Making a first impression is critical in the yachting world, your CV is the first impression a captain, yacht manager or owner will get of you.
What they read there will determine if your CV goes on the potential candidate pile or into the paper bin.
Being honest on your CV should go without saying but here I am writing this post!
Time and again we stumble upon the CV of a 20-year-old stewardess with 10 years of experience in hospitality… emptying the dishwasher at home isn’t hospitality.
These are the most obvious types of lies to spot.
When we look at qualifications to experience on a candidate’s CV, it becomes very apparent if their experience is legitimate or not.
A captain with less than 7 years in the industry is unlikely to have a master 3000 gts ticket without prior experience in yachting. Perhaps they have come from the commercial shipping sector and they have the ticket, you don’t know this without checking experience and references.
Age?
Rarely does this happen but it does, lying about your age will never do you any favour as eventually you will be hired by a boat and they will take one look at your passport and see that in fact, you are not 23 you are 30.
A hot topic over the years in the industry is dietary requirements…
If you are vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian or any other dietary preference, put it on your CV. Not putting it on your CV is the same as lying about this on your CV, it is a surefire way to get off on the wrong foot with not only the chef but the whole crew, but also conveys to the rest of the crew that you aren’t an honest person, this can be toxic in an onboard environment.
Deciding to lie on your CV is Fraud.
Not only is it fraud it is dangerous, if you claim to be more experienced than you are on your CV and no one notices you will be asked to do duties onboard that you are not capable of doing or have not yet learnt. This is extremely dangerous; as you could cause harm to yourself or others around you.
Lying or withholding information on a CV does not start interrogation into a crew dynamic on a good stead, this is something to consider when doing the final polishing of your CV before sending it to a Potential employer or crew agent.
Tops Tips for your CV:
- Honesty
- Don’t oversell yourself
- Fact Check your details e.g. passport expiry and date of birth
- Check for typos
You are more likely to be hired for your authentic self than a persona that is a lie. Your authentic self will help you find the right crew for you.
Shaped by the Sea