You don’t accidentally build a great maritime career. But you can absolutely drift into one you never consciously chose.
Most maritime professionals aren’t stuck. They’re unclear. Unclear on what they want. Unclear on what they’re known for. Unclear on what’s actually missing.
If you feel busy but not progressing, this framework will help you close the gap between where you are now and where you genuinely want to be in your maritime career.
Step 1: Define where you are in your maritime career
Before you plan your next move, you need a clear picture of your current position.
Audit yourself across five areas:
1. Skills
What are you genuinely strong at?
What are you not good at?
What do colleagues rely on you for?
What problems do you solve quickly?
Be realistic. Not what you hope you’re good at, but what you consistently deliver.
2. Reputation
How are you known in your organisation?
The safe pair of hands?
The technical expert?
The calm operator?
The one who “gets things done”?
Your reputation often matters more than your CV.
3. Visibility
Who actually knows the work you do?
Is your contribution visible beyond your immediate team?
Do senior stakeholders recognise your value?
Capability without visibility slows progression.
4. Motivation
What energises you?
What drains you?
If your current role consistently depletes you, that’s a signal, not something to ignore.
5. Market Position
If you entered the job market tomorrow, what roles would you realistically attract? Not aspirational but realistic. That gap between aspiration and market reality is where growth lives.
Step 2: Define where you want to be, and get specific
This is where many careers lose direction.
“More senior.”
“More money.”
“Something different.”
These are vague intentions; try to get as specific as you can.
Instead, ask yourself questions like:
What level of responsibility do I want in three years?
Do I want to lead people, influence strategy, or deepen expertise?
What kind of problems do I want to solve?
What does a successful week look like in that future role?
Specificity creates momentum in your development.
For example:
Vague: “I want to be more senior.”
Clear: “I want to lead a team of 8–10 and contribute to commercial decisions.”
Clarity turns ambition into something actionable.
Step 3: Identify the gaps between where you are and where you want to be
Now compare the two realities. Where are the differences?
You might discover:
You want leadership but have no direct management experience.
You want strategic influence, but most of your work is operational.
You want industry visibility, but your profile is almost entirely internal.
You want a higher earning potential, but your skill set hasn’t evolved in years.
Once you can see the gap(s), you can start to build a plan on how you are going to reach where you want to be.
Step 4: Build the plan
Don’t jump straight to a five-year masterplan. Start with the next 90 days.
Ask yourself:
What one capability would make the biggest difference right now?
What exposure do I need?
Who is already operating at the level I want to reach?
What project could accelerate my growth?
Like James Clear says in Atomic Habits,
“small moves compound”
That might look like:
Volunteering to lead a small project.
Asking to shadow a senior colleague in commercial meetings.
Updating your LinkedIn profile to reflect the direction you’re heading, not just where you’ve been.
Completing a targeted course that strengthens a clear gap.
Having a career conversation with your manager about your longer-term goals.
Progress doesn’t always require a dramatic leap. It requires you to be intentional about the small changes you make consistently.
Step 5: Reassess every six months
Your maritime career isn’t static. Markets change. Organisations shift. Your priorities evolve.
Schedule a six-month review with yourself:
Has my target changed?
Has the gap narrowed?
What new opportunities have appeared?
Am I still energised by the direction I chose?
Final thoughts
The job market rewards clarity. Hiring managers look for professionals who understand their value, can articulate their direction, and have deliberately built relevant experience.
If you don’t define where you’re heading, your career will be shaped by circumstances, not choice.
And that’s how drift happens.
A final question:
If nothing changed in your current role for the next two years, would you be happy with where you would end up?
If the answer is no, the roadmap work starts now.
Where you are and where you want to be are rarely the same place.
The difference between the two is intention.
