Robyn Mayo
Marine Surveyor
Matthews-Daniel Company
Houston, TX, USA
Why did Robyn choose this career area?
Robyn grew up in Marystown where some members of her family worked in the shipyard.
As well, her grandfather built wooden boats, so it was natural that Robyn developed
an interest in ship construction and boat building.
Robyn’s best subject was math, and this gave her a good basis for learning about
design. She enjoyed sketching and liked marine projects. Despite these interests,
she didn’t consider a career in naval architecture until she attended a high school
presentation and learned about the Marine Institute program.
What’s Robyn educational background?
Robyn completed a Diploma in Naval Architecture Technology. She says her summer
work experience after second year confirmed that she was in the right program. She
worked with Fleetway in Halifax, NS, on 3D modeling, using the latest tools. She
took ship measurements and loved applying what she had learned in school.
The work was exciting and new, and Robyn found the final year of school flew by.
She had lots of graduate employment options, and she signed up for her current job
before graduation day.
What’s Robyn’s job all about?
Robyn takes part in surveying ships under construction and conducts marine engineering
reviews of construction, transportation, and installation projects. She checks for
compliance with rules, regulations, insurance, and contract commitments.
Robyn’s expertise means she can perform stability, structural, and motion response
analyses for marine structures and offshore installations. She finds the large marine
transportations and the travel to new parts of the world most exciting.
What are Robyn’s working conditions like?
Robyn works 40 hours a week when she is in the office. Hours are flexible, but Robyn
prefers 7:30-3:30 pm. Her job requires site visits, so she drives to local yards
and flies overseas to do this work.
Since lots of her work requires being on the construction site, there are some very
long days. Even though Robyn’s schedule is busy, and it is sometimes hard to take
breaks, she has a summer vacation planned in NL.
What benefits are associated with Robyn’s job?
The salary range for this field is impressive. Robyn has opportunities to advance
because her employer has 23 offices worldwide; there are lots of places for her
to go.
Since joining the company, Robyn has been trained on many engineering tools, thus
adding to her technical skills. She has worked with marine professionals with different
levels of education and expertise, and she has become comfortable and confident
with the expertise she brings to projects.
What’s exciting or cool about Robyn’s career area?
Robyn’s work uses the latest technology, and projects are located around the world.
She has used Safetrans, a motion response tool to transport and wet tow jack-ups
and semi-submersibles. This work required attending meetings in the Netherlands.
Another project required Robyn to travel to the Samsung Heavy Industry Shipyard
in South Korea. Robyn attended the same project once it had been transported to
Ingleside, Texas. The first time there she witnessed the loading of a 7600 MT semisubmersible
on a heavy lift vessel; the second trip was for the integration of the topsides.
Her next big trip will be to Brazil for the installation of an offshore platform.
What advice would Robyn give to people considering a marine transportation career?
Those who are good with numbers, creative, detail oriented, and adventurous should
consider this career. There are always things to learn, so it’s very exciting.
People who want to grow in confidence, competence, and personal skills should consider
a marine transportation career. Graduates have many interesting opportunities to
travel and to learn.