Ever since Ida Pesonen was 14 years old, she has had a clear goal in mind: to one day become a captain. Today, she is an up-and-coming Chief Officer at m/v Marilie and is eager to gather more experience every single day to achieve her dreams.
Ida is 25 years old, originally from Pietarsaari, and she graduated from Novia University of Applied Sciences two years ago. After graduating, she worked on board various vessels until a year ago RABN’s Johan offered her a chance to join the RABN crew as a junior officer at m/v RMS Carelie. Only six months later she was transferred to m/v Marilie and got promoted to chief officer.
”Working at RABN is rewarding because the company offers great possibilities to advance in one’s career. That said, climbing up the stairs requires, of course, a motivated attitude and energetic way of doing things, but if you do the effort there shouldn’t be any hindrances,” Ida tells.
Learning is a part of everyday work
Ida’s daily tasks as Chief Officer vary from being in charge of the loading to taking care of ship maintenance and planning menus for the crew. It’s challenging to make sure everything runs smoothly and that every task is accomplished in time even when something unexpected occurs, but she’s ready to do all she can to fulfill the ship’s full potential.
Besides that, she’s aiming at unleashing her own potential very soon. Ida aspires to become a captain within 5 years.
Precise and hardworking as she is, Ida sees her goal as possible, but challenging. ”I still need to learn a lot more. Luckily we have a deeply supportive and uplifting culture at RABN. When you don’t have to be afraid of errors, the chances of succeeding are much higher.”
”By now I’ve already learned to take more and more responsibility and to trust in my decision-making,” Ida tells.
Thriving team spirit drives success
Ida thinks her strength is the ability to communicate with team members no matter the subject. ”I believe in openness,” Ida says, ”it’s much easier to work together when everyone’s thoughts are heard out loud.”
Besides being a captain, Ida aspires to make an impact on the whole industry: to raise the awareness of workplace wellbeing in the maritime industry, where it’s at times lagging. ”When you feel you’re appreciated in your work community, both people and employers can prosper,” Ida thinks.
