Officer Candidates’ Reasons for Choosing Turkish Coast Guard: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Choosing a career directs the individual's future life and thus constitutes one of the most important choices she/he will make throughout life. There are many factors ranging from person to person in career choice. As Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides the area is known as "Blue Homeland". Turkish Coast Guard, which protects this area, has recently become one of the preferred occupational choices. Turkish Coast Guard also offers job opportunities to oceangoing officers who have graduated from maritime faculties. The exploratory sequential mixed methods design synthesized by a qualitative study in phenomenological design first and survey design in the second phase were employed. It was aimed to determine the reasons for the choice of Turkish Coast Guard for the watchkeeping officers. In the scope of the study, 32 volunteer participants, who were employed as Officer Candidates in Turkish Coast Guard, were interviewed. Then, the qualitative results were utilized as the basis for designing a questionnaire for survey data collection. This questionnaire was applied to 102 Officer Candidates. The data collection technique of the research was individual interview, focus group interview, document analysis and delivery of questionnaire. The data was analyzed using content analysis method and Nvivo qualitative research package program in qualitative strand whereas in quantitative strand percentage of descriptive statistical analysis was computed. In this study, the factors and their levels affecting the decisions of Officer Candidates in their career selection were understood and measured. These included the role of their families and friends in their close circles regarding their decision, the impact of the career activities Turkish Coast Guard carry out and their personal motivations.