What does a…If you look at our job landscape, you will see special functions. A field service engineer, a lab technician or an assembly worker: we obviously need them badly, but for what and why? In this series, each week someone tells about his or her profession. Today: Werner Timmers (58), captain of Holland America Line (HAL).
What exactly do you do?
,,I am captain of Holland America Line passenger ship MS Rotterdam. In the summer we sail to Norway, in the winter to the Caribbean. I make sure the ship arrives safely at its destination, but I also have other responsibilities.”
Like?
“We have 950 crew members that I am in charge of. We also have about 2700 passengers on board that we need to give a good trip. My job is to take care of everyone on board. That brings a lot of variety to the work. Sometimes I can be found in the engine room for a whole day to supervise the repair of a defect, then I am again in consultation with one of the ports or busy arranging something for the passengers.”
How long have you been captain?
,,Van de Rotterdam not very long, because this ship is only a year old. Before that I was captain of the HAL ship Koningsdam. I have been with this company for 35 years. I already worked there as an apprentice. After the training I was asked back and I started as fourth mate. Then you gain more and more experience and you move up a rank. That went pretty smoothly for me, after fifteen years I was captain.”
Laying such a large ship along the quay with precision remains a nice thing to do
Was this your dream job before?
“No, this was a fluke. When I was still in school I planned to become an architect. But then one day we had a professional day, and next to the architect sat a man with a maritime background. I actually found what he said about his work much more interesting than the architecture, so I decided to go to the Nautical School. They were surprised at home. My family has nothing to do with this profession: my parents had a drugstore and a business in medical supplies. But they have always supported me in my choice.”
What does a working day look like for you?
“We work shifts of a maximum of twelve hours, but normally it is about ten hours a day. But exactly when I work and rest depends on where we are. This morning I started at four o’clock before our arrival in Gothenburg, at five o’clock we took the pilot on board and at half past six we were on the side. In the evening I have to be ready for departure to the next port.”
Those are tough days…
,,I’m used to it. We always work for three months and then have three months of leave. I live in Florida. So when I’m not working, I’m there.”
What do you like most about your job?
“Maneuvering the ship. Placing such a large ship along the quay with precision is always a good thing to do. When I was a helmsman, you were never allowed to take the helm with a rank lower than captain. But with the modern techniques on board, more is possible. I can choose to maneuver myself, but I also like to give the juniors the opportunity to gain this experience. I enjoy helping the younger generation take steps in their development.”
Also read at Intermediary: This is how you answer 27 frequently asked application questions
You’ve been in the same job for 35 years. Has much changed since you started?
“Communication with the rest of the world has changed unimaginably. We used to only have radio signals. If you wanted to call someone, you had to give the telephone number to the operator, then he would connect and you could call. A phone call cost $30 a minute, so you barely used it. Now we have the internet and I can speak to everyone via video calling. And when I started, seafaring was still a man’s world, there were hardly any women. Now there are many more. Our ratio is now almost 50/50.”
How do you see the future for you? Will you continue to do this work until you retire?
“Yes, I’m assuming. It will take another nine years before I can retire from the government, this company could already do it when I’m 60. It will be somewhere in between. Then I spent my entire working life at a company, which is quite special. But I’ve always enjoyed my job very much, so you don’t have to look around for something else.”
Working at sea
Want to become Werner’s colleague? Here find available jobs at Holland America Line.
Shipping companies are looking for reinforcements on board, but also on the quay. At Nationale Vacaturebank you will find the latest vacancies for a job in shipping.
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