Plank Runner

Yes, pun intended. Ahoy greenies. Class is in session and this week’s assignment is getting you a job! If you’ve already completed your classes, and written your CV then it’s time we start to daywork.

Daywork:

Daywork is basically freelance jobs for various boats in need of temporary assistance. These jobs can be anything from basic routine work to complicated skilled tasks. Daywork not only can be counted as experience on your resume but in addition can lead to permanent jobs sometimes. 

The best way to get daywork will be from Facebook groups, like the ones listed below, or the free website Daywork123. Be careful when using these sites though. They both are free public web pages that anyone can post to. Do not send anyone any confidential information without proper verification of the job and personnel credentials. AKA don’t be the greenie that gets scammed. 

The best Facebook groups to find daywork are

Daywork is a numbers and time game. The more jobs you apply to, the more likely you’ll hear a response. Likewise, the faster you respond to a job post, the more likely you’ll hear back as well. These public post receive a lot of submissions, so if you are within the first couple to respond your chances are much higher. Thus, to find your first job your best chance might be to sit on your computer or phone and refresh tabs for a few days. Yes, woe is you. 

When responding to these posts make sure to include: 

Make it short, simple, easy to read and answer their questions asked (ATQA). Feel free to use my typical job submission format. 

Yacht Agencies:

Another good way to find your first job is using yacht agencies. These are companies hired by managers or owners of the boat to help facilitate crew placement onboard. They receive a commission, usually is 2-4 weeks of the placed crew’s salary, for a successful placement. So they want to see you succeed! 

Some good agencies to use are: 

Yes, make a profile with all of them. IK, so much work; welcome to yachting. If possible, find the time to go in and physically meet with an agent as well. They can offer you more advice and are more likely to remember to recommend you when new inquiries come in. 

Agents also check to see how active you are on your profile. A good hack is to check in, or log on, every morning around 7:50. When agents start work at 8:00 am, you will be on the top of their list of most recently checked in. Do that continuously and they’ll be very motivated to not see your profile every morning. 

Be sure to keep all of your profiles up to date, opt in for email/text notifications for job posting and email them with any questions regarding jobs. 

Dock Walking/Networking:

The last way to land a job is dock walking or networking. Both may seem intimidating, but sometimes is the best way to find work. 

If you are not American or from the country where you are trying to dock walk, take precaution or avoid all together. Trespassing foreigners are not taken lightly most places. 

Personally, I’ve never had luck dock walking, but it has worked for many others. Docks best suited to walk include: 

If that doesn’t work for you, try the bar! Yes, I am encouraging you to go get a drink and job. If there’s one thing true about yachties, its that they all like to drink. Fort Lauderdale has some notorious yachtie hangout spots that might just help you land a job. 

They include: 

Around Fort Lauderdale there are also a lot of yachtie meet-ups. From beach clean ups to yachtie real estate investing socials to boat shows, there’s a thing or two to get you out of the crew house. 

General Applying Reminders:

Yachting is a very fast-paced industry. Jobs are posted with very little notice and expect you to be ready ASAP. Most likely if you are not within a busy port area like Fort Lauderdale or Antibes, it will be much harder for you to find a job. I recommend finding a crew house when looking for work. On the contrary, even if you are ready and in the hot spot areas, it still might take a while! So relax. Remember it is all a numbers game. In the meantime, maybe learn what you can do to distinguish yourself from the rest. Additional certifications like scuba diving, masseuse, personal trainer can separate you from your peers and increase your salary. 

Another very important aspect to remember is timing. Yachting works in seasons. It will be much easier to find any job before a season starts. A general timeline for the different seasons can be laid out as such: 

Mediterranean: May-September 

Florida/Bahamas/Caribbean: All year depending on hurricanes, but more

traffic during October-March 

New England: May-September 

Alaska: May-August

Mexico: October-March

Yachts will want to be crewed up with enough time before the season to familiarize crew with the boat. Therefore, the month or two before these seasons are safe timelines to start looking. 

With that they generally will be looking for full time crew to fill empty positions. 

A spectacular thing about yachting is its longevity. 1 year on board a vessel deems you a reliable employee. ITS GREAT! Though, don’t get the wrong idea, sometimes 1 year is hard enough. However, having longevity on your CV will greatly increase your chances of obtaining your next job. 

Now that you know how to get a job, the next step is to make sure it’s going to be a good fit. Check out my next articles Questions To Ask Before Accepting A Job to save yourself from all the shit boats out there. 

I’d love to hear your success stories. Share anything that helped you land your first job, how you may have done it differently or any other advice you have!