Unit 1. Introduction to profession

1. Remember the following words and phrases read the text; be ready to speak about your Academy

Educational establishment – образовательное учреждение

Cadet - курсант

Merchant Marine – торговый флот

Branch – филиал

Department - факультет

To take/to pass/to have/to hold examinations – сдавать экзамены

Entrant - абитуриент

To keep watch – нести вахту

To line up - строиться

To tighten up on discipline – придерживаться дисциплины

To observe – соблюдать (правила)

To attend classes – посещать занятия

Economics and Management Department – факультет экономики и управления

Marine shipping - морские перевозки

to graduate from – заканчивать (ВУЗ)

to enter the university – поступать в академию

My University

There are several educational establishments in Russia which train specialists of Merchant Marine. One of these institutes is situated in Novorossiysk. Its branch is in Rostov-on-Don. It is called the Branch Admiral Ushakov State Maritime University. It has three departments: Navigation, Engineering and Economics and Management. Every year a lot of entrants take examinations to become the cadets of Maritime University. The cadets of Economics and Management Department study for 4 years to get a bachelor’s degree and the cadets of Navigation and Engineering Departments study for 5 years to get a specialist degree.

The cadets wear uniform and have some specific duties. For example, they keep watch, line up every morning, tighten up on discipline and observe University Statute.

At the end of study the cadets hold examinations for university leaving certificates. One of these final examinations is English.

Each year has two terms. Cadets attend classes and lectures and at the end of term they have tests and exams where they can demonstrate their progress.

The cadets study various subjects within the period of training. Future transport managers have Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, History, Culturology, Economics, Ecology, Physical training, etc. As to English, its course is divided into two steps: General Language and Language for Special Purpose. English is closely connected with other subjects such as Port Management, Marketing, Transport Logistics, Transport Law, Theory of Ship’s Construction and others.

On graduating from the university cadets will work in the ports and other commercial organizations of marine transport as managers, brokers, agents, forwarders.

Read this and take into cosideration! A job is the work that a person does regularly in order to earn money. A profession is a job that requires special training, often a university education and brings a rather high social status. An occupation is a job or profession. A career is the series of jobs that a person does in his or her life, usually in one and the same field.

2. Some questions you are interested in:

What does shipping business include?

Shipping business includes transport management, servicing the ships, transportation of cargo, organization and technology of cargo-handling operations, forwarding, stevedoring, broking, chartering, insurance, agency.

Who works in the port?

Shipping agents, forwarders, transport managers, economists, tallymen, stevedores, superintendants and surveyors carry out organization of port and cargo operations. All of them have their own duties.

What departments are there in the port?

To operate effectively the port has several services (departments):

- service of marketing and logistics;

– traffic control service; – financial service;

– commercial service; – legal department;

– economic department; – cargo operations department.

Service of marketing and logistics operates to get maximum profit, to attract profitable cargoes and to increase the effectiveness of port activity.

Traffic control department ensures service of all inbound ships and other transport effectively and in due time.

Legal department deals with juridical protection of the port and claim operation.

Cargo operation department carries out the registration of export/import cargoes, ensures cargo handling operations by means of intra-port transport, organizes all necessary formalities with Customs, Border and other services and prepares cargo, transport and customs documents.

Where will you be able to work after graduating the academy?

Your future profession will be closely connected with commercial work of the port. The functions of commercial service are:

• to set business cooperation with cargo owners and other ports;

• to organize new freight traffic;

• to carry on negotiations and correspondence with business partners about cargo transshipment;

• to prepare the agreements of cargo transshipment;

• to draw up commercial acts in case of shortage, damage, loss or deterioration of cargo, exposed in the course of transshipment and storing;

• to control the quality of handling, stowage and storing of cargo.