Julian Hines – BEng (Hons) Marine Technology

Current employer: Charles Taylor PLC

Current job title: Loss Prevention Manager

Current location: London

"In recent years I have specialised in marine insurance. This is partly due to my strong academic grounding from Plymouth, my practical technical skills and continuous professional development including achieving my Chartered Engineer status in 2006."

Tell us, what have you achieved in your career since graduating?

After graduating I commenced my career as a Technical Assistant for Novoship (UK) Lmt. In 1997 I moved into technical management for Sealion Shipping Lmt, with an assigned fleet of offshore support ships, to ensure that technical operations and maintenance of the ships' machinery satisfy all charter, company directives and statutory requirements. In 2001 I moved to Hart Fenton & Co. Ltd, as a Consultant Marine Engineer, my core duties and responsibilities were for on-site construction supervision, quality control and plan approval for newbuild contracts.

Since 2005 I have worked as a Senior Risk Engineer, employed by Charles Taylor PLC. Now a Divisional Director, I engage in risk selection, loss prevention and marine surveying in a areas of hull; cargo, shipboard management audit and review.

What part of your career has excited you the most?

Shipping is a truly global industry so ultimately, it is the old cliché to have travelled the world, seen different cultures and met so many interesting people that has made my career so rewarding. I have been fortunate throughout my career to have experienced so many interesting challenges, it is difficult to name one.

However, I consider the most interesting job in my career is my present role, working as a risk engineer for an insurance company. The exposure to latest technology and technical challenges of the offshore energy industry is inspiring. Every day is different and every day you learn something new. You are privileged to see the ships and equipment that carry-out these specialist operations and be able to talk to senior management that make these projects work. Projects including the refloating of the 'Costa Concordia'; the decommissioning of the YME MOPUSTOR with the 'Pioneering Spirit'; 'Castorone' installing crude oil export pipelines in deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Each of these projects hold world records in their engineering achievements.

What would you do differently since graduating?

Not become so specialist – whilst it's good to have a skill, if you become specialist in an area, forever more that is what you will do. You miss the opportunities to learn new skills and that can limit your career.

Taken the opportunity to work overseas – whilst the shipping finance and insurance markets may remain in London, the shipping operations and technical expertise has moved to the Far East (Singapore). Before I became committed to family responsibilities a period of living an expat lifestyle would have been fun.

If you were to start university again – with the benefit of hindsight – what would you tell yourself to do differently?

Supplement my engineering qualification with business studies and skills such as maritime law, finance and accounting, logistics and supply chain, report writing and presentation skills.

What advice would you offer students currently preparing job applications?

The most important thing is to get feedback on your application. No one is going to write the perfect job application first time. Learn what works, learn what doesn’t. Read as many job applications as possible, doesn’t matter if they are not related to the area you wish to take your career.

Back in 1993 we were pre-internet. The careers office was a good source of information and they provided services for CV writing and interview skills. They also arranged a careers fair where several shipping companies sent representatives, including Novoship, where I got my first job.