Leaving on Good Terms
You’ve landed it. You’ve gotten a job on a gorgeous boat. Your cabin is reasonably sized and comfortable. The other crew members are extremely warm and welcoming.
You’ve only heard good things about the captain.
It seems like the dream job and you’re so grateful you were hired. When you meet the owners, however, your opinion of the job completely changes.
They are tyrannical dictators who demand you do things no person should have to do for another; making work unbearable. Perhaps they’re entitled twenty-somethings, heirs to family fortunes who are a headache to care for sunrise through sunset.
Maybe the owners aren’t the source of your grief but your superior (whether Senior Stewardess, Chief Officer or Bosun) is condescending. A fellow Galley Hand could have it out for you, the Head Chef is unreasonable. There are a number of different reasons your dream job could turn into a nightmare. How you go deal with it has the potential to be career changing
People leave jobs for all sorts of reasons. Either they are moving up in ranks, changing their initial path or are fed up with the way they’re being treated. If you are considering resigning from your current position, and even for those who might run into similar situations in the future; make sure to vacate your job on good terms.
The impression you leave your yacht and employer with will follow you throughout your career. If you were dismissed under tense circumstances, or even if you quit in an unprofessional manner the likelihood of getting a glowing review from your referee is slim. It only takes one bad reference in this close-knit industry to get you blackballed so be shrewd about your how you handle your resignation.
Venting about the frustrations of your job is normal; when you have a bad day you want to lament about it. Being pushed to a point where you want to leave the job is a completely different mindset and once you’ve decided that your current yacht job isn’t for you, stick to your guns. Don’t quit and then allow yourself to be persuaded to stay; have the courage of your convictions.
We suggest having an honest and open conversation with your captain. Discuss your reasons for wanting to leave in a forthright manner. Avoid getting emotional, even if you feel you’ve been shortchanged; it can read as unprofessional. The aim is to leave with your self- respect and reputation intact. Think carefully about what you plan to say. Ambrose Bierce once said, “Speak when you’re angry and you will make the best speech you ever regret.”
There are ways to communicate your displeasure without burning bridges.
Many crew who resign often forget to thank the captain and/or owners of the yacht for time spent on the vessel. You lose nothing showing gratitude to the people who hired you. Even if your reasons for resigning are completely justified, taking the moral high ground only speaks to your maturity. Any time, good or bad, spent working is time well spent. You can learn a lot about yourself going through adversity; so if that is what you thank your captain and crew for then good on you.
Taking time to say goodbye to each crew member might seem unnecessary but you worked as a team, they deserve the courtesy of a farewell however brief. Saying Thank You and Goodbye takes a great deal of humility; a trait any captain is glad to find in a crew member.
NB: When saying your farewells make sure to ask your superiors for permission to add them as references to your resume. You won’t impress them by having prospective employer calling them without their consent.
Working as yacht crew isn’t easy. It’s not sipping mimosa's with your passengers; it is demanding work. Constantly. So expect to work hard, and to work at unconventional hours sometimes; it’s the nature of this niche service and hospitality industry. If you jump ship every time you reach a challenge you’ll never grow as a person or improve as a yacht worker. You certainly won’t be hired if your resume is full of 3 week stints, it shows a lack of commitment.
Think twice before you resign, think three times even. Wait out the entire season before you make a decision. Other than dire circumstances, which are themselves outliers, the bad patch you’re going through will pass. Tough times are only temporary. If resigning is something you feel you have to do, though, rather leave your yacht with your professional relationships intact.