Page 2 · Jobs
Where I turned messy operations and data into product direction.
Three jobs, from the engine room to the product team: an AI product management internship at IDeaS, an operations internship at Daikin, and a summer keeping tour boats running in Alaska.
Allen Marine · Ketchikan, AlaskaMay – Aug. 2024
Deckhand / Engineer
- Learning Agility
- Hospitality
- Maintenance
- Problem Solving
- Grit
Situation
- I was completely unqualified for this job.
- Every day there was a mechanical disaster on the boat because the engines and system were very old.
- I had to learn multiple boats and be responsible for their mechanical operation.
Task
- Learn enough about marine maintenance and engineering to not be at risk of making mistakes.
Action
- I read 1 Cummins and 1 Lugger engine service manual.
- I stayed after my shifts to help the port engineer make major repairs and learn his process.
Results
- I was the only deckhand to get selected to drive a boat with a hole in it, with the port captain, up to the Sitka boat yard to get repaired. This was a really cool multi-day journey.
- I got offers from multiple captains and the port engineer to be used as future references.
01
Hospitality and customer service
Deckhand work meant looking after guests on every trip, on the boat and in the scenery they came to see.
02
Maintenance and problem solving
Every day there was a mechanical disaster on the boat. These are a few of them, and the engine rooms where I learned to fix them.
03
Learning how to learn
I read 1 Cummins and 1 Lugger engine service manual, then stayed after shifts to see the port engineer's process on real repairs.