How To Ace Your First Yachting Interview

You can’t argue - it is terrifying!

BUT… This is where we come in. We can help make the experience easier and even enjoyable! At bluewater, we are here to help you be confident, ACE that interview, and make the process that little bit less scary. Here are some tips to ensure that you tackle your interview in the right way and prepare yourself for anything that your interviewer throws at you.

During interviews you need to understand that the interviewer is there to test many factors, they want to figure you out, to see if you are good enough to join their team, what kind of person you are, your work ethic, if you are well mannered, and much more… We could go on and on, and it varies in whatever job you may apply for. You must also remember that job interviews are a two way street – don’t be afraid to ask questions and question yourself… Do you see this as being a nice environment for yourself to live and work in, and a boss that you would like to work for?

When going for an interview for a job on a yacht there are a few specific and detailed things that you need to know - the superyacht industry is a very unique world and there are things that you must learn that cannot be carried on from previous work or interviews…

Firstly, you need to know the basics…

Prepare yourself for the fact that when a captain or owner interviews you, the job will more than likely be an immediate start – as in tomorrow, or even yesterday!

If you are offered the position, make quick decisions and don’t hang around because you may miss the opportunity and it could easily be given to someone else.

In yachting, first impressions are extremely important. Dress well, be pleasant and polite and always smile. If you are going onboard for the interview remember to take your shoes off at the passerail! And, if you are travelling somewhere to the interview make sure you study and organize travel plans well in advance, you don’t want to ruin your chances of your big day by missing the bus or your connection!

Body language is important, have good posture, stand up straight and be confident when you walk into the room to meet them. You can tell a lot about someone from their posture and when you are going to be serving guests on board, they will not want to employ someone who is slouching and looks lazy. Employers want you to be upright, efficient, and have your head held high!

Revise standard interview questions and be honest about your experience. Listen carefully and take an interest in everything the employer is saying. When offered the opportunity, ask some questions on things like; itinerary, the crew dynamic, how often the boss comes onboard. Asking questions shows that you are keen, interested and want to know more. Research the industry and yacht beforehand and let them know a little about what knowledge you have, taking the time to look into this should impress.

More than likely when the interviewer is explaining about the position they will mention the salary. If not, do not panic! Don’t be afraid to ask. We have a list of salary guidelines on hand if you are confused and need some advice.

Wear something smart for your interview - more than likely when looking for work in peak seasonal times, the weather is scorching hot, so summer deck and stewardess wear is perfect. Suitable attire would be a nice clean-ironed polo shirt, smart trousers or shorts and a nice pair of deck shoes. You should be clean-shaven, have a nice trimmed haircut and remove all piercings. For girls it is always nice to have your hair tied back in a neat fashion, a smart skirt or pair of shorts, and wear neutral, black, white or cream colours with minimal make up - you don't want to over-do it.

Make a list of questions that you think you will be asked and try some role-play with someone. It could be a friend, or someone who has had the experience onboard before, or even just someone who has been in a yacht interview situation before.

Starting out in yachting is all about meeting new people, remember not to be afraid to ask someone you have just met, whether it be the person who owns the crew house you are living in, a new friend, or someone you meet in the pub who has a spare 10 minutes…

Be confident. Practice makes perfect - so keep trying until you feel confident enough that you can answer those questions positively and politely.

Be positive! Don’t make silly mistakes like criticizing past employers, or people that you have day-worked with… Yachting is a very small world and chances are that the captain you are criticizing could be the prospective new captains’ best friend! Even if that isn’t the case, do not do it. It does not come across professional and you will be seen as someone who might cause conflict within a team onboard. Big no-no!

Always make eye contact and maintain it throughout the interview, firstly as it’s polite and shows that you are interested, keen and are giving them your undivided attention. Pay full attention when answering questions, listen carefully, adapt to the conversation and relate to everything that the prospective employer is saying. They are interested in knowing; what you are successful in, what achievements that you are proud of, how you have solved problems in the past and how you have learned and improved from difficult situations – remember this when you are writing your practice questions… Always turn negative into positive.

At bluewater, we do our absolute best to give out expert advice to crew from our extremely experienced team, and help prepare them for any interview situation.

Our team is here to help, come into our crew and training offices and see us now for any advice you need. We are open to crew Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9am and 12pm.

You can also reach us by phone or email:

Antibes
crew@bluewateryachting.com
+33 493 34 47 73

Palma
crewpalma@bluewateryachting.com
+34 971 677 154