You've polished your CV, completed your STCW (surviving that fire training without singeing your eyebrows), and somehow squeezed yourself and your life's possessions into a crew house bunk that makes airplane seats look spacious. Now comes the real challenge: landing that elusive first position when you're competing with dozens of other eager greenies who, like you, swear they’re the best ones for the job.
Hear how the CrewPass team got their first jobs onboard:
Conrad:
"After three months of dockwalking in Antibes and trying to stand out from the crowd, I got an unexpected call from a Chief Officer looking for a dayworker. The catch? The boat was in La Ciotat, and they needed someone the next day to strip and sand down a tender. I jumped on the first train, ended up living in a shed at the bottom of someone's garden, but after three weeks of proving myself, they offered me a permanent position. Next thing I knew, I was crossing the Atlantic for my first Caribbean season!"
Amelia:
"I spent five weeks dockwalking in Antibes, with just one day of daywork to show for it. My savings were dwindling fast. Then, through a Facebook job posting, I landed a position as a service stewardess on a well known charter yacht – even with three visible tattoos, which was practically unheard of in 2016. Though it was a temporary position, it opened doors to bigger yachts and kicked off my eight-year career.”
Popular routes you could go down
Agencies
While some won't be able to get jobs for complete greenies, building a relationship with them for the future can lead to opportunities for later down the line. Once you’ve got a few days of daywork, it makes it so much easier for agencies to put you forward for roles as you’ve now got a little experience as well as potentially a reference.
Facebook Groups
A goldmine for opportunities, but beware of scams. If someone promises you a captain position on a 100m yacht with no experience required, it's probably as legitimate as those emails from princes wanting to share their fortune. Use your gut and if in doubt, ask anyone around you for a second opinion.
Suppliers and Services
Build relationships with uniform shops, chandleries, and provisioners. Offer to help with deliveries or organisation, suppliers within the yachting industry have a wealth of connections, and simply having a pleasant conversation or assisting them may get you a job.
Dockwalking
Walking the docks can be a gruelling affair, get yourself a partner of a different department, and make sure you get out of Antibes/Monaco and head down to Italy and hit all the smaller marinas.
CrewPass: Born from Real Crew Experiences
CrewPass was created because of the challenges both crew and captains faced in the hiring process. Those nail-biting moments waiting to hear back about your background check? The captains frantically trying to verify credentials before a crucial guest trip? Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
That's why CrewPass isn't just another industry tool – it's a solution born from real dockside experiences, countless conversations with captains and crew, and maybe a few too many espresso martinis in Port Vauban. We're here to make the entry into yachting smoother for the next generation of crew, while keeping our industry safe and professional.
The days of purely hoping your CV lands on the right desk at the right time are behind us. Today's successful crew members combine traditional networking with modern tools. CrewPass is proud to be part of this evolution, helping talented newcomers connect with opportunities while giving captains and managers the confidence they need in their hiring decisions.
Remember, whether you're dockwalking in designer shoes or budget flipflops, sending your CV through Facebook or handing it over in person, having your CrewPass verification ready to go might just be the difference between another day pounding the pavements and your first day on board.
Want to share your story? Slide into our DM’s @crewpass with your most creative job-landing strategy!
Author: Amelia Hilton Pierce
Amelia Hilton Pierce is a coach and former yachtie with a BSc in Psychology (Counselling). After nearly a decade at sea, she transitioned ashore and now helps others navigate this shift, offering guidance on everything from career transitions to building connections on land. You can read more about her work at Shoresidecoaching.com.
