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Despite the declining shipping markets, global maritime recruitment firm Faststream says that it is experiencing strong demand from its shipowning, broking and commodity clients for commercial shipping candidates.

Writing in the company’s new quarterly Maritime Employment Review published today (20 October), managing director Mark Charman notes:

“Our clients are telling us that they expect to continue hiring people in the New Year. Driving this is the huge growth of the global merchant fleet which continues to expand at a relentless pace and needs a wide range of skilled professionals to service it.”

Focusing on chartering and shipbroking roles, the Faststream Maritime Employment Review reports that as many companies did not recruit during the poor shipping markets of the 1980s and 1990s, a generation of shipping people have reached the traditional retirement age, but continue to work.

The report notes:

“If in the long term freight markets return to the levels of pre-2003, then we predict a flight of shipbroking and chartering experience.”

Faststream notes that the average length of service within a company is now between three and five years and companies are focusing on offering better packages.

“We are seeing companies offering more flexible hours, improvements in the work environment, free lunches and other initiatives.”

The report also reveals that this year’s changes to the UK’s “non-dom” tax regime whereby UK resident but non-domiciled individuals are taxed on their overseas earnings has not as yet led to a flight of commercial shipping to Athens, Geneva and Monaco.

The full copy of the report can be found HERE.

10 Things You Should Do When Interviewing

by Matt Furhman - Faststream

Last week we brought you the Top 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interviewing.  Hopefully you did a self evaluation and were able to catch yourself guilty of too many infractions.  This week we right the ship to bring you more helpful tips.

Now let’s take a look at 10 things you SHOULD do in an interview.

1. Be positive: Everyone likes a positive person around.  So be positive and your confidence in yourself will rub off on your potential employers.
2. Don’t bring up money: If asked about money, your answer should be “we can get to that, but I am more interested in the opportunity.”
3. Ask a lot of good questions: Good questions at the end of the interview shows you have done your research about the company and the job.
4. Good eye contact, firm handshake: Out of the book Never Eat Alone, staring 100% of the time into the eyes is considered peering (and a little creepy). Less than 70% means you are avoiding something. Try to stay in the middle of this range.
5. Keep your hands in control during an interview: Flailing your hands all over the place will take the attention off of you and your skills.  You don’t want the interviewer to start thinking “what the heck is this guy doing with his hands.”  The interviewer should be concentrating on your answers, not your uncontrollable movements.  Keep your hands on your knees or the table.
6. Be optimistic: Your glass being half full will increase your probability of getting the job. [Continue Reading →]

10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interviewing

By Matt Fuhrman - Faststream

For most, coming ashore may be easy but nailing that perfect job is tough.  Here are ten things you should shy away from when interviewing for that new position.

1. Don’t be negative about a previous employer: If you go into a company and trash a previous employer for any reason the first thought through the hiring manager’s mind is ‘how long it will take for this person to start bad mouthing our company’.  Secondly if you trash someone specific, there is a chance the hiring manager knows that person or knows someone who knows that person, and you don’t want to burn any bridges… Bottom line; don’t do it.
2. Don’t bring money up as a candidate: Ok, money is definitely a motivator, but if it is the key motivator, no one will want to work with you.  It is all about perception; if your greed is perceived in an interview your stock will drop dramatically.
3. Don’t fail the drug test: Don’t do drugs.
4. Don’t tell the interviewer you are smarter than they are: You are at an interview to sell how you will add value to the company, not how you will take the hiring managers job.
5. Don’t bring a resume of another friend who is also interested in the job: “Oh yea by the way I have a friend that is looking too.” The job is for you and no one else, if you don’t get the job then tell your friend about it. [Continue Reading →]