On the Hunt

Since I have completed all my courses it is now all about the job hunt. The first place to start is registering with crew agencies in the area. There are numerous agencies and it can get quite tedious filling out all the online forms and uploading all my documents such as my photo, CV/resume, certificates and references. Once you have registered it is time to go visit in person and over the past couple weeks I have visited 6 agencies. As a newbie or "green" person I need to try to get myself out there as much as possible, and putting a face to our CV will help them keep me in mind when any jobs come up. I have also received some good feedback and tips from various agents and continue to make adjustments to my CV and methods as I go. It is humbling to be back at square one looking for a job where I am in that catch-22 situation where the majority of jobs posted require experience on a yacht however how can one get the experience if all jobs require it?!

Another strategy in the hunt for a yachting gig is dock walking, which I did for the first time the other day. I printed out multiple copies of my CV and went down to the Bahia Mar Marina trying to chat up anyone I saw working on yachts. Basically you ask if they need any day workers for random tasks, and then offer your CV so if something comes up they can contact you. The concept was definitely a bit intimidating but once I got down there it was fine and I just tried to be personable and friendly. Most of the people I spoke to were super nice and although I did not get any work from it I did pass along my CV in hopes something would arise in the future.

While a couple of the agencies have put me forward for a few different positions, it seems the consensus from everyone I meet is that is all about who you know. This industry seems to run greatly through word of mouth and relationships. Like any job hunt, the people you know can greatly influence your chance of landing a good gig. While the yachties work all over the globe in a sort of transient manner, it seems everyone runs into each other again at some point and going out with the boys has shown me how small this community actually is once you become a part of it. Everyone I have met has been incredibly nice and welcoming and eager to offer some tips where they can. I cannot stress enough how thankful I am to have these guys on my side! There are many mixers and networking events and happy hours that yachties congregate at and we have been going around to the social engagements regularly so I can meet as many people as possible. I have also (gasp!) rejoined Facebook after a 6 year hiatus as there are many yachting groups that post positions that may not have such high requirements as the jobs the agencies have available. For those that know me well you know I am not thrilled about being on Facebook, but I have to be realistic about the benefit it offers in this yachting job hunt. I have had one interview so far thanks to Cuan, but unfortunately the gig did not pan out - although they did tell myself and Cuan that they felt I would have a job soon and not to get discouraged which was nice. I will continue to exercise patience and a positive outlook as my hunt continues!

Dock Walking at Bahia Mar