Yacht interviews can be stressful, but they are also your opportunity to shine. So many yacht crew looking for work never get to this point so make sure you use this chance to its full potential. To help with that, our experienced recruiters are bringing you some interview tips to use and remember.

1. Make sure to know the name of the interviewer/interviewers and call them by their respective name when you introduce yourself. When you’re looking for work, make a point of answering your phone in a professional manner at all times. “Hello, Marjorie speaking”. It’s such a small detail, but it will instantly score you some points as you’ll come across as switched on. Too many people answer their phones with a dreary and low-toned “hello” which is really off-putting to an interviewer.

MARJORIE BAILLET - Engineering Recruiter

2. These days most interviews take place by phone or video calls so, just like you would have done in 2019, make sure you’re on time, or even better arrive early, log in a few minutes before the scheduled time. Ensure your backdrop is suitable, your sound and video are working correctly.

FIONA MURRAY - Head of Deckhand and Bosun Department

3. Be mindful of your body language whether you are interviewing in person or via video call. You can say all the right things at an interview but you also need to have coherent body language to go with it. I have seen top captains nervously playing with a pen or wiggling on a chair in the middle of an interview instead of taking a moment to compose and focus on the conversation.

ULRICA LINDSTROM - Head of Deck Department

4. Take some time before the interview to think about the position that you are interviewing for and prepare a few questions you would like to ask. This will help the interview flow nicely and it will show that you are interested in the position. Here are a few examples: “What’s the best thing about working on this yacht?”, “Are there any specific aspects of the job that I should be aware of?“, “ Why has the last person left the job? “, “What is the next step after this call? “.

ANNA HORAK - Engineering Recruiter

5. Listen to your recruiter 😊. Recruiters are specialists who know their market extremely well and know what it takes to get to the interview stage and then to the job offer stage. We champion candidates and when we share advice on topics such as CVs or food photos, it’s not to be a pain, it’s because we want to secure you your dream job! We know the process and we enjoy guiding you to success.

HELEN PAPAMICHAEL - Head of Interior Department and Chef Recruiter

6. Get prepared! Read over your CV beforehand and highlight in pen or pencil the things you are proud of and the things you think are relevant for the position, so that you can talk about these when asked, without panicking. There is nothing worse than thinking afterwards ‘Aaah! I should have said that!’.

LOUISE OVEREND - Interior recruitment consultant specialising in Junior Stew, Nurses and Spa Therapists recruitment

7. You can hear a smile – have you ever thought about that? When you smile talking on the phone, you sound warm and friendly, not flat. As telephone interviews have become the norm, this advice is more pertinent than ever. Also, when you smile, on Zoom, for instance, it is your whole attitude that will shift – it’s unlikely you’ll be slumped on a chair when you’re smiling. You’ll automatically sit straighter and be more engaging with your interviewer.

ALEXANDRA O'CONNELL - Deckhands and Bosuns Department

8. Remember this is your opportunity to shine. Tell the interviewer what you can bring to the table, what your key attributes are and why they should hire you above the other shortlisted candidates. Top tip – do not ask about the salary! Leave that to the discretion of the interviewer. If you have made a good impression, they will then move on to discuss terms later.

JACQUI YOUNG - Head of Engineering Department

9. Look your interviewer in the eyes while speaking to them. It is very important to maintain eye contact with the person facing you. If there is more than one interviewer make sure you give them equal attention, even if one is not interacting.

ANNABELLE HUVELIN - Interior Recruiter specialising in Chief Stew and Purser recruitment

10. No one is amazing at everything and it’s refreshing to have an honest chat, so don’t be afraid to speak about what you’re not good at. “Do you have any reservations about my application”? This is an old-time favourite and will be an absolute winner – by asking this question you demonstrate that you are interested and keen on the job and also that you are confident in yourself and not afraid of rejection. It allows you to address the doubts that the interviewer has about you and it’s your chance to put their fears to rest. Its a powerful question and one of my favourite “Top Tips”.

LISA FROST - Captain’s Department

11. Keep positive and listen with attention to the questions, take your time to respond with clear motivations on why you are the best person for that particular position/yacht.

CHLOE COLLET - Captain’s Department

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Each of our recruiters is specialised in recruitment for a particular department and they will do their best to get you an interview onboard a yacht. They will also advise qualified crew how to best present their CV and prepare for a yacht job interview.

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