Riding the wave of success
Charlotte's story
Riding the wave of success
When law graduate Charlotte Morton applied for a post as Port Operations Coordinator with CMA CGM (UK) Ltd, she had little expectation of success as, having not even finished her Masters in Maritime Operations Management, she was merely dipping a toe into her new industry. Just three days after her interview, however, Charlotte took up her new role.
“I applied for the Port Operations job in the June of my studies,” recalls Charlotte. “Teaching on my programme had finished and we were all starting to write our dissertations. If I’m honest I was procrastinating a little about my dissertation and so I decided to start applying for jobs.”
Charlotte was familiar with CMA CGM through her Masters programme. “We had visited the company for a presentation,” she explains. “I immediately realised it was a really friendly place so, when I saw the job was advertised, I knew I had to apply for it.”
Despite her lack of work experience in the industry, Charlotte felt her interview went well. “As I expected it was a friendly interview but I still didn’t think I would be successful,” she smiles. “When I found out the following day I had got the job I was over the moon and the following week I started work!”
Working first as Port Operations Coordinator and then as Cargo Readiness Assistant on temporary contracts, Charlotte went on to secure a permanent position as a Port Operations Coordinator. “I worked on the UK Feeder vessels ensuring that all export cargo was loaded on the vessels sailing out of Greenock, Grangemouth, Immingham, Liverpool and Teesport,” she explains. “It was a fascinating job and each day was different.”
Keen to further her understanding of the industry and boost her commercial experience, Charlotte has recently accepted a sales role at CMA. She has also visited Malmo to attend the the WMU Empowering Women in the Maritime Community conference. “I think it is really important to connect with like-minded people to create change,” says Charlotte. “I listened to so many speakers who really inspired me. It has made me even more determined to work towards a mentoring role. I have received so much help in my career and I now want to help others. I certainly made the right decision to go into the Maritime industry and my Masters made that move possible. I don’t think you should ever hold back from trying something so long as you have the capability and knowledge required.”
Read more stories like this in MasterPlan – the LJMU magazine for postgraduate students.
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