How to get your first superyacht job
You don't need previous yachting experience to get hired as junior crew — most deckhands and stewardesses starting out don't have any. What you do need is the right paperwork, a decent CV, and to be in the right marina at the right time of year. Here's the path most new crew actually follow.
Only after a single season, not a career? See working for summer — same steps below, no long-term commitment required.
Get your STCW Basic Safety Training
This is the one certificate you cannot start without — it's a legal requirement to work on a commercial yacht, deck or interior. It typically takes 5 days and covers firefighting, sea survival, first aid and personal safety.
What STCW covers →Get your ENG1 medical certificate
Your seafarer's medical, issued by an approved doctor, confirming you're medically fit to work at sea. Book it around the same time as your STCW so both are ready together.
How to get an ENG1 →Pick a department and get one extra qualification
Deck crew benefit from a Powerboat Level 2. Interior crew benefit from a silver service or introductory hospitality course. Galley crew need real kitchen experience or culinary training more than any single certificate. It doesn't need to be expensive — it needs to show you're serious.
Compare crew roles →Build a one-page yachting CV
Captains and heads of department read hundreds of CVs. Keep it to one page: a clear photo, your certificates with dates, any relevant experience (hospitality, boating, watersports, kitchens), and your availability. Skip the life story.
Get to a crew hub, in season
Yachting hiring happens largely in person, in a handful of marina towns, right before each season starts. Antibes and Palma de Mallorca (for the Mediterranean season, roughly March–May) and Fort Lauderdale (for the Caribbean/US season, roughly October–December) are the two biggest. Turning up in person, CV in hand, walking the docks and talking to crew still works better than applying online alone.
Use crew agents and job boards alongside dock-walking
Register with a handful of established crew agents once your certificates are sorted — they can put you forward for junior roles you'd never see by dock-walking alone. Treat it as one channel among several, not a substitute for showing up.
How crew agents work →Not sure which role suits you?
Deck, interior and galley are quite different jobs day to day. Read through each one before you spend money on certificates.
Ready to book STCW and ENG1?
Compare training schools running STCW Basic Safety Training near you — with pricing, duration and start dates — on our sister site.