For Crew
Whether you are junior crew looking for your first job or experienced crew looking for your next opportunity, we hope to guide and nurture you through your career.
Read on for some helpful insights into securing your next role….
Interviews
INTERVIEW TIPS FOR SUPERYACHT CREW
Things to consider before your first interview with a Captain or head of department:
Be on time, no one likes tardiness. Make sure to be by your computer, ready by the phone or on the dock with 5 minutes to spare.
Look presentable. This is your first impression, clean and tidy clothes, hair brushed and clean shaven for boys (or at least beard trimmed). Looking the part is always a good start.
Always answer questions truthfully and to your best ability. It’s ok to say if you are unsure about something rather than trying to guess your way through it. Showing that you know how to say when you are unsure is a good attribute.
Make sure to have your CV in front of you when holding an over the phone/video interview so ensuring you can quickly refer back to dates or other points when asked about them.
If you know the name of the boat, it is always helpful to do some research on it beforehand, be informed and interested in the job you are going for.
References: Be prepared with written testimonials and phone numbers (up to date) that can be contacted. It never looks good if the contact is not contactable or has changed their details.
CV Tips
CV TIPS
There are many easy to use free programs online that offer some great looking CV templates. www.canva.com is a great resource.
Make sure to use the same font throughout, or if you are using several make sure this is done consistently. Your CV is the first window for your future employer to get an impression of you. You want to make sure it gives them the best perspective of who you are and what you can offer as an individual and future team member based on experience, qualifications and personality.
Having taken the time to ensure your CV is consistent, spell checked and reads well are all basic but important points.
Most importantly make sure everything you put on your yacht CV is truthful and accurate. If you get someone else to help you with your CV, make sure it still sounds and reads like you.
What else should be on your yacht CV?
- A recent head and shoulders shot, make sure you look presentable and ideally in a nautical background.
- Current location, availability and contact information
- Age and nationality as well as passport/s and current visas.
- A clear objective – what kind of role are you seeking? Be as specific as possible.
- Qualifications; make sure to include relevant land based qualifications that could be benifical in a maritime role.
- Previous experience, if new to yachting make sure to include prior roles that are relevant and transferable when coming into the industry.
- If you are already experienced as yacht crew, ensure to list previous experience in an easy-to-read manner, covering what your duties and responsibilities were onboard in each role as well as duration of employment, type of yacht etc.
- As a chef or stewardess, it’s always good to have food/ interior photos, (table settings, beach & party set ups) menus to present
- Make sure to have some information about yourself and what you enjoy outside of work, this gives Captains and Owners an indication of how well you will fit in the existing team.
- References; check with past employers/Captains that they are actually happy and willing to act as a referee before adding their details, they will be consulted so it’s important not to assume they will be your best avocate. If you are missing a reference, be prepared to answer why. Written references are also a good starting point and worth asking for when leaving a position.
DOCKWALKING & DAY WORKING
DOCKWALKING & DAY WORKING TIPS
Dockwalking can feel daunting, but trust us when we say that even if boats do not need an extra hand that day or aren’t looking for crew, they will respect you and remember you for trying. No one is thinking badly of you for being out there and they have likely been in the same situation. As always make sure your apperance is neat and tidy. Look the part in a white Tshirt or Polo with shorts.
Choose the right time to go dockwalking. Either be there first thing in the morning or you can try your luck towards the end of the working day in the hope of setting something for the next. Know and plan your route, you don’t want to miss any marinas. Also take into consideration that some shipyards/marinas will not let you in but you might be able to give out your cv at the gate. Be there early if this is the case, no later then 7.30am as this is when crew will start to arrive for work.
Make sure you have copies of your CV ready to handout. Ensure you have looked at our above cv tips before doing so. Be polite and make sure to have a little pitch of what to say to the yachts/crew you approach. Ask for the correct crew member, for example if looking for interior daywork ask for the Chief stew rather then speak to the deckhand about it. Is there no crew visable, either come back or leave your CV under the dockmat or shoebox.
Also have water, lunch and spare work clothes packed in you bag, if you pick something up for that day you need to be prepared.
If a day of hitting the docks doent get you anything don’t let it get you down. Handing out your CV and seeing other crew face to face is one of the best routes to start building realtionships and connections within the industry.
COURSES AND CAREER PATHS
There are a number of routes you can take in yachting. They fall into 4 main categories:
DECK |ENGINEERING|INTERIOR|GALLEY
With the growing volume of much larger yachts on the water, there are now more and more roles available within each of these departments, therefore also offering more room for career options and growth.
Whilst there are several relevant courses that are recognized, following the MCA route is the most widely recognized way to align with manning requirements on board.
All roles on yachts require the minimum of two basic certifications: A valid STCW and ENG1 certificate.
STCW
STCW stands for ‘Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping’
It is a 5 day course and is broken down into 5 modules:
- Personal Survival Techniques
- Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention
- Elementary First Aid
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibility
- Proficiency in Security Awareness
The certification is valid for 5 years from completion of the course, and after that you are required to take an STCW Refresher Course in Fire Fighting and Sea Survival.
There are training centres all worldwide that offer the STCW course and you can easily find the nearest one to you online. It isn’t cheap, but it is near impossible to gain employment without. It is important to ensure that the course you chose is certified by the MCA.
Seafarers medical certificate:
The most recognised Seafarers Medical Certificate is the ENG1 which is issued by an MCA approved doctor, but you can also get an equivalent test in your country.
ENG1 is valid for two years so you will have to make sure to renew it regularly before it expires. Do keep an eye on your expiry dates because you don’t want to get stuck mid-season needing to renew it.
Without a valid certificate, it is illegal for you to remain working onboard.
Below are links to MCA Approved Drs inside and outside the UK:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mca-approved-doctors-uk-based
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mca-approved-doctors-overseas
DECK
DECK CERTIFICATIONS:
Whilst there are a number of other relevant courses and qualifications, the most widely recognised for manning requirements and skillsets are as follows, beginning from entry level upwards:
Power boat level 2
MCA yacht rating
Yacht Master offshore
Yacht Master Ocean
Officer of the watch (OOW) >200gt
Officer of the watch (OOW) > 3000gt
Chief Mate > 3000gt
Master (yachts <500gt/3000gt)
For more information on the requirements for these modules, you can find some helpful information on the UKSA website:
INTERIOR
INTERIOR CERTIFICATIONS:
With the exception of the ENG1 and STCW, there are no minimum yacht certifications required to work as a Stewardess.
There are however, more and more yacht specific courses tailored to preparing you for a role as Stew, and more specific specialized courses that will help support any experience you might have.
Amongst many others, “The Yacht Stew academy” offers a great range of courses.
https://www.tysacademy.com/courses/
WSET wine courses are also well recognised and helpful for positions where more indepth knowledge of wines are required and advantageous.
GALLEY
Galley roles on yachts are far reaching from more casual, Cook/Stew roles all the way up to Executive/Head Chef positions on large superyachts where there might be multiple Chefs in the galley.
The requirements for Chefs on board are generally unique to each yacht, but for commercial yachts going over 60 miles offshore with more than 10 crew, it is now mandatory to hold a Ships Cook Certificate, or the SCC.
Before you can do this course, you will need the minimum of:
1 months sea time
Hold a valid level 2 hygiene certificate
Be 18yrs or over
Level 2 cookery qualification or a show a minimum of 12 months time at sea or working in a professional kitchen
A level 2 hygeiene course is often a requirement and is easily attainable at little cost and time.
Some yachts will ask that Chefs are formally culinary trained, but not all. There are many programs that will accommodate Chefs who might have started as a Stewardess and have always had a passion for cooking, or perhaps someone who has a background as a Chalet host with cooking experience.
There are many courses worldwide offering more specialized cookery training, but there are a handful of schools that are well known to suit the yachting industry well and who offer relevant short to medium term training.
https://www.ashburtoncookeryschool.co.uk
Another great resource for all things Super Yacht chef related is the Superyachtchef.com website and Instagram @thesuperyachtchef
ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING
There are two main certification routes that are most widely recognized to gain employment and progress with engineer positions. There is the yacht based certification system and the commercial route. Keep up to date with the latest rules and regulations as they continue to evolve.
The Yacht certification modules consist of 6 main courses but are now in the process of being simplified in to SV certificate. Below is a flow chart explaining the SV route:
AEC – Approved engine course. This is widely recognized as the base minimum certificate for superyacht engineers who wish to work on yachts over 24m in length.
Most commonly completed over 4 days, you can view the syllabus here:
MEOL – (Marine engines operating license) This is the first certificate in the Yacht route that requires minimum sea time, specific shore based learning and an an oral exam.
Y4- The Y4 allows engineers to work as Chief Engineer on yachts between 200-500gt andnup to 1500kw in propulsive power.
Y3- Allows engineers to work as Chief Engineer on yachts up to 3000GT and up to 3000kw in propulsive power
Y2- Allows engineers to work as Chief Engineer up to 3000gt and 6000kw in propulsive power
Y1- Allows engineers to work as Chief Engineer on yachts up to 3000gt and 9000kw in propulsive power
