Colleen Moran

I attribute my success to wonderful parents, a great upbringing and support. I've had a lot of fantastic mentors along the way, and hard work and perseverance. And never giving up. I think those things have really been key to getting where I am today.

The best career advice I ever received was to find something you love and make a career of it. I'm one of very few lucky people in the world who can say I found something I love and I made a career out of it. This is advice I also share with my own daughter, who is currently interviewing for her first postgraduate job. It really makes all the difference when you love what you do.

My best advice for entering this field is to work hard, take all the advice you can get, observe, and learn from your mentors. Leave no stone unturned. This is not a career that is for everyone - it's odd hours, we base our transits on tides and weather, it's 24-7, 365. Our motto is that we're on station when others seek shelter. We're going out there in all types of weather, day and night, boarding ships. It's a very stressful, high-stress profession. We're moving ships greater than 3 football fields long under economical and physical pressures. If you discover at any point that you're not 110% in it, then find something else, because you really have to come to work clear-headed and focused. It's not for everyone. But if your heart is in it and you're wholeheartedly committed to it, then pursue it with everything you have. As I told one young woman I'm mentoring, I give the same advice I would give to the guys - just work hard, take all the advice, observe, and really commit yourself fully.

For me personally, coming into the association when I just turned a certain age and being the first female pilot, I apprenticed under pilots who were maybe average age early 60s. I think the challenge there was convincing them that I was equally capable and dedicated. In our profession itself, weather is definitely a big challenge. The industry has changed tremendously from the size of ships increasing, technology advances, and the demands by industry. Everyone wants their products faster, quicker, or cheaper. For us as state pilots, we're basically like a third party - I'm the first and last line of defense. I don't feel the pressures of the company or the agent. If I say the visibility's not good, or the conditions aren't right, or we have a blowout tide and there's not enough underkeel clearance, the ship is not moving. It's a tremendous responsibility and there are a lot of challenges where you have to stand up for what's right and not fall victim to the pressures of commerce.

I think hardworking is very important, focus - and it goes both for work and personal life. I'm a member of an association with 70 partners, and loyalty and camaraderie are very important in just the overall running of the business and trusting your partners while you're meeting in narrow channels. Honesty and good communication are crucial, and that goes both ways with work and personal life. Dedication and just being a good, caring person and colleague are values I hold dear. These values help me navigate both the professional challenges of piloting and the personal relationships that matter to me.