Navy Officer Āpiha Tauā Moana

Physical Requirements

Navy officers must pass Navy fitness tests, so they need to be fit, healthy and strong, with good hearing and eyesight (with or without corrective lenses). Some positions require you to have normal colour perception.

• Defence Careers website - fitness requirements

Useful Experience

Useful experience for navy officers includes:

• training as a sailor in the Navy
• being a member of the Naval Volunteer Reserve
• involvement in youth organisations such as Sea Scouts and Cadets
• experience at sea
• work, sporting or other team environments
• tertiary education, or experience of activities requiring self-discipline and responsibility.

Personal Qualities

Navy officers need to be:

• disciplined and organised
• confident
• careful and accurate, with an eye for detail
• efficient and able to work well under pressure
• able to manage and lead people
• able to solve problems and make decisions
• able to give instructions well.

Skills

Navy officers need to have:

• leadership, management and budgeting skills
• knowledge of Navy regulations, tactics and protocol, including health and safety, ethics, and conduct
• knowledge of drills and parade requirements
• knowledge of how to operate and maintain weapons and radio equipment
• problem solving skills
• first aid and rescue skills.

Navy officers also need to have skills and knowledge related to their field of specialisation or trade. For instance, navy warfare officers need to know how to operate various weapons systems.

Conditions

Navy officers:

• usually work regular business hours but may be expected to work long or irregular hours on training exercises or when on deployment
• work and train on Navy ships in New Zealand and overseas
• work in all weather conditions and may have to work in combat situations
• may spend long periods away from home on overseas assignments.