Recently, I was tasked with finding a junior stewardess for a yacht that I have previously worked on through a combination of agents and private adverts.
It’s been a while since I have done this and I am certainly no crew agent – hats off to those who do this full-time! But with the amount of information to guide crew as to what, and what not to do that is available in this digital age, I was genuinely surprised at how many basic mistakes are being made when responding to a job posting or posting your profile onto a crew database.
This is how my search went:
- Firstly, I went through all the responses and rejected any that did not have a professional-looking picture on their profile. I’m sure you had a great time at that festival, and you look amazing, but I need to see how you will look in uniform – not in hot pants. This also applies to those who have a good photo but have uploaded it so that I can only see your legs! Or it’s upside down! If you’re not sure how to upload photos, ask for help. And please don’t write ‘computer skills’ on your CV.
- Following this, when posting the advert I asked for a cover letter – any cover letter! There were specific cues in the posting that would allow a stew to stand out, yet many did not take this opportunity to show that they could follow basic instructions.
- Next, when I checked candidates’ locations on their profiles and then contacted them, many were not where they said they were. This wastes everyone’s time as often a boat will prefer someone local to the area, or a short flight away, due to time and budget constraints. I know it is time-consuming to update this information on every agency website, but if you are serious about getting a job, it’s a must.
- I know you’ve heard this before, but it still happens – check for spelling and grammatical errors! Then check again! Then ask a friend or relative to check for you too. Mistakes in email addresses for references could cost you that dream position.
- Another point to make is that you will be stalked on social media. Posting easy-to-find tik-toks of you getting drunk and dancing on the bar will get your name struck off the shortlist quicker than cake disappears in the crew mess!
- Save the ‘ghosting’ for Tinder dates – you never know if you might cross paths with the recruiter or crew member in the future.
And now some of the things that candidates did that made them stand out:
- Followed up by sending me a professional-sounding WhatsApp message after I first contacted them.
- Were flexible regarding what time they could speak and responded quickly to messages and emails.
- Kept me up to date if they received other offers or weren’t interested after our initial conversation.
- Asked sensible questions that related to the work ethic and atmosphere of the boat, or the structure and longevity of the current crew. (It’s ok to ask about the salary and package but not first thing!)
- Had a great picture of them smiling in an appropriate outfit with an appropriate background, hair tied up – and no sunglasses!
All in all, the tools are out there. Research what employers are looking for and then implement these things in your search. I wish this advice was just aimed at ‘green’ crew members, but be careful that once you have experience, you don’t become complacent and fall into these traps too.
Good luck out there!
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