Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Captain Chioni, thank you very much...
for your contribution to the Sail Ahead project...
sponsored by the Captain's Union, IDEC and our European partners.
I'd like to welcome you.
We'll ask you some questions regarding your expertise...
and your career in the merchant marine.
Thank you for inviting me.
Being a merchant marine captain, how do you define your occupation...
and which are your main activities?
What is the structure of your occupation?
After being a ship's captain for several years...
I started teaching at the rescue school.
There we train young sailors in rescue and fire fighting...
so that they'll be ready for the ship.
How did you apply for this position?
The state issues vacancy notices before each school year.
I presented them with my qualifications and so they hired me.
How long have you been in your position?
Can you summarize how your career has evolved so far?
I have held this job for two years now.
Before getting there, though...
I served at sea for several years, starting off as cadet.
Then I got my promotions.
Many years abroad.
And then I was promoted to captain.
You mentioned maritime service.
What relevant experience and qualifications did you have...
before applying for this job?
Apart from your rank.
I'm talking about your personality traits.
What experience and what qualifications did you have...
before you were assigned to this position.
First of all, for a woman to follow this line of work...
you need to be hardened, if you will.
You need to be determined and compliant.
Plus all other skills as specified by the code...
that an officer needs if they are to command a ship.
How many years of service do you have?
Nine and a half to ten.
You were promoted to captain before applying for this position.
Being captain is a requirement.
You need to be a class A captain...
and you must have served as a class A captain.
I obtained the necessary experience...
which was the basic requirement of the application.
It helps.
You have many colleagues, but are you the only female instructor?
No, there are more of us.
Regarding this particular position...
what skills must a teacher or an instructor have...
in order to carry out their job properly?
First of all, most of the skills that you need as a professor...
you already have as a captain.
You need to listen, stay calm...
be able to organize and guide. It's the same for training.
When you need to teach 40 people, it's like having a crew.
In regard to personality traits...
which are very important in your opinion...
for this position?
What personality traits are you required to have...
for this kind of job?
First of all, you need to be clever, patient...
and constantly updated...
regarding all means of rescue and fire fighting.
Are you constantly alert in case of accidents?
Do the trainees respond properly?
In case of any eventuality within the school...
we are always ready to respond.
Since you've been appointed to this position...
have you received any further training?
I was trained in the USA.
Especially in regard to fire fighting.
I was also trained in Canada.
Regarding rescue, I was trained in Finland.
Apart from having worked as a rescue officer in Greece...
I have also been trained aboard.
Can you describe what an average day is like at work?
We start in the morning.
We follow the schedule, whether it's practice or theory.
You need to be very careful...
because an accident may happen.
We need to supervise the trainees constantly.
And in the afternoon we prepare for the next day.
Do you have standard working hours?
Is it variable or intermittent?
School starts at 8:00 and stops at 14:15.
During this time we teach both practice and theory.
In your opinion...
in all the years you're doing this job...
which are the aspects that you enjoy the most?
Not only benefits but aspects in general.
What do you enjoy the most in your work?
When I talk to students five or six months later...
who have been at sea and know how it is...
and they mention the instructions I'd given them before they left.
That gives me some moral satisfaction.
Does your job have any drawbacks?
One drawback would be...
having students that don't realize why they're there.
Many of these individuals...
tend to use nautical slang that they've picked left and right...
and cause a negative atmosphere in the classroom.
This is a matter of personality...
and whether they're interested in the course.
How do you imagine your career in the future?
Both based on your background...
and on your vision.
First of all, I'm a captain.
The first thing that comes to mind, is to command a ship.
I'd like to go back to that.
Another alternative...
would be joining an office.
Due to my practical knowledge from working at sea...
plus my experience on the safety department...
that could also be an option.
With your experience on rescue and fire fighting...
the Safety and Quality department would be ideal for you.
You would be able to supervise the implementation...
of the safety code on board a ship.
Crew operation as well.
You'd be interested in that as well?
If someone told you that they wanted to follow the same career as you.
I mean your entire career, not just your current position.
What advice would you give them?
First of all I would advise them...
to learn about the job and see if it would suit them.
It's a tough job, and only a few are cut out for it.
Would you give that same advice to both men and women?
Would you say the same to both genders...
or would you give further advice depending on the person's gender?
I would advise women to not even consider this line of work.
Or to at least give it some very serious thought first.
If someone has not decided yet...
whether they want to go down this road...
regardless of gender. If they're not certain...
what would you tell them?
If they're on the verge.
Again, they need to be informed by sailors.
They must avoid being misinformed.
Being a maritime professional is hard.
You can't learn about it from an outsider...
or a person who has not worked on a ship.
It's one thing being informed by someone who knows the job...
and another being informed by an outsider.
One last question. According to your opinion...
if they don't happen to know a person who knows the job...
would it be worth a try if they are persistent and patient?
It's definitely worth trying.
However, it takes a huge effort. As we've said, it's a tough job.
You're away from home...
alone from a young age...
and that's hard compared to others who start working at an older age...
and can turn to their parents at home for advice.
Each profession has its particularities.
Thank you very much for your time. I wish you all the best...
and to achieve all of your goals. -Thank you very much.