How to Get A Boat Job: 3 Approaches

Naturally, people ask me all the time about how they can get a great job like mine. And really, the process is not all that mysterious. In this article I break it down into three main activities you need to undertake to make yourself known in the superyacht fraternity. Getting yourself known in the right circles is half the battle of gaining a deckhand or other crew position aboard the boat of your dreams.

Yacht Crew Jobs - 3 Ways to Land One
By Dan Sevets

There are three basic approaches to finding and landing a crew position aboard a super-luxurious yacht. All three take effort that goes beyond mailing out resumes, but once you are hired on, you will realize that the work was more than worth it.

1. Walk the docks. Dockwalking is a centuries-old way to find a boat to hire on to, and it's even more important for finding a yacht crew job. It simply means walking up and down docks and piers and talking with everyone you encounter, from the lowest crew member to the captain and first mate. It lets people get to know you face-to-face and lets you show them that you are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about boats.

2. Use a hiring agency. Every major port, and almost every seaside resort town of any size, has offices of companies that hire for maritime-related work. If you're in a port that is a favorite with the luxury boat set, you are sure to find agencies that specialize in serving that clientele. The best procedure is to drop off your resume with the receptionist, then call or come back around the next day and ask to be interviewed. This will give them time to look over your qualifications, and - assuming they like what they see - they will be predisposed to give you serious consideration for any crew openings they might know of.

3. Make friends with working crew members. Just as in other industries, it's as much who you know as what you know. You can get to know boaties in any port in the world by finding out where they congregate during their off hours. Usually this will be some bar or club, but it could be a particular restaurant or other spot. This is much like the aforementioned dockwalking, except that you will be catching people in a more relaxed mood than when they're in working mode. This will be advantageous, as long as you don't come on too strong or act too pushy. Be friendly and get to know people before trying to feel them out about a yacht crew job.

For quickest success at finding a position as a crew member, it pays to combine all three of these approaches. Go dockwalking during the day, pop in to a hiring agency now and then, and in the evenings hit the yachtie bars and eating establishments.

All of this assumes that you have some experience aboard some kind of boat, of course. You can also take training at any one of a number of schools around the world that specialize in specifically teaching people to fill positions aboard a mega- or superyacht. They will also help you get the certifications you will need in order to work on the most desirable luxury vessels.

Yacht crew jobs will pay you to see the world. Deckhands, stewards, chefs and other crew members are living a dream that is open to you, too, regardless of your background or age. Yacht Crew Jobs is a page of free information on where to find boat deckhand jobs and how to get hired aboard a luxury vessel. With a superyacht crew job, you will rub shoulders with multimillionaires and celebrities. You will visit exotic ports of call from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean to beyond. You will have free food and lodging while afloat and you will earn a great salary. You can even find romance while working as a crew member -- it happens all the time!

Is there competition for these dream boat jobs? You bet. But there are ways to make sure that a boat's captain or the yacht crew hiring agency chooses you, even if you have less experience than the next person.

One highly recommended book that blows the lid off the insider methods for gaining a plum position as a superyacht crew member is The Dynamic Deckhand, at http://www.deckhands.info.

Dan Sevets has seen the world aboard boats of all kinds. He invites you to join him in the best job of all.

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