So, you think you’re a great crew candidate? You might need to think again.
Following on from a previous blog, where we detailed how candidates rated a superyacht in terms of package, itinerary, and reputation, superyachts have a pretty good idea of what they perceive as good and bad candidates.
These are the things that yachts are consistently looking for in their crew. If you aren’t ticking all these boxes, then you need to compromise on your expectations – especially junior crew who very often have an inflated sense of worth regarding what salary and rotation they should get.
- Yacht experience – Most vessels consider someone who has prior yachting experience to be a good crew candidate so they can hit the ground running as much as possible. It’s tough for green crew unless you have some great day work behind you or a secondary skill such as carpentry, kite surfing instruction, high-end hospitality.
- Yacht background – If you have done one year on a 35m, no matter how good your reference is, a premier league 80m offering 3:1 rotation and €3,500 a month is going to overlook your CV more often than not.
- Longevity – At least one year+ on each of your previous vessels, preferably longer, is the preference. The more senior you are, the better the longevity needs to be. Too many temp gigs, gaps or leaving your previous vessels after only a few months will be very negatively perceived. If I could give junior crew reading this one piece of advice, it would be to stick it out for a year. The grass is often not greener and a longer period on one yacht and a good reference will open far more doors for you in the future.
- Visa – No visa, no job in most cases, particularly those yachts that are doing the US/Caribbean winter. A B1/B2 visa in hand is very desirable. Most vessels don’t have the time to put you through the visa process which is not even guaranteed.
- Qualifications – Safe manning requirements are non-negotiable, so you need to have a certain ticket onboard even as a junior deckhand. No matter how great you are, if you don’t have the ticket, you are not going to get the job.
- Additional skills – A crew candidate with additional skills such as carpentry, beauty therapy and massage, personal training and water sports will stand out from the competition.
- References – Make sure all references are available for previous superyachts and clearly included on your CV with up-to-date contact details. Missing references or references from anyone other than your HOD or Captain will raise red flags.
- Work ethic/attitude – Works with a smile on their face, goes above and beyond, happy to get their hands dirty, won’t hide away when things get tough, always positive no matter how tough things onboard get. Rude, arrogant, socially awkward, drink or drug issues, lazy, shies away from a hard day’s work need not apply.
- Questionable work history – if you have been sacked before, failed a drug test, not passed probation or similar, you need to drop your expectations and realise you are no longer an amazing crew member, you are tarnished. Be realistic, just take a job on a well-run, safe yacht and drop your other demands. Get a solid year or more on board and move on from your previous mistakes.
In a nutshell, crew candidates who lack longevity, great references and experience on a reasonable pedigree of yacht will struggle to get those incredible roles. Build your CV, get some good longevity, work your arse off and be a good crew member so you get a good reference.
This blog I wrote a few years ago is an excellent starting point on the basics that you can control to be that great crew candidate.
Pick up these work habits for a successful Superyacht career! – Quay Crew
And for clarity, I had a lot of Captains contacting me about this blog, some even going to the extent of printing it and putting it up in the crew mess. Follow those behaviours and you will be a great crew member, even if you aren’t the world’s best stewardess.
