In my opinion, no other job is this versatile and offers as many interesting things. Together with the colleagues, everything needs to be managed so that ship, cargo and crew arrive – "safe and sound aboard the ship". You can gain knowledge of the human nature and every port is essentially like walking through a new gate. There is always more to learn.

As boy from the coast, I had tried many things, e.g. football, soaring, and finally ending up with maritime sports. The terms fascinated me (seafarers have their own language or rather their own terminology for things and activities). Indiscriminately, the sea itself is the most fascinating. Even during work hours, you can enjoy the view. Thus, I made the decision to follow a career in maritime shipping.

Firstly, I would be straight with him or her and address the current situation. And of course, I would say that seafaring is an interesting professional area and that the career possibilities all the way to master or chief engineer officer have a versatile learning process that is a great foundation for doing a good job in a land-based career.

Every country involved in maritime shipping should have a fleet or at least a part of one under their own flag. Under German flag German/European seafarers have more social security and protection. That is why I favour the preservation of a German flag in my political statements.

The advantages of the German flag are among other things:

• German law applies
• Social security especially the pension for seafarers, which is still requested by seafarers
• Application of collective bargaining agreements

Rather critically, since it will be dependent on how the founding programme of the federal government will develop. I do hope though, that we will find mutual solutions for the future of maritime shipping under German flag with German seafarers.