The Best Transferable Skills for Yacht Crew Jobs
Yacht crew placement is as much about experience as it is qualifications. If you are applying for an advertised position with all the necessary certificates but without any type of relevant experience – whether on yachts or in applicable positions on land – it is improbable, but not impossible, that you will gain employment. There are many land-based jobs that imbue workers with a range of skills that are valued highly on yachts, whether these derive from hospitality, engineering, or other industries. Here, we highlight just some of the best transferable skills for prospective yacht crew. Learn how best to convey your skills in order to secure your dream yacht crew job.
Hospitality Experience or a Wine Certification
If you have worked in a hotel, bar, restaurant, café, or other hospitality-based establishment, you are in a strong position to gain a job as a Stew or Stewardess. The ability to serve guests in the correct manner is essential to the position – it is even better if you have been trained in silver service. An understanding of client relations is advantageous in any industry, but in the luxury yachting industry it is imperative. Enhance your skillsets with knowledge of wine. While some large yachts recruit dedicated sommeliers, most vessels will not. It is therefore valuable for prospective stews/stewardesses to offer a working knowledge of wine or a certification on the topic, but it is not essential.
Engineering Experience or Qualifications
If you have spent time working as a mechanic in a car garage, on trains, or on commercial vessels of any kind, you are well placed to build a career as a Yacht Engineer. While it is still essential to gain the relevant certificates, having mechanical engineering experience in any capacity will assist you in getting your foot in the door for Yacht Engineer jobs. Alternatively, if you have studied engineering to any level, you also stand to benefit when it comes to finding a yacht crew placement.
Cooking Qualifications or Experience in a Luxury Restaurant
It goes without saying that cooking qualifications are advantageous, if not essential, when applying for a position in the galley of a luxury yacht. Also beneficial, however, is time spent in fine dining establishments. Regardless of how many certificates you have acquired in the culinary industry, it is exceptionally impressive to present a CV that contains mentions of Michelin-starred restaurants or equivalent. If you lack advanced cooking qualifications, you may be lucky and attain a position as a crew cook or a sous chef, but most applicants will come to the interview with a wealth of experience and qualifications – such as a Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery (City & Guilds) – under their belt. At the very least, you should have a thorough knowledge of food safety, storage, hygiene standards and nutrition, as well as an STCW 95 in order to gain a yacht chef job. It is important to emphasize the skills you have picked up in previous positions. Yacht guests expect the very best; you need to convince your interviewer that you understand this and that you can deliver.
Water Sports Experience, Small Boat Handling or Carpentry Skills
Working as a Deckhand on a luxury yacht requires great dexterity, which can be honed through various land-based roles. Hands-on skills – such as carpentry, maintenance and cleaning – can all come in handy, whether developed within a yachting position or elsewhere. Due to the demand for versatility in the role, many technical skills are developed on the job, but it is advantageous to get ahead of the competition by accumulating vocational skillsets. Likewise, if you have worked as a watersports instructor, or you have experience in handling small boats, you already lead the pack of beginners when it comes to finding your first job on yachts.
The yachting industry is not inaccessible. With the correct qualifications and a good range of relevant experiences, it is possible to secure your yacht crew placement with a little work.
