performed installation, maintenance and repair of mechanical, electrical, hvac, security and structural systems of county buildings. "
Visual ability. For certain ship worker responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "visual ability." The day-to-day duties of a ship worker rely on this skill, as "mariners must pass a vision test to get an mmc." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what ship workers do: "assisted with mark downs, inventory management and visually appealing floor plans provided excellent customer service with great knowledge of merchandise. "
Physical strength. A commonly-found skill in ship worker job descriptions, "physical strength" is essential to what ship workers do. Ship worker responsibilities rely on this skill because "sailors on freight ships load and unload cargo." You can also see how ship worker duties rely on physical strength in this resume example: "helped with homework, transportation, physical activities, food preparation, and public outings. "
Customer-service skills. Lastly, "customer-service skills" is an important element of what a ship worker does. Ship worker responsibilities require this skill because "many motorboat operators interact with passengers and must ensure that the passengers have a pleasant experience." This resume example highlights how ship worker duties rely on this skill: "organize boxes on pallets according to modems and remotes refurbish computer modems, and vcrs for customers"
The three companies that hire the most ship workers are:
- FedEx322 ship workers jobs
- Amazon249 ship workers jobs
- Thorntons129 ship workers jobs
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Compare different ship workers
Ship worker vs. Ferry terminal agent
A Mate is the seafaring captain's assistant in charge of the ship's welfare and crew on board. The Chief Mate is responsible for leading the team. They stabilize vessel cargo operations as well as deck crew supervision. The Second Mate focuses on navigation aspects such as updating publications and charts, directing line handlers and anchor detail, and training crew members. The Third Mate is a junior qualified watch-stander focusing on ensuring aspects of safety. Their responsibilities include ensuring equipment on board, including lifeboats and gear locker, is safe and operational.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, ship worker responsibilities require skills like "customer orders," "safety procedures," "crisis intervention," and "community resources." Meanwhile a typical ferry terminal agent has skills in areas such as "reservations," "reservation system," "dot," and "schedule changes." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Ferry terminal agents tend to reach similar levels of education than ship workers. In fact, ferry terminal agents are 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Ship worker vs. Mate
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, ship worker responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer orders," "crisis intervention," "community resources," and "customer service." Meanwhile, a mate has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety equipment," "vessel maintenance," "mates," and "management system." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, mates achieve similar levels of education than ship workers. They're 2.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ship worker vs. Coastal tug mate
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from ship worker resumes include skills like "customer orders," "safety procedures," "crisis intervention," and "community resources," whereas a coastal tug mate is more likely to list skills in "pic," "coast guard," "firefighting," and "atb. "
Coastal tug mates typically earn higher educational levels compared to ship workers. Specifically, they're 18.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Ship worker vs. Deck mate
Even though a few skill sets overlap between ship workers and deck mates, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a ship worker might have more use for skills like "customer orders," "safety procedures," "crisis intervention," and "community resources." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of deck mates require skills like "vessel maintenance," "deck hand," "unload materials," and "safety equipment. "
The average resume of deck mates showed that they earn higher levels of education compared to ship workers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 8.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.4%.Types of ship worker
Updated January 8, 2025
