Insights into a diverse international career and the opportunities offered by the maritime industry<\/p>\n
The maritime sector is widely recognised as a diverse field offering a broad range of interesting career opportunities in ports, on vessels, within shipping companies, businesses, and various associations, says Development Specialist Tanja Angelova of Port of Naantali Ltd.<\/p>\n
Master Mariner (MBA) Tanja Angelova joined the Port of Naantali as a Development Specialist in spring. She holds a Master Mariner degree (Master\u2019s level, maritime management) from Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Rauma campus, and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.<\/p>\n
Tanja\u2019s career path has been shaped by her early decision to go to sea at a young age. She has also lived abroad before returning to Finland, where she established her family with her husband and two children. Prior to joining Naantali, she spent five years at Meyer Turku shipyard in various roles in basic design and outfitting, most recently as Head of Interior Outfitting. Before that, she worked for ten years at the Port of Rauma, primarily as Administrative Director. Earlier in her career, she spent ten years with Royal Caribbean Group in various shipboard and shore-based roles. In her free time, she enjoys travelling with her family.<\/p>\n
For Tanja, sources of joy include achievements and time spent with her family. Key milestones in her life include her decision to pursue a career at sea, moving abroad and returning to Finland, and the birth of her children.<\/p>\n
You started as a Development Specialist at the Port of Naantali in March. How have you settled in, and what does your working day look like?<\/p>\n
I have settled in very well. My colleagues at the port have been welcoming and have supported me greatly in getting started in my new role. I am still in the onboarding phase, so my days are not yet fully routine, but they involve a great deal of collaboration with others to develop various activities. I have already been able to engage in development tasks, and in recent weeks we have been working together with colleagues on different matters and guidelines.<\/p>\n
I graduated as a Master Mariner (master\u2019s level, maritime management) from Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Rauma, and I also hold an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. I joined the Port of Naantali from Meyer Turku shipyard, where I worked as Head of Interior Outfitting.<\/p>\n
What are your hobbies, or what role does leisure time play in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n My family is currently in a busy phase of life. Much of my free time is spent supporting my children\u2019s hobbies. However, while they are engaged in their activities, I make an effort to spend time outdoors and stay physically active. Leisure time is important to me for recovery from work and for recharging for the next day.<\/p>\n I dream of travelling to Japan. There is so much there that I would like to see and experience.<\/p>\n Is there something you would like to share with our readers?<\/strong><\/p>\n I began my career as an ordinary seaman on a Finnish coal vessel. That experience sparked my passion for travelling, even though time ashore was often limited while working on ships.<\/p>\n As an ordinary seaman, my duties included various deck maintenance tasks such as rust removal, painting, cleaning cargo residues, and tank washing.<\/p>\n Over recent decades, more women have entered the maritime industry. At the beginning of my career, female members of deck crews were still relatively rare. On the coal vessel, the crew consisted of only around 20 people, demonstrating how even large ships can operate with relatively small crews. On Finnish-flagged vessels where I have worked, organizations have tended to be relatively low in hierarchy, whereas on international cruise ships the structures can be highly hierarchical.<\/p>\n Working at sea teaches you to manage with what is available, as shops and external assistance are often far away during long voyages. On international vessels, one also learns to work effectively with people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds – at times I have worked with crew members representing up to 62 different nationalities.<\/p>\n The maritime sector is a diverse field that offers a wide range of opportunities in ports, on vessels, within shipping companies, businesses, and various associations. I have found this field\u2014and the port environment particularly rewarding. We also hope to attract new professionals to the industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Insights into a diverse international career and the opportunities offered by the maritime industry The maritime sector is widely recognised as a diverse field offering a broad range of interesting career opportunities in ports, on vessels, within shipping companies, businesses, and various associations, says Development Specialist Tanja Angelova of Port of Naantali Ltd. Master Mariner…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat do you dream about?<\/h4>\n