Career

Shipping Trainee in NORDEN Shipping (Shanghai), China

In Shanghai, China, we expect to take in one Shipping Trainee each year in August. We have finished the recruitment process for 2013 - but will be looking for Shipping Trainees again at the beginning of 2014 with job start in August 2014.

The shipping trainee programme in Shanghai is an intensive two-year programme consisting of both a practical and theoretical part.

After completion of the two-year programme (first year in Shanghai and second year in Denmark) our graduates are typically offered a position within chartering or operations at NORDEN’s head office in Denmark for about 1 to 2 years before returning to the office in Shanghai or maybe to one of NORDEN’s other offices in Singapore, India, USA and Brazil.

Watch a short film about the life as Shipping Trainee (the film was recorded in Denmark and shows the life of a Shipping Trainee at our office in Denmark):

Move your mouse to the image below and click on "play".

Shipping Trainee 2013 in Shanghai brochure:

The Shipping Trainee Programme, Shanghai

A world of opportunities

NORDEN Shipping (Shanghai), Shanghai is the Representative Office of NORDEN Shipping (Singapore) Pte. Ltd, Singapore, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Danish ship owner Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S, Denmark. NORDEN was founded in 1871 and operates worldwide transporting cargoes at sea. NORDEN’s fleet is among the most modern and competitive in the industry.

Through our intensive two-year programme as Shipping Trainee at NORDEN Shipping (Shanghai) you will receive a thorough introduction to international shipping. The training consists of both a practical and a theoretical part. Your days will be busy and interesting, and as an added bonus your work life will become international - thus sharing your day-to-day work with both local, Singaporean and Danish colleagues at the office. You will be supervised by a mentor in your department and there will always be a colleague close by to answer your questions.

The theoretical part - shipping theory

You will participate in a number of internal and external courses covering various shipping related subjects. Some courses will be held at our head office in Denmark in modules of 1 to 2 weeks where you will attend with your fellow Shipping Trainees from NORDEN offices world-wide.

The practical part - hands-on shipping

You will be an active player on our team in Shanghai from day one. During the two-year period your knowledge of our 2 primary functions will gradually be developed. You will gain hands-on experience through a 12-month stay in our Chartering Department in Shanghai followed by an expatriation to our head office in Denmark in our Operations, Control and Chartering Departments. In addition, you will have 1 or 2 short stays (a few weeks) with 1 of our Port Captains in frequently used ports or on board vessels sailing on various destinations. This will give you an idea of how loading and discharging operations of vessels take place and how we co-operate with authorities and other partners in practice.

How to qualify

To qualify for the Shipping Trainee Programme you are to have - as a minimum - a bachelor degree from a maritime university with excellent results, preferably in business or shipping related majors and have good command in English (both written and spoken). Your personal qualifications and mindset are almost as important as your results: You have a strong personality, and you are open-minded, inquisitive and have the courage to challenge yourself in new and perhaps different surroundings in a company with Danish roots and with an international career in mind, You are a dedicated teamplayer who share our core values: flexibility, reliability, empathy and ambition.

Once you have completed the programme

The purpose of the Shipping Trainee Programme is to become either Charterer or Operator at NORDEN Shipping (Shanghai), Shanghai. However, it is most likely that you will spend the first year after your graduation at our head office in Denmark to further improve your shipping skills and gain even more knowledge about NORDEN and our business model.

Charterer

Charterer – also known as Chartering Manager – you find cargoes for the vessels and negotiate the freight rate. The market competition is fierce, and you must be alert and on your toes at all times. It is important that you have good business sense and a keen nose for negotiating. You are in direct contact with the customers, and you are the one who has to land the deal.

You must constantly strive to keep abreast of how supply and demand of raw materials such as iron ore, coal, sugar and gasoline change – and how this influences the freight market. You must analyse market reports and news enabling you to make the right decisions – also when under time pressure.

Operator
When the deal is landed, the Operator takes over and is in charge of the more specific terms and conditions.

As Operator – also known as Operations Manager – you must be organised, detail-oriented and service-minded. You are in close dialogue with captains, ports and authorities and also handle documents in connection with the vessel’s voyage.

You are very knowledgeable about contracts, vessels, bunker consumption, ports and geographical conditions in order to optimise the voyage and meet the customer’s requirements.

Competencies and profile

The Charterer and Operator work closely together, but their primary competencies and profiles are quite different.

The Charterer must have a keen nose for business and act as the sales person, whereas the Operator must have a good sense of perspective and strong organisational skills.

During the Shipping Trainee Programme, you will gain basic knowledge within both areas – and after completion of the programme you will, along with NORDEN, find the right position for you.

Next stop?

Further information

Shipping Trainee 2013 in Shanghai brochure:

We have finished the recruitment process for 2013 - but will be looking for Shipping Trainees again at the beginning of 2014 with job start in August 2014.

Working at NORDEN
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Employees at NORDEN Shipping (Shanghai)

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NORDEN Shipping (Shanghai)

Representative Office
Office Tower, Unit 2504
Golden Bund Financial Center
222, Yanan Road East, Shanghai 200002
People's Republic of China