As all ex-yachties will testify there sometimes comes a point in your career when your desire to have your feet firmly on solid ground and be closer to friends and family, whom you have inadvertently neglected slightly over recent years, grows to a point where you really want to make the change.
It’s understandable that making the final decision to leave the yachting industry is tough and finding your next land-based job can sometimes feel equally as hard, especially when many prospective employers don’t quite comprehend what you actually did or achieved at sea for all those years.
At Greycoat Lumleys we have a handful of ex-yachtie consultants who successfully made the leap from passerelle to dry land and are here to tell you their tales and most importantly, give you a comforting and helping hand through your transition.
Indeed, a common problem our consultants encountered when looking for land-based work was that people didn’t understand the high levels to which things are done on yachts, the job descriptions or the hierarchy on board. If you say you’ve worked on yachts, a common reply is “Oh I know someone who worked on a cruise ship once.” Which clearly isn’t the same in the slightest!
Telling someone who isn’t familiar with the industry that you were a Chief Stewardess on a 100m yacht often doesn’t really mean anything to them, let alone impress them into giving you your next role.
However, the good news is that our yacht recruiting team not only have the knowledge and experience of the industry but also of leaving it successfully too and therefore can help make your move a lot easier for you.
Here are their top tips for looking for your first position ashore:
Tips for transitioning into corporate jobs:
Making the transition into a corporate role can be a little different although still totally achievable, after all our consultants are living proof!
If you are applying for a corporate role you should place heavy emphasis on the administrative and managerial tasks you undertook in your role, as employers will see these as transferable skills.
Brush up on your office skills - most companies will use Microsoft Office so doing a basic online refresher course will help you get into the corporate mindset and brush up on your skills
Be prepared for an adjustment period - transitioning from private to corporate working environments is challenging, from HR processes to management styles it’s all very different and it will take a while for you to feel totally comfortable
Clean up your social media - corporate organisations will look at your social media accounts as part of their recruitment process. Make sure your settings are set to private and there is nothing on there you wouldn’t want your future employers seeing
Emphasise your transferable skills - If you were a Chief Stewardess, for example, you should place heavy emphasis on the administrative and managerial tasks you undertook as part of your role and detail the meticulous standards to which they had to be completed, plus never forget to focus on those ever important people and communication skills you have gained
Produce a corporate CV - as they are different to a yachting CV. Try to use appropriate and jargon-free language for land-based jobs, as this will put the details you wish to highlight into context. For example, instead of saying the yacht had 6 cabins and 4 day heads, instead, write that there were 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms
Tips for transitioning into private households:
Our team’s extensive experience of working in the yachting industry highlights that making the transition into Private Households is the most obvious next step for Yachties looking to leave the industry. The clients and the way things are run are largely the same, although you have the freedom of being on dry land and are able to step off the premises.
Join a reputable agency - or 1 or 2 of the best agencies, although not every agency going, who have excellent and long-standing relationships with their clients and who can properly advise and mediate for you
Build a bond with your consultant- sometimes it literally comes down to whether you and your consultant have clicked and this is why it is important to spend time making strong relationships with a couple of consultants rather than cursory relationships with many
Look at agencies that have both Yacht and Private Household departments - their clients who have yachts will also have private homes needing staff and they will be well versed in recruiting for both sectors and helping candidates transfer between the two
Be patient - it can sometimes take up to a few months to find your ideal job, but by taking the time it will ensure a better match for both parties
Be clear about why you are leaving the yachting industry - if it’s because you would like more of a 9 to 5 job and weekends off don’t move into private households as the hours can be very similar. If this is the case corporate life is probably more suitable for you
Lower your salary expectations - although private household salaries are lucrative, they aren’t going to be the same as what you are accustomed to
Temp with agencies - be flexible on the kind of work you are willing to do, from waiting jobs, dinner party Chef work and housekeeping roles. This allows you to build up your Private Household experience for your CV, gain a good reputation with the agency and not to mention some temp jobs can turn into permanent ones
Brush up on your skills - if you were mainly assigned to the housekeeping department onboard, take a Butler or silver service course to broaden your skill set for private houses
Above all else we want you to know that as an agency we recognise the specific and extensive skill sets that Yachties have and this is why we often actively recruit them for Private Household roles. We know the exacting standards to which you will have been trained and how versatile you can be, therefore making you the perfect candidate for the challenges of Private Household roles.
If you are thinking about leaving the industry and are looking for your next land-based role, whether private or corporate, give one of our experienced consultants a call today on +44 (0) 20 7233 9950 or email info@greycoatlumleys.co.uk
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