{"id":2210,"date":"2018-02-18T13:07:14","date_gmt":"2018-02-18T18:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/woayv2.flywheelsites.com\/?p=2210"},"modified":"2019-08-19T19:52:54","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T00:52:54","slug":"yacht-crew-hiring-ports-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.workonayacht.com\/index.php\/yacht-crew-hiring-ports-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Yacht Crew Hiring Ports Part 1: Where to Move to Get Hired"},"content":{"rendered":"

To Move or Not to Move? There Is Little Question. (MOVE!)<\/span><\/h2>\n

I get this question all the time from wannabe crew who feel they’re ready to make the leap into yachting:<\/p>\n

But do I have to actually pick up and MOVE to a hiring port\u2014as in, not plan on coming back to my home?\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let\u2019s get one thing straight right now:<\/strong> Pursuing a job as a yacht crewmember means opting for a life away from home… period. If you want to work in this industry, you will be leaving your current place of residence no matter what. Enough said there.<\/p>\n

\"Motoryacht<\/a>

Superyacht Crew on their new home and place of work, Motoryacht “Cloud 9.” Photo Credit: Suki Finnerty of YachtingToday.TV<\/p><\/div>\n

The next line of business:<\/strong> When I talk about \u201cmoving\u201d to a hiring port, I only mean temporarily. The hiring port you choose to \u201cinhabit\u201d is simply where you go to complete your STCW safety training<\/a>, meet face to face with crew placement agencies<\/a>, remain on-hand to interview with captains, and subsequently, get hired as a yacht crewmember. You are not<\/em> going to be apartment hunting, signing a lease, registering for a driver\u2019s license, or any of the other tasks that typically accompany a move to a new city.<\/p>\n

If you play your cards right, you may only need to be \u201con location\u201d in a hiring port for one, possibly two months\u2014and far less depending on the season and location. So, while packing up and changing cities is normally a major ordeal, in this case, look at it as simply making a pit stop on the way to your final destination: your new job aboard a luxury yacht.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Interior<\/a>

Interior Yacht Crew on Motoryacht “Cloud 9” Photo Credit: Suki Finnerty of YachtingToday.TV.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are certainly ways around doing an all-out move right at the beginning. If you want to \u201ctest the waters\u201d a bit (a horrible pun!), take a mini-trip or vacation to one of the hiring ports I list below and check out the scene. One- or two-day \u201cIntroduction to Yachting\u201d courses or the first modular of the STCW Basic Safety Training Course <\/a>(which can be taken \u00e0 la carte) should give you a clear indication of whether or not you dig this kind of work. Plus, there are a number of schools around the world that offer STCW training, so if a course is offered near where you live now, you could get that knocked out before making any final decisions on a long-distance move.<\/p>\n

\"Passports<\/a>Otherwise, once you are indisputably ready to commence your job search, you need to make yourself physically available in a main hiring port (see the lists further below). This is a fast-paced industry, and quick crew turnover between seasons often requires that jobs be filled in a hurry. Once a job offer is accepted, it can often be a \u201ccan you start tomorrow?\u201d situation, with little preparation time on your part.<\/p>\n

Moreover, as soon as your STCW training is complete, you can start interviewing for jobs. In fact, some job seekers start interviewing even while they are taking this required course. If you’ve read The Insiders’ Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess<\/a>,<\/em> then you know the preferred schools for obtaining your STCW certification and other stewardess-specific training courses<\/a> are in these main hiring ports, so if you want those courses to have immediate payoff then why not go at this wholeheartedly?<\/p>\n

\"Job<\/a>

Start interviewing with crew placement specialists and other hiring agents as soon as you complete your training.<\/p><\/div>\n

And while crew recruiters can meet you on an exploratory pre-move trip, every captain or chief stew looking to hire you will want to interview you in person, if not take you to meet his or her entire crew to see if you\u2019re a good fit. For an entry-level position, do not expect anyone to fly you in for an interview. <\/strong>That happens with experienced crew, but as a novice, your chances are slim to none. It is to your advantage to be in port. Captains want you to be available immediately.<\/p>\n

In The Insiders’ Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess<\/a>,<\/em> I spend quite a bit of time covering day working<\/strong> and how this can benefit not only your job search, but also your wallet. Once you’ve read through that, I think you might be more willing to accept my suggestion to move right away as the best option. You can always move back home if you do not find a job in a sufficient time period for your circumstances. But what I wouldn\u2019t do is count on having one month between the time you are hired and the time you start work to return home and \u201cget ready\u201d to go. If you manage to negotiate any time to \u201creturn home\u201d before starting a job, it might only be a weekend.<\/p>\n

The main point I am trying to make is that, if you have the financial and personal wherewithal to do so, head to one of these locations, and do it all at once. It bears repeating: You are not going to find your first job in the yachting industry without physically getting yourself to a main hiring port.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how you make that leap of commitment:<\/h3>\n