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Tips to find work on a Superyacht

Tips to find work on a Superyacht

So, you’ve decided you want to work on a Superyacht?

Read through our advice and tips and hopefully you will be on the way to one of the most rewarding careers to combine travel, fun and financial reward.

Antibes is home to the largest super-yacht marina in Europe, so we recommend you base yourself here to find work.  The town becomes a hive of activity from early Spring through to late September for both newcomers to the yachting industry and seasoned yacht crew aspiring to find work.  It’s a great place to start off in your search for the dream job, but as it’s such a popular place, then of course there’s  also lots of competition to find work.  In order to stay in the running and find the dream job on a superyacht, you need to be well prepared!!

Here are some tips to help you find work:

Obtain the minimum qualification…

Firstly, in order to work on a superyacht, you will need to take your STCW Basic Training.  This is a one week course which you can take with Seascope.   It will provide you with the basic skills and knowledge to work safely onboard a seagoing vessel.  Although it is not mandatory on private vessels, the majority of Captains will not hire crew without this certification.

Plan your trip…

Organize your accommodation in advance.  Check out our information on the local accommodation and Crew houses.   E-mail us should you need more assistance and we can help you to find one to suit your budget.

Give your CV a complete makeover!

As this is a new industry for you, then you will most likely have to completely revamp that CV.    Should you be hoping to work as a Stewardess then there is no need to include pages and pages of administration experience, and important to add that hospitality experience you gained, even though it might not have been relevant to you for the past few years.  If you’re looking for exterior work on deck, then your carpentry skills or the experience you gained painting & varnishing will often be of greater interest to a potential employer than reading about your responsibilites over the past two years in the office job.

Ensure you have a well laid out CV with a nice photograph; this is your primary marketing tool.  Keep it concise and to the poin and all times.  Be careful  not to overload with irrelevant information.  Captains receive a great number of CVs every day, so you need to remember to get the important information across in order to sell yourself.  Ideally it should be no longer than 2 pages long.

  • PHOTO
    Your photograph should be a passport sized photo of your head and shoulders, showing a neat and tidy appearance.  It’s not a passport photo so you can smile if you like.  Just make sure it’s clear and you are not wearing sunglasses!
  • NAME
    State your full name and Job Title or position you are applying for:
    Chef   –   Deckhand  –  Deck/Engineer   –  Junior Engineer   –   Stewardess   –  Stewardess/Cook
  • CONTACT DETAILS
    Phone Number
    If you’re in the area then you should quickly acquire a local phone number.  It shows that you’re locally based and it’s more likely an employer will call a local number first as opposed to someone with a phone number based in another country.
    E-Mail 
    If you do not have a professional email address, then now is the time to create one.  An address containing your actual name will prove more successful than the fun address you might have created years ago.  Juicylucie@hotmail or  Kraziejoe@gmail are unlikely to have a great deal of success with Captains.
  • PERSONAL DETAILS
    – Name
    – Date of Birth
    – Phone number
    – Email address
    – Current location
  • INTRODUCTION
    Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
    I would describe myself as a cheerful, positive, approachable individual, who is hard working and observant to the needs of others.  I am completely at ease conversing with all levels of clientele, being sociable, helpful and engaging while maintaining professionalism.
    I’m a fully trained Beauty Therapist with a background in Customer Service and Client Relations.  I have been working at sea on Cruise ships and feel I have gained the skills and experience to become a valuable crew member within the yachting industry.
    Having just completed my University degree, I’m keen to embark on a career in the Yachting Industry. I have good mechanical and DIY  skills, and was an avid woodwork student at school
    I have just completed my STCW Basic Training course in Antibes.  I am locally based and available for work immediately.
    I am a fully qualified Chef and have been working in restaurants for the past 5 years.  I have gained experience in Mediterranean, Asian and Western cuisine.  I am free to travel worldwide and would like to put my skills to work in the Yachting industry.
  • EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
    List your Qualifications as concisely as possible.   You can always add extra information about your education at the end of the CV.
    For now we are just trying to get the main points across… Remember, people are pressed for time and want to see as much as possible at a glance.
    – STCW Basic Training 2017
    – Yachtmaster Offshore 2014
    – BA Applied Linguistics 2012
  • WORK EXPERIENCE
    List the most recent experience first.  Remember to keep it consise and to the point.
    It is sometimes recommended to split the work experience into two categories:
    Industry Related Work Experience
    Professional Work Experience
    (This is helpful in the instance where you have a lot of relevant experience prior to your more recent professional experience).

Crew Agencies
There are a number of Crew Agencies in Antibes, and it is worth going to register with a few of them.  After making initial contact with them, you will be asked to upload your CV, references and certificates to their site.  You should then be invited for a personal interview in their office and they will give you further tips on your CV and advise you how soon you should expect to find employment on a Superyacht.

First Impressions Last!
Yachting is a Luxury industry.  Personal presentation and appearance is of the utmost importance.  It’s imperative you maintain a professional and tidy appearance, whether it be an interview with the crew agency or with a potential employer.    You want to instill confidence in people to help you get your dream job!

Out and About Socially…
Do not get carried away partying when you arrive looking for work.  Bars and pubs can be lots of fun, but remember that there are also Captains and potential employers out on the town.  You do not want to give a bad impression of yourself, remember why you’re here and stay focused on the job-hunt.

DockWalking
DockWalking is exactly what it says, walking the docks.  You are allowed to dockwalk in the ports along the Cote d’Azur, so prepare yourself with plenty of copies of your CV and take the train to the neighbouring ports along the coast.
You can try St Tropez, St Raphael, Mandelieu la Napoule, Theoule sur Mer, Cannes, Golfe Juan, Antibes, Nice, Beaulieu sur Mer, Monaco and even over the boarder to the Italian Riviera ports such as Imperia, San Remo, Loano or Genoa…
Dockwalking may not find you a full-time job immediately but is a good way to find day work which will help you survive while you look for a job as a full-time crew member.

Be Reachable!
All of the above are going to be pointless if you are going to leave your phone on silent or not answer it for any reason.  Ensure to have your phone on you at all times and be ready to answer.  You never know when the Captain or Chief Stewardess from the Superyacht you’ve applied to for work will decide to call.  Ensure to have a nice polite message for your voicemail in the event you really can’t answer.

Look After Yourself!
Antibes is a lovely town and generally very safe, but like anywhere it has it’s dangers.  When you’re out and about remain vigilant of yourself and others,  do not leave your wallet or mobile phone on the table in the café and watch your bag or pockets in crowded places such as train stations.  You will be okay once you remember your common sense!

Well, we hope you feel a bit more informed and prepared now 🙂  Good luck with your Job Search!

Look forward to hearing any comments or feedback from you..

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