By Lucy Chabot Reed
New yacht crew gets loads of “advice” from all corners of yachting. The trick is sorting through it.
Two former crew who now have careers helping crew offered their own tips at two seminars in The Oasis Lounge yesterday.
A CV is often the first impression a captain or yacht department head has of a new crew member. Making it stand out from the literally hundreds of others that crew agents and captains go through is the key to getting the interview and, with luck, the job.
Former yacht Chef Gavin McMichaels who runs SuperYachtResume.com dispelled these six “myths” of yachting industry CVs:
Some other CV tips McMichaels shared include keeping a full address and passport number off, listing work history from newest to oldest, and “leveraging the roommate factor.” “Include what you are passionate about,” he said. “One of my clients had a fear of heights so for her 21st birthday, she went bungee jumping to overcome her fear. That says a lot about her.”
Once the CV is a success and that first job is landed, new crew often aren’t aware what they have signed up for. Former Chief Stew Jo Damgaard, who handles entry-level crew at Bluewater Yachting in Fort Lauderdale, offered a host of tips for deckhands and stews to shine in their respective jobs, as well as these tips on how to have a successful first job:
Lucy Chabot Reed is publisher of Triton Today. Comments are welcome below.
Today’s lineup of free seminars in the Oasis Lounge.
10am-Noon Knife sharpening with Culinary Convenience
10am Barista training, Theresa Mainwaring of Bluewater Yachting
12pm Yacht CV: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Gavin McMichaels of SuperYachtResume.com
1pm Real Estate Investing for Yachties, Albie and Marcia Van Zyl of Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate & Houses for Yachts
2pm Between Two Yetis, Oasis sponsors discuss FLIBS and the future of yachting
2:30-4:30pm Vitamix demo with sweet and savory drinks
3pm Maritime Cyber-Security, Sean Donnelly of Resolvn
4pm Welcome to the ONE Account, Bluewater Yachting’s crew placement and training one-price bundle