The ART of the Superyacht CV

 

Landing that dream job takes more than a pretty face.

A pretty face does help... but you also need to create a juicy CV.

 

Creating the perfect CV is an art form. It's far more than a collection of facts about you.

 

The right CV is an information landmine, its a combination of psychological warfare, technical knowhow and graphic design... it can be the difference between your career going in the bin or getting that all important call. 

It takes time to get the formular right.

The first thing you need to do when putting together your CV is to get into the head of your future employer. Your CV should be designed to solve their problem.. so .... think about it.. What issues are they currently facing and how would employing you help them succeed? Ultimately you will be hired by someone or a long chain of people whose problems you are solving.

If your CV sits in the hands of a Crew Agent.. they are trying to get the right candidate to the right recruiter. Your CV needs to make it easy for them to understand.

If your CV gets handed to the decky onboard.. you need to make sure they are not going to be put out of a job. They might be looking for a permanent job too. 

All in all there are lots of variables to consider but you should make sure your CV is speaking to the right audience before you hand it over.

Consider this, there are four main departments: deck, engineering, interior and the galley and you are applying for a job in one of them. Each department (on a big boat) will have a key decision maker who your CV will need to get the aproval of. If the Captain is making the call he will be looking at your CV from that perspective.

If you are new to the industry, you will need to bring all your transferable skills with you and apply them to the position you are targeting with your CV.

Lets take a moment to recap the main onboard departments:

The Deck Department

The guy you need to ultimately impress is the Captain. On bigger vessels you may be hired by the Chief Officer or even the Bosun. So... think about what their needs are. You need to make their life easy, get the work done, take instructions and ultimately make them look good for bringing you onboard in the first place. 

As the deck team are primarily responsible for the safe navigation and the day-to-day operations of the yacht you need to show how having you onboard will improve things. As they are also responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the exterior of the vessel. Showing that you have great attention to detail is extremely important. 

 

HINT: If you get to step onboard for an interview.. notice something that you would make better and point it out.

 

Knowing your watersports is always going to be an advantage, as part of the job will entail looking after all the watersports toys, and ensuring that your guests are entertained and safe. As keeping guests safe is part of the job description any medical training you can bring to the table is an advantage.

 

Engineering Department

The engineering department is managed by the Chief Engineer who reports directly to the Captain. As a member of the engineering team your main responsibility is the smooth and efficient running of the vessel, the maintenance and servicing of all mechanical and electrical equipment on board as well as all safety equipment. A yacht is a floating city and keeping it all running perfectly is a massive undertaking. Show that you are not only able to apply mechanical skills but also can manage the scheduling and maintainance and recording of tasks and you are onto a winner. 

Hint: You might want to try ShipShape Pro . This iPad app will help you organise your department or at least get you used to maintenance / task setting systems of the sort you would use onboard. 

If you are a wizz on a computer.. you need to tell someone.. Boats love the guy who makes the internet work. 

 

Interior Department

The interior department will generally be managed by a Chief Steward/ess and it wont be easy to impress him/her. If you are part of the interior you have the toughest job of all... you are on the front lines (serving food), down in the trenches (laundry), you are the smiling helpful professional face that gets all the crazy demands and the screaming tantrums (cocktail hour). 

You need to show that you can play a valuable part of a team that provides seven star service 24/7.

 

Galley

Do you have what it takes to become an Aquatic Chef? On a larger yacht the Head Chef will either work with a team. This department provides all the catering for the guests and the crew. Feeding a large crew all year is often much more work than dealing with the demands of your resident billionair. So... brace yourself. 

You need mad knife skills, you need to be culinary trained, come from a restaurant background and have a great knowledge of world cuisines. 

If you want the job.. you need to show you can keep your crew well fed, happy and healthy. Nutrition is the first line defence against disease. When the season gets crazy you need to be able to keep your crew's spirits up, bake that birthday cake as well as serve that Michelin Star entrée to the boss.  

You are being hired for your food so make sure you have some nice photos of what you make.

 

The nuts and bolts of writing a Yachting CV.

CV Format
CVs are generally emailed so make you grab our standard template as a basis and are able to save it as a DOC or PDF file type. 

Quick Scan

A recruiter will generally scan for the following items first:

  • Your Picture - It needs to be current / professional 
  • Position you are applying for
  • Your Name & Nationality
  • Primary Qualification
  • Experience

If you dont have experience you need to show other relevance. 

HINT: Write for web when you write your CV.  If you can say it with a picture do this first. (your pic) , If you can say it in a word then start with this (Job Title), If you have more to say break it into short leading sentences and then read on for more details. 

Required Info

  • Your Name
  • Photo 
  • Mobile number
  • E-mail
  • Nationality
  • Visa held with exp dates
  • Current Location (not a full address)
  • Marital status
  • Smoking habits
  • Visible Tattoos
  • Profile / Objective paragraph
  • Relevant Yachting Qualifications,
  • Yachting Experience
  • Additional Qualifications 
  • Additional Relevant Work 
  • Hobbies / Interests
  • References

Profile Picture

You will be immediately judged by this photo. Make sure you are dressed appropriately and look like you are ready to work and easy to get along with. A holiday snap or "hotdog legs" will not help you.
 

Please let us know if you found this article interesting or usefull. 

If you would like to talk with a Career Consultant or use our CV Writing Service please view our available membership options / subscriptions.