What skills are useful to find a job on luxury yachts?

Depending on the yacht position you're after, it's always helpful to have certain skills that will give you the edge over other crew members vying for the same job. Even if you have the skillset and experience, it's about being smart about how and where to look for yacht jobs. Also, if you're seeking a full-time position on board a mega yacht, it's actually more about your personality and crew dynamic. I've listed out some general skills that could be helpful for some entry-level positions below:

Interior crew - stewardess/steward (entry level)

• housekeeping

• attention to detail and organization - OCD level detail!

• any restaurant/service experience

• bartending

• barista/coffee

• laundry - high focus on ironing and proper care of different types of fabrics

• floral knowledge

• wine experience - sommelier, or at least a basic knowledge of wines

• organization and admin experience a plus

• bonus skills: childcare, yoga, massage/spa experience, event planning

Exterior crew - deckhand (entry level)

• water sports experience (surf, kite boarding, flyboarding, wakeboarding, jetski, etc…. instructors also a plus)

• experience driving tenders/inflatable

• scuba diving - bonus if you're an instructor

• being able to tie lines ("ropes" as land people call them)

• knowledge of common knots

• first aid

• swimming (should be obvious when working on the water)

• some hospitality (must be good with people) - all crew on yachts are in some form of hospitality

• bonus skills: electrical, plumbing, IT, carpentry, etc. Things are constantly breaking and having those skills are valuable on yachts, even those with engineers

Galley - crew chef or sous-chef

• provisioning

• knife skills

• galley (kitchen) organization

• knowledge of different cooking styles

• ability to adapt to allergies and food restrictions

• willing to work within a set budget

• on-time meal preparation

• experience cooking at a restaurant

• culinary trained a plus!

• health and safety knowledge

• bonus skills: knowledge of new cooking techniques (like sous-vide) and cooking experience at fine dining restaurants (award-winning a plus)

Engineer - junior engineer or deck/engineer

• basic knowledge of engineering

• AEC course recommended

• broad knowledge in plumbing, electrical, AC, engines, and machinery

• organizational skills and ability to follow a maintenance schedule

• natural curiosity and problem-solving

• bonus skills: carpentry, painting, construction

The lists above are not an exhaustive list, but it's a great starting point. Once you've got your skills defined, be sure to include them in your yacht CV! Yacht CVs are different than most land-based jobs as they are specially tailored to the yachting industry. Check out our blog post on how to construct the perfect yacht CV.

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