I was initially worried that my English was not strong enough, but the company accepted me and I found that the situation was manageable. The company hires officers with limited English and appears open to candidates with different levels of experience. In my view, the main disadvantage was the Indian management.
I worked for MSC, and overall things were acceptable, with both good and bad aspects. After my third contract, I was sent to increasingly difficult vessels, and I eventually decided to make a change because I wanted to sleep for eight uninterrupted hours. The crews were Ukrainian and generally competent. Career progression was possible: I saw ratings move into engineering positions.
I completed two contracts with this company as a third engineer. The crews were Ukrainian, and there were frequent internal disputes and numerous unnecessary online meetings. Provisions were generally fine, but spare parts were often insufficient, and promotion promises rarely led to actual advancement. I also found the office support and communication poor.
I completed eight contracts with MSC and eventually left the company. I started when the management was Scottish; after Indian management took over, the working experience deteriorated, and even inspectors mentioned staff turnover. The company has a large fleet, but that was not enough to make me stay.