GL Engineers

At the SMM international shipbuilding trade fair, the Korean shipyard "Hyundai Heavy Industries" placed an order with GL for the classification of seven 13,100 TEU mega container carriers. Now it's up to the engineers: drawings must be checked, and strength and stability calculations must be carried out. For over 140 years, GL has offered its technical services to the maritime sector and industry worldwide, and is one of the leading ship classifiers. GL sets standards in terms of technology and quality - in which context it undertakes the safety-related checking of the design, the materials and components, of the construction supervision and of the ships in service. As well as container ships, vessels of other types such as multipurpose ships, tankers, bulk carriers, high-speed ferries and cruise ships are also classified.

The 6,700 ships making up the fleet looked after by GL's surveyors are scrupulously checked at regular intervals for their safety-related status, with the ship-owner being responsible for the maintenance and quality of the ship. Germanischer Lloyd maintains a global network of 4,600 engineers and other experts, with 208 offices in a total of 77 countries. 130 flag states have authorised the company to perform sovereign roles such as the inspection of accident and industrial safety measures.

In addition to its worldwide network in the maritime sector, Germanischer Lloyd established its industrial services in the Sixties. Along with comprehensive technical consultancy services and feasibility studies, these provide certifications, inspections and independent design checks. The range of services on offer is aimed at owners and operators of pipelines or wind farms, both on- and offshore. GL has continuously expanded its network in the last two years. Along with the British "Advantica Group", "Helimax" in Canada and "PV Inspection" in the USA, the members of the GL Group now also include "Trident Consultants" based in Kuala Lumpur and "Materials Consulting Services", Inc. of Houston, Texas as of this year.

Career opportunities at GL.

Engineering expertise is employed in many different areas at GL, because even within the individual departments the range of different tasks is extensive. The demands placed on the company's employees are correspondingly high. "There is often a need for solutions such as are not to be found in the textbook in shipbuilding, so that creativity, a wealth of ideas and a powerful imagination are very useful," says Jana Güntzel from experience. She has been working as an engineer in GL's "Conversions and Emergency Response Service" department since the start of 2007. She also believes stubbornness and assertiveness are advantageous for pursuing unconventional solutions. As GL's clients come from every country in the world, a good knowledge of specialised English is expected, as are diplomatic skills - including in the international environment - and the ability to work as a member of a team.

Shipping is an international business, and shipbuilding is increasingly located in Asia. GL is at its clients' disposal worldwide. The willingness to work for a few years in Asia, for example, is therefore highly desirable. "A deployment that might start in Hamburg, Rostock or Augsburg may, with good qualifications and of course the necessary interest, lead to Shanghai, Mexico, Korea, Cairo, or Piraeus," says Executive Board member Dr. Joachim Segatz. GL offers a comprehensive staff development programme with internal seminars. For engineers, there is also the opportunity of subject-specific further training courses. Surveyors are instructed about the current status of technology and regulations in regular courses. This takes place both through the in-house "GL Academy" and also through external training institutions.

Come on board while still at university

There is a wide range of employment opportunities for students at GL. There is the possibility of completing an internship, taking on a temporary job or writing your Bachelor- and Master Thesis with GL. The length of an internship can vary greatly. Ideally, an intern stays for between four and six months. There are currently just under 170 students working at GL, in many different departments and functions. An internship or a student traineeship frequently results in the opportunity to write a master's or bachelor's dissertation, and quite often the graduates start a permanent job on completing their studies.

A professional future at GL

GL is looking for university graduates in the areas of shipbuilding, maritime mechanical engineering, maritime process engineering, construction engineering, mechanical engineering and civil engineering. If you decide on a career at GL, you have not only international development prospects, but above all a realistic chance of a secure job. Thanks to the inexorable expansion in globalisation, shipping remains unswervingly on course for growth, offering classification companies a virtually-unlimited field of activity.