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Education should work for you

Practical experience and learning-by-doing can get you far, but upping the ante with a formal education can get you even further, at least if you ask Lucas Martiny Schmølker, Chartering Manager at Hafnia and HD2 Maritime student.

By HD

"I never want to have a door that's closed for me"

"I knew I wanted to be in shipping since I was quite young".

Looking back at his childhood, it's no coincidence that Lucas ended up in the maritime industry. Like Lucas, his father started working in the shipping industry from a young age and never stopped, bringing his family along from port to port and company to company.

"I joined him on this journey he had, where he went through different companies and moved abroad".

Witnessing first-hand how exciting the shipping industry could be, Lucas always knew that he'd eventually have to start his own maritime adventure.

Life on board the Maritime

With a clear-cut plan and high ambitions, it's not surprise that Lucas has found his footing in the shipping industry. 24 years old, he's already a Chartering Manager at Hafnia, where he's responsible for deals in the millions of dollars.

To say that Lucas enjoys his job would be an understatement. Whether it's the US, the Far East, or somewhere in between, he absolutely loves that his job brings him to ports around the world, meeting and collaborating with different people and cultures. Of course, the global and fast-paced nature of the shipping industry also means that you're constantly working across timezones and with tight deadlines.

According to Lucas, "you have to be ready to adapt and be dynamic when the work is there".

Within a phonecall, a new opportunity can be presented or a new challenge arise. Quick thinking, clever maneuvering, an enthusiastic spirit, and a cool head is a prerequisite for the job, and it makes it all the more exciting.

Of course, while those qualities can get you very far, Lucas doesn't rest on his laurels.

Opening doors

Lucas didn't get where he is today through sheer determination and grit alone.

If you want to get far, Lucas argues that education is an important piece of the puzzle: "I never want to have a door that's closed for me just because I don't feel like I have the education".

Alongside his work, he attended the Danish Shipping Education programme, where he learned the fundamentals of the shipping industry, from maritime law to supply chain management, but he knew that he wanted to go further. The only question was, where?

To Lucas, a lot of the educations and programmes that were presented to him didn't align with what he wanted to do. That is, until he found the HD2 Maritime programme.

It was an obvious choice: "I know I want to work in shipping, so when that became available to me, I thought it was somewhat of a no-brainer."

Because he had already finished his Danish Shipping Education degree, Lucas enrolled on the HD1 Maritime fast track, and is now well on his way to being a full-fledged CBS Maritime graduate.

"Education should work for you"

Even though he's still got some courses to go, Lucas is already reaping the rewards of his education. In his opinion, "education should work for you", not only by opening doors on your career journey, but also by giving you the necessary tools and knowledge for reaching your goals.

To Lucas, "the HD2 Maritime Studies helps me achieve the ambitions that I have". One of his biggest ambitions is to be an integral part of Hafnia's and the greater shipping industry's green transition, where the HD programme is giving him a helping hand:

"We just had a sustainability course, which I'm relating to my own work. I'd definitely say that the HD is helping me in achieving the ambitions I have of net zero emissions."

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