Vessel Engineer at Fugro
People
skills honed in the military put Navy chief in command of his civilian
transition.
By Warren Duffie
The most
important skill Tom Liner learned in the Navy was how to get along with people.
It’s an ability that serves him well working aboard the Enterprise, a 170-foot
boat that conducts surveys of the Gulf of Mexico.
“We have
approximately 34 people aboard,” said Liner, “all from diverse backgrounds and
educational levels. On a ship that is slightly smaller than a Navy minesweeper,
it’s important to be able to work with everyone.”
On
the Job
Based in
Patterson, La., the Enterprise is owned and operated by Fugro, a global company
specializing in land and underwater surveys, providing the data to corporate
clients. The Enterprise has contracts with all the major oil companies to map
out the depths of the Gulf of Mexico through the use of sonar and agile
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs).
“In
addition to conducting surveys,” Liner said, “we also help find the best
locations to lay pipeline as well as inspect pipelines to see if they’ve moved
or shifted.”
Liner,
40, is the vessel’s chief engineer. The former chief petty officer is
responsible for monitoring all electrical power, generators and engines. With
limited tools and resources, his main responsibility is to identify potential
problems that could morph into major mechanical failures or breakdowns.
Liner
works 14- to 28-day rotations – with shifts lasting from 0800 to 2000 – during
which he lives on the Enterprise: “In the military, you get used to working
long hours and being separated from loved ones. At least here I know when I’m
returning to my family. In the Navy, we knew when we were shipping out but not
always when we were coming back home.”
In Uniform
Georgia native, Liner enlisted in 1989. He wasn’t interested in college and was
tired of working dead-end jobs. The Navy looked like a great way where he could
travel and learn a trade.
“I
thought the Navy would keep me away from school,” Liner said, laughing. “So
what happened? I went to boot camp, which was school for how to be in the
military. So that plan backfired on me.”
During
his 20-year career, Liner served on seven different ships.
The Transition
Liner
retired from the Navy in 2009. Prior to separating, he took several transition
classes and circulated his résumé.
“I was
about to start my separation leave when I received a call from a retired chief
petty officer working at Fugro,” Liner said. “He had seen my résumé and wanted
to recruit me for several jobs, including the one on the Enterprise. After I
spoke to him, I had an interview with my future boss and the rest is history.”
Although
Liner took a pay cut, his military pension and benefits make up for it.
“The
hardest adjustment was being the new guy again,” he said. “Before, people said
‘ask the chief’ and they came to me for guidance. As a civilian, I was at the
bottom of the ladder and people needed to keep an eye on me. I even wore one of
the orange helmets designated for new workers. It wasn’t bad, though. I worked
hard and proved myself.”
How’d
You Get That
Job?
Liner
retired from the Navy in 2009. Prior to separating, he took several transition
classes and circulated his
résumé.
“I was
about to start my separation leave when I received a call from a retired chief
petty officer working at Fugro,” Liner said. “He had seen my résumé and wanted
to recruit me for several jobs, including the one on the Enterprise. After I
spoke to him, I had an interview with my future boss and the rest is history.”
Liner’s
Advice:
Take transition classes early. “I wish I had
done so three to four years before I got out. There’s so much to learn and so
much research to do. You can’t plan your transition halfway.”
Get all the certifications and licenses you
can. “There are so many things I can do, but because I don’t have the
licensing, I can’t do them as a civilian. Use your tuition and other
educational benefits to get licensed and certified. Do this before you
separate, that way you make yourself more attractive to civilian employers.”
Ask a lot of questions. “Talk to people who
have made the transition. Get all the information you can.”
What
Liner Likes About his Job
- Having
my own stateroom on the vessel, a place to call home.
- The
Enterprise is less than two years old. All the equipment is new or next to new.
- Knowing when my rotations end and when I can go home.
Fugro
World Wide
HQ:
Leidschendam, Netherlands
2009
revenues: $2.7 billion
Employees:
13,500 in more than 50
countries
www.fugro.com