Superyacht industry overview

Superyacht industry overview

Do you want a career where you get paid to sail across the world, travelling in some of the most luxurious vessels on the planet? If so, then the super yacht industry could be for you!

With more than 200 companies in the UK involved in the industry, and revenues increasing by around 4% in 2012-13 alone, the signs are that the industry is on the road to recovery and so too the employment opportunities seem to be improving.

Employment opportunities in this industry cover a wide range of disciplines from naval architects, builders and designers, to engineers and deckhands.  Competition for jobs in this luxury industry is fierce so making sure you’ve got the right training and qualifications to stand out from the crowd is essential.  See our range of courses and package offers for maritime training to ensure you can be successful in this lucrative industry.

So, how do I get started in the Superyacht Industry?

Working in the Superyacht Industry opens up a career opportunity that will be like no other. Be it role variety, location, scenery, colleagues and client or pay, there is nothing else like what you have the opportunity to experience on the yachts.

The role will not be your average ‘9 ‘till 5’ – you will be working on someone’s pride and joy, a yacht over 24m in length and likely travelling between some of the most beautiful and sunny spots on the globe. This means a lot will be expected of you, and hard work (and a good attitude towards it!) is to be expected.

When it comes to looking for work and opportunities, understanding the yachting seasons is important. If you’re looking for a role based (or starting from) the Mediterranean the season generally runs between February and May, with the Caribbean season running November to May.

So, how do you go about finding work? These days, the options are many and varied!

Recruitment Agencies. SWMA has a great relationship with several leading superyacht recruitment agencies and we are always more than happy to help point you in their direction to get the ball rolling on your new career. Some suggestions for broad Superyacht recruiters could be:

Quay Crew

YotSpot

Yacht Management Companies. These operate in a similar way to recruitment agencies, but manage portfolios of specific yachts for their owners. Their job will include crewing the yachts, paying crew, organising training, maintenance and much more. Again, SWMA are proud to work with several of these and examples include:

Dohle Yachts

Imperial Yachts

Dock Walking. This traditional job hunting method is as simple as it sounds – walking along bustling superyacht dock areas and handing our CVs and chatting with crew or skippers to see what opportunities for work they may have.

Social Media. Platforms such as Facebook have a range of groups from broad industry specific social groups to specific recruitment pages. SWMA have a close relationship with several of these, and it’s well worth checking out a few of the following:

Antibes Yacht Crew 

Palma Yacht Crew

 

Industry contacts. Perhaps you have a friend or former colleague in the industry, or maybe you’re a keen LinkedIn user, if so, use your contacts! It never hurts to see if you can get the inside track on a role or opportunity through someone in the industry, so this could be a viable option to try.

We hope that the above is a handy ‘beginner’s guide’ to getting started in what is an exciting, vibrant and competitive industry.

Got Questions?

Don’t hesitate to contact our team to discuss any questions, advice of guidance either by calling us on 01454 260130 or emailing us at info@southwestmaritimeacademy.com.