How to get Jobs on Yachts

Do you feel the call of the sea and thought of entering a career as a professional yacht crew? If you have thought about that then you must have also thought of how to achieve it. Like most jobs, there are certain requirements needed to become a yachtie. There are certain trainings and certifications needed for most positions onboard luxury boats.

Most positions are required to have the following:

STCW95 is a one week intensive course covers the 4 basic modules of safety on board a yacht.

• Elementary First Aid
• Personal Survival Techniques
• Safety and Social Responsibilities
• Basic Firefighting and Fire Prevention.

ENG1 Medical Certificate/ML5 Seafarers Medical Fitness Certificate – a requirement to make sure that the crew member is of good health and is fit to work. Get trained, get your certification and acquire all the necessary requirements. This is the first step in making your yachting career a reality. Some positions require more credentials and training so it also pays to do a lot of research.

How to Find a job on a yacht:

Here are the most common approaches to finding jobs on yachts

Walking the docks or most commonly known to yachties as Dockwalking – is the yachting industry’s age old but effective way of finding employment on boats and luxury yachts. The term is quite self explanatory; it involves walking up and down docks and piers to talk to people within the industry. It gives potential employers a chance to get to know you and it’s your chance to show them how dedicated and knowledgeable you are in your field. It’s one of the best ways of advertising and selling yourself to potential employers.

Yacht Crew Agencies/ Recruitment Agencies – submit your comprehensive and up to date CV to Yacht Crew Agencies. Another option would be to take advantage of technology as most of these agencies have their own websites that would allow you to submit your CV online. Most ports have agencies close by and it would be ideal to visit them and submit a well presented CV. It is a good idea to be properly dressed and  to look professional. Just like dockwalking it will give you a chance to give them a feel of who you are. If you get lucky they might right away consider you or put you on a shortlist for some of the vacancies that they have available or even set up an interview right away.

Building your Network in the Yachting Industry – like other lines of business, having a good network of people within the industry would be a great help. Mingle and get to know other yachting professionals by finding out and going to their watering holes. Visit establishments that yachties frequently go to like bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants. Engage in conversation, the relaxed atmosphere would certainly help in building rapport and would be very helpful in learning information and opportunities that would lead to future employment aboard a yacht.

Answer the call of the sea, have a rewarding career and wonderful experiences as yacht crew professional.