Employment for Newbies
The yachting industry is an exciting one. Gorgeous vessels, breathtaking locations and beautiful people; it’s like something out of a movie. Getting a job on a yacht however isn’t as glamorous.
The most seasoned of yachties find the job hunt plagued with stress headaches, anxiety filled interviews and a great level of uncertainty. This can be extremely overwhelming for green crew. It needn’t be. More and more captains are beginning to see the need in training the next generation of yacht workers. So if you’re a newbie to the industry here is some advice to landing a job on a great yacht with your minimum experience.
Perfect your CV:
This cannot be stressed enough. Your resume is the document that speaks for you in your absence. They say you never get a second chance at a first impression so your CV is your only shot. It needs to meticulously and precisely communicate your skills, expertise and (to some extent) your personality. Without even looking at your name, an employer will make deductions about you based on the presentation of your CV.
The yachting industry is all about immaculate appearances. Grammatical errors and a poor choice in typeface could risk your chances, as a green crew, of getting hired.
Rule of thumb: less is more.
Keep it clean. If you must, keep all explanations of training courses short and to the point; you’ll have a chance to elaborate when you land the interview.
If you need some help in creating your CV check out our blog post The ART of the Superyacht CV
Experience:
You’re thinking, “but I’m green. I have no experience.” You’re wrong. Whether you’ve waitressed over summer vacation to pay for a trip to the coast, or bartended during university to make some extra cash; letting your employer know that you have the discipline to get and keep a job will help. Any experience within the hospitality industry will work to your favour.
If you were your neighbors’ go-to-gal for babysitting whenever they went out, you have care giving skills. Taking care of children is much harder than tending to adults, and much messier.
Consider this: if you’ve provided a service, created an experience, even worked to sell a product then you’ve had a taste of customer care. So much of what yacht work is, is interacting with people while doing what you’ve been trained to do. If you can perfect your customer care you can land any job you desire.
Experience is extremely important.
Dockwalk:
Putting yourself out there can be quite daunting, especially if you feel you don’t have much to offer. But you do. You have the passion and stamina of someone hungry to be part of the yachting industry and that is an attribute that will breathe fresh air into any crew.
Get out there. Meet employed crew members; either you make a lasting impression and you get hired or you get some great advice that you apply to the next yacht you approach. You really have nothing to lose.
Being a Green crew member can mean that you’re on the back foot but everyone who is part of the industry was right where you are. It takes a courageously proactive person to get up and do something about it. You can’t expect hiring captains and employers to take a chance on you if you won’t take a chance on yourself.
Need help gaining confidence to approach a yacht, we’ve got some great tips in our piece Dock Walking 101.
Attitude:
The yachting industry is tough. It will require you to be tenacious when you want to give up, you’ll have to work yourself to the bone when you feel you have no energy left. It’s in moments like those when you need to remind yourself why you decided to join the industry in the first place. Persevere with a smile on your face.
The industry is also very close knit and interwoven. One bad decision and you could be black-balled before your first job. Remember to treat everyone with respect and appreciate the time it takes a crew member to stop their service, disembark the yacht to receive your CV. Thank Captains for their time when you email them your resume. Be polite when interacting with fellow yachties at networking events. Word gets around. Make sure only good things are being said about you and the way you carry yourself. More often than not crew is employed by the people they meet and the impression they leave.
You are your own brand embassador; what reputation do you want to have?\
A lot of Captains have absolutely no problem hiring Green crew. If you are enthusiastic about what you do and can maintain a level of professionalism when the job demands it, you will be dream for any crew you join. Believe in yourself. Never give up. Do your best.