How to maximise your chances of success and succeed in an interview.

Getting your first job in the industry as a green crew member can be one of the toughest challenges you will face in your career. So when you do get that longed for interview, it is incredibly important that you get it right. I have spent years both interviewing candidates as well as training and placing individuals into the industry and there is a lot that you can do to maximise your chances of success. Preparation is key, you really cannot put too much time or effort into making sure you have thought of everything and have gone above and beyond.

Research and Industry Knowledge: What do you know about the yacht that you are being interviewed for? In fact, what do you know about the industry full stop? knowledge is power, so become a geek and get researching, reading and observing. A simple example of this would

be, if you walked down any street right now without too much trouble, you could tell me the make of most cars if not the model, no one has taught you that, you have just assimilated that knowledge. Well yachts are just the same and they are designed and built by different yards, different designers for different purposes, different tastes and types of owner experience and vastly different price points. There is so much information out there, so look at crew news platforms, read articles, read all the information and advise on crew social media and get informed. Arriving for interview with a solid understanding of the yacht and its capabilities and purpose is always going to be an advantage. 

“You don’t hire for skills; you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills”

Simon Sinek

Be The Person They Are Looking For: You are green, you are new to the industry, you cannot change that, but what you can do is make sure that you make up for that by being enthusiastic and positive. Of course the yacht would love you to have skills, the more the merrier, but at the start of your career it is actually more important that you have the right attitude to learn and have the ability to be versatile. The yacht is looking for a mature hard worker, (by the way maturity isn’t always age related!) who works well in a team environment, someone who can take instruction, is energetic and committed, someone who mucks in whether it’s their job or not, who seeks to find the positive in every situation and has an awareness of the bigger picture i.e. the safe operation of the vessel and a fantastic owner and guest experience. If you focus your attitude and interview answers on this premise, you are well on the way to a successful outcome. 

Go in With the Attitude What Can I Give? Rather Than, What Will I Get?: What you get payed, how much holiday do you get, are all subjects to discuss, but what the boat wants to know is 

what are you going to contribute? Ask yourself some fundamental questions, what is your motivation for applying for the job, money? ... travel?  .. serious career decision? and then think about what the yacht wants your motivation to be? 

“Hire people with transferable skills, team players who can pitch in and help others in all sorts of situations. It is important to never underestimate the power of versatility.”

Richard Branson

Don’t Get Caught Out: Be prepared for the curveball phone call, it’s perfectly possible that you may have been put forward for a job and you don’t know anything about it, the first you know is a call out of the blue from a Captain or Head of Department. It doesn’t matter what you are doing or where you are, get your act together quickly and focus and make sure you make the right impression, regardless of whether you are still in bed or at the pub. Always, always make a point of answering the phone professionally, no matter what and always look at the number of an incoming call and if its not one you recognise or its obviously an international call, presume it’s an employer. Candidates have lost the chance of interview many times by not answering the phone professionally or yawning grunting and asking if they van call back later. Remember you are entering a professional industry so professionalism at all times should be your approach from this point in. 

Beware of Partying Up a Storm the Night Before: You may be in Antibes or Palma the night before your interview, safe in the knowledge that tomorrow’s job opportunity is moored miles down the coast, but do not ever think that having a big night out prior to an interview is a good idea. There are eyes everywhere and all it takes is for a crew member to see you falling over drunk or being an idiot and that can very easily be relayed back to the yacht. Of course the most obvious reason is that no one wants to interview someone who despite a shower, stinks of alcohol and cigarettes, so just gove yourself a break and have an early night, its worth it. 

Don’t Hide Your Light: If you are young and don’t have a huge experience of employment, never think that you can’t use other examples to illustrate your work ethic and commitment, so many people think that their work and life experience prior to yachting if it isn’t maritime related, is not relevant to either put on their CV or talk about in interview. believe me this is not the case. Evidence that you have spent your teenage years actively having a part time job, volunteering, helping out, being a scout or actively playing sport, whatever it is, however humble all helps paint a picture to an employer.

Don’t promise What You Can’t Deliver: It is very easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment and slightly over exaggerate your abilities, especially by telling people that you have experience at things that you don’t. For instance taking “I have done a day of painting and varnishing training” and instead saying “I am very experienced at painting and varnishing “will cause you to rapidly lose face when it becomes apparent that you actually have not got those skills and your head of department will start to wonder if there is anything else that is not quite as it seems on your CV! Being honest, enthusiastic and showing an openness to learn, will save the boat a lot of time and serve you better in the long run. 

Strengths and Weaknesses: This is such a classic interview question and will often be phrased in terms of “tell me three of your strengths and three weaknesses.” Most people’s immediate instinct is to rattle out three fantastic strengths and then be terrified of talking about their weakness’s, but this is actually completely the wrong way to approach the question. What this question is really about is, are you self-aware? and how do you approach challenges? So the best thing you can do is start with your weaknesses and go straight in with “I will start with my weaknesses as actually these are some of the things that I have worked the hardest at to overcome.”  Straight away you have the interviewees attention and by illustrating some of the hurdle’s you have encountered and the way you addressed them you can display your ability to be tenacious, resourceful and you can then go on to your strengths, which by that point will be the icing on the cake. 

Interview Technique Advice: Do make the most of the information that is already out there, many of the crew agents have excellent crew advice sections on their websites, and also have videos on YouTube, they know it is in their interests to make sure you properly prepare for you Interview and you have a successful outcome. CrewPasshttp://www.crewpass.co.uk have fantastic partnerships with some of the best crew agents globally. Wilson Halliganhttp://www.wiilsonhalligan.com has great blog posts and one in particular on the key questions you will be asked in interview. YPI Crew http://www.ypicrew.com  have a really useful crew tips section, with very insightful interview advice including the use of the S.T.A.R method. 

 Ask The Crew Agent: If your interview comes via an agent who put you forward for the job, ask them for their best advice on what the vessel is looking for, some general steerage does not broach confidentiality and gaining their thoughts on what the captain or intended interviewer likes to see and hear from a candidate, can be invaluable. Make notes and do not worry about having these to hand whether the interview is in person or on zoom, its shows you have prepared and want to get it right. 

General Check list: This might be the obvious stuff, but it is so worth checking.

·       Social Media: Do not let yourself down, do a thorough check of your social media and have a serious look at the impression you are making, checking your profile is one of the ways a yacht will use to see if you really are the dedicated hard working individual your CV says you are. Loads of pictures of you partying, falling out of bars or pouting and posing are not going to help you get that job. So either make your accounts private and keep your fun times for you and your friends’ eyes and create another profile that is more acceptable, or just have a clear out and be really mindful or what you post in future.

·       Voicemail: Your voicemail message could be the first thing that an employer has to judge you on, do not have one? take some time to record a simple and professional message. 

·       Presentation: It does not matter whether you are on a zoom call or being interviewed in person, the way you present yourself is incredibly important. Always take the time to look the part and dress in the ways a crew member would, so that you can illustrate that you understand the standards involved. A polo shirt, (clean and ironed) or a neat plain shirt, shorts, chino’s or a skort are all good potential suggestions. 

·       Feet, Hands and Hair: If you are having an interview onboard a yacht remember that when you get on board you will need to take your shoes off and have clean, well-presented bare feet or socks. Not smelly, not sweaty, not dirty or unkempt, so take steps to make sure that this is the case. Think about the shoes you wear too, no flip flops or dirty trainers, clean deck shoes or similar is best. Your hair needs a bit of thought too, long hair for girls needs to be tied back neatly and short hair needs a good cut and avoid using too much gel or product, just go for a professional and conservate look. Finally nails, make sure they are clean, neatly cut and avoid long false nails if that is your normal thing, it only makes you look unprepared to do the very practical job that you are potentially being employed to do. 

·       Inform your References:  It is not just a politeness, always check your references are happy to answer requests on your behalf, send them your CV and check their contact details are correct and keep them informed of the interviews you are attending and the skills and attributes that you will need to display. It does not matter if your referee is from employment that is non maritime related, it is all about their ability to say that you worked hard and were reliable. Remember they could get contacted multiple times firstly by a crew agent and then by your potential employer, so keeping them informed and also making sure you thank them for your time is a really wise investment. 

·       Folder with Certification and References: Make it easy for your interviewer and show your organisation skills by taking your documents properly and professionally presented in a folder with plastic sections, so everything is well presented and professional.

·       Being Grateful: Always thank an interviewer for the chance to have the interview, you might not be the right fit for their yacht but if they like you, they will help you by passing your CV on or recommending you to another yacht that you might be more suitable for. 

Taking Ownership: if I could give you only one last piece of advice it is this, we all go into interviews feeling pretty powerless, wondering what we will be asked and how we will perform, will you get chance to say what you want to say? it is a pretty nerve wracking experience. However there is a different way to approach it that really helps the interviewee feel they have some control of the situation. It is pretty simple, make a list of three key facts about yourself that illustrate the following: - 

a) Commitment: How can I prove or explain how committed I am to do this job? 

b) Character: What experiences or examples can I use to show my character and work ethic? 

c) Motivation: What can I say to show them i want to learn and contribute to this vessel in a positive way? 

Keep those three key points, write them down if you need to, and make a point that whatever you are asked you make sure that you have woven all three of those statements into your answers during the interview. If you get to the end without finding a suitable moment, the use those final few minutes to deliver those points. This is based on an interview with a candidate, where he had waited whilst two others had been interviewed before him. We took quite a while with the first two talking for around 45 mins for each, they were pretty nervous, and we wanted to give them a bit of time to show us what they had. 

However when this particular individual came in, it was immediately apparent within five minutes that he was the man for the job. He was polite and smartly presented, he was nervous but well prepared and fizzing with enthusiasm and determination to succeed, after ten minutes we drew the interview to an end, with no need to question him further. His face dropped, clearly thinking that we had stopped the interview early because we were rejecting him. He stood up and said, “I have prepared all these answers to questions that you have not asked me, could I have the chance to tell you about how much I want this job and why I think I would work harder and be more committed than any other candidate”?  .. we let him go ahead and now 10 years later, he is a successful Captain. 

Finally …. Do not lose heart, this year of all years has been an extremely hard one for new crew trying to break into the industry, due to a number of factors that are out of your control. It is incredibly important that you stay positive and resourceful. Resilience is a character trait that will serve you well in the long term, so do not become negative, be grateful and channel your worry and concern into positive action, your job and your future career is out their waiting for you.