Chris-harker.com has three main purposes: to showcase the author’s professional history; to advertise services offered in related industries; to draw attention to the profession of marine design and surrounding industries, with hopes recruiting some people into it.
The marine design industry is facing, and will continue to face, staffing shortages for the foreseeable future. That’s a problem for the industry but can be an advantage for the people in it. For those suited to the work it could mean steady employment for as long as they like. As steady as marine industry work ever gets, anyway. More on that later.
Few people know that the role we play even exists. If asked to describe the ship building industry, outsiders usually assume there are engineers and tradespeople. Some might go on to say there are welders and electricians as well as managers and executives, and of course all the office personnel that inhabit large companies. Some may even have of heard of naval architects, though probably have a dim idea of what naval architects specifically do.
In fact marine designers play a valuable, though inconspicuous, role in ship building. It can be interesting work: real work with tangible outcomes in physical objects. There is a lot of data involved, and sometimes a little bit of virtual reality. But the goal is a real, working ship, so any virtual reality is created with a future physical reality firmly in mind.
The working conditions are generally good. There is some variety in the work. The pay, in the big scheme of things, and for the required qualifications, is pretty decent. One is not going to get rich doing it. But working as a marine designer could be a step up for many people and can become a steady career. Plus, if that’s your goal, it is easier to chase those dreams of riches while working a good job, rather than starting from scratch.
Here we’ll explore what sorts of people might find this work appealing, what the work entails, where it is done, and how to get ready for it & into it.