*disclaimer: this blog series is a truthful toned blog with a comedic twist written by an ex-yachtie with an intention to make you smile, whilst being informed of your first step into the industry.  

Picture this: Mediterranean sunshine, crystal-clear waters, and you... desperately trying not to stutter as you see Kim Kardashian walk up the passerelle. Welcome to the world of yachting! With nearly 6,000 superyachts floating around globally, and the alluring media coverage of working within the superyacht industry, everyone and their Instagram-influencer's dad is trying to break into this industry. It is absolutely swarming with bright sparkly-eyed folks trying to be the next superstar on Below Deck. But before you pack your boat shoes and practice your knot-tying game, let's talk about what you actually need.

STCW: Your Ticket to the Party

First things first: you need your STCW certification. Without a doubt, you will not get employed without it. It costs between £700-£1000 and is a 5 day course, which you may have to book onto a fair few months in advance. 

Personal Survival Techniques

Remember those pool parties you love? Well, this is nothing like that. Picture yourself in a swimming pool, wearing what essentially looks like a bright red suit (technically called an immersion suit), trying to flip a lifeboat while looking like Po from Teletubbies. Humbling? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

Firefighting Training

Ever wanted to feel like a superhero? Well, this is your chance! Fighting controlled fires and rescuing dummies alongside a team of others can give you an insight into the scary reality of what an onboard fire could consist of. If you're petite, congratulations – you're about to discover muscles you never knew existed while carrying gear that weighs approximately the same as a small car. 

Elementary First Aid

Basically, ‘how to keep things under control until the actual medical professionals show up’ course. On a serious note, being first on-scene to a medical situation onboard can be pretty scary- you should probably listen up if you don’t fancy being traumatised for life. 

Personal Safety and Social Responsibility

All about how to actually contribute to human relationships onboard as well as touching on pollution and safety aspects of working onboard. Bit boring, but necessary. 

Security Awareness

This is the 101 of security risks onboard, and hopefully should be pretty self explanatory. If you’re onboard and you see some rando person hopping onboard, are you going to question it (HINT: Yes, you absolutely should)

ENG1: The "Are You Actually Medically Fit for Sea Life?" Test

This is a basic medical test to make sure you’re in good shape to be onboard. They test to see if you’re colour blind (with nightwatch navigation this is a big one) and can note down any allergies or issues which may put off a boat from employing you. For example, if you have a nut allergy that could get you hospitalised in minutes, this will be noted down as the boat that employs you will have to take this into consideration before employing you. 

Timing Is Everything

The best time to job hunt is between March and May. That's when all the yachts migrate back to the Mediterranean like very expensive, very shiny geese. Your best bet? Park yourself in either:

Antibes, France

Hub for the Motor Yachts if that’s what floats your boat (don't mind the pun there) This has some of the best recruiters literally situated on your doorstep so perhaps the best place to start if you're a bit unsure. There's some great networking events and spots that you can go around to show your (hopefully) best self off at.

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Perfect if you prefer your sailing boats, Palma is a bit more on the chilled side, with some great networking opportunities for people with a big passion for sailing.

Standing Out in the Crowd

Remember, you're competing with HUNDREDS of other hopefuls for each position.

Recent creative approaches have included:

• QR codes on business cards with links directly to your CV (or video introduction)

• CVs with Haribo/food/sweets attached (sugar bribes work, who knew?)

• If you're a chef, why don't you take some cupcakes around? (are you getting the hint yet?)

• Don’t just dockwalk Cannes, Monaco and Antibes if you’re in France. Catch a 3 hour train down to Italy, and you’ll be in a much better position than Dave who hangs out in The Hop Store and hopes he’ll get work through his fun personality.

  Fun Fact: Dave’s personality is about as fun as a box of shredded wheaties.

• Getting your background checked through CrewPass, so that your employer knows you're not actually the drug dealer from 21 Jump Street; what have you got to hide?

• Do your research, read up about what to include in your CV, how to interview, how to not network like an idiot, and how to be liked in yachting. You're not expected to know everything when you get onboard, but make sure you at least know the difference between port and starboard.

Okay, so you’ve got yourself your STCW, your ENG1 and your CV. You’ve popped in those extra bits to stand out, you’ve even got your mum to send you over to Antibes with her legendary chocolate chip cookie recipe. Now comes the hard part. 

Getting a job onboard was hard back in 2016, let alone now with the booming popularity of the industry. Be prepared for this journey to take you months. This is why it’s so important to do everything you can do to stand out, so that you’re not left hanging at the end of the Med season. 

My advice to you would be: do what you can to be the most proactive version of yourself. If you know a yacht is going to want you to have your food an hygiene course, go get it done online. If you know your future job is probably going to want to double check you’re not a serial killer, grab your background check from CrewPass. If you know your future job is going to want you to not have those tattoos, perhaps look into some cover up creams. Now is the time to be proactive and career focused. 

In an industry where you're literally living with your colleagues and handling million-dollar toys, a proper background check is kind of important. Assure your future employers know for a FACT that you haven’t got some disturbing criminal history - and hey, if all else fails, there's always those chocolate chip cookies. Add that extra layer of credibility and professionalism today with CrewPass. 

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.