| What's more important when hiring people for jobs | | | | considerable value on college degrees. In many ways, |
| on superyachts: Formal training or higher education? | | | | college degrees suggest competence. |
| It's not a trick question, and it also may not be an | | | | Competence implies having the necessary skill or |
| easy one to answer. Competence can come with a | | | | knowledge to do something, and in many jobs a |
| variety of backgrounds, experience and formal | | | | degree will be an essential part of the recruitment |
| education. | | | | process. |
| If you're recruiting people, is it specific superyacht | | | | Having a degree is certainly no impediment when job |
| experience you prefer over a person with a college | | | | hunting and a candidate with a degree will have |
| qualification? How about someone with a mix of the | | | | demonstrated his ability to work hard and achieve a |
| two? | | | | goal. Additionally, the life skills acquired during four |
| With the wide variety of qualifications at the disposal | | | | years spent at too U.S. are often necessary to |
| of superyacht crew, a degree is probably something | | | | mature young people into competent crew. |
| that's missing from most "yachties" CV's. | | | | Captains seeking competent crew are usually looking |
| To put this in perspective, there were 12 crew on | | | | for a combination of formal education, common |
| board one of my 50-meter yachts, yet only two | | | | sense and training. |
| have college degrees. | | | | A captain will be looking for a well-rounded crew |
| The crew are more than competent at their jobs. | | | | member who can demonstrate his or her ability to do |
| The first mate and captain have raced in the | | | | the job. This can happen through experience and |
| America's Cup sailing championships on more than one | | | | industry qualifications combined with a willingness to |
| occasion and collectively hold more than 60 years' | | | | learn and be a good crew member with the right |
| yachting experience. Neither has a college degree. | | | | attitude. |
| So, is a degree from a college or Uni absolutely | | | | College and university degrees have their place and |
| necessary for a competent crew member? | | | | may be useful for certain positions where knowledge |
| The answer, of course, is a subjective one. | | | | of accountancy or other specialist topics are required |
| Personally, I have a college degree in business | | | | such as silver service. |
| computing. As a superyacht crew member, it's highly | | | | But in our opinion a degree is not essential for crew |
| unlikely I'll ever use anything I studied in the | | | | competence. Steve Maynard agrees. Maynard, an |
| classroom. | | | | outspoken Australian first mate who has been |
| After all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist (or a | | | | working in the superyacht industry for nine years, |
| business computing analyst) to wash down a yacht | | | | offers his colourful opinion. |
| or polish a capstan. | | | | "College qualifications aren't important," he said. |
| But you could argue that my life experiences while in | | | | "Land-based college degrees simply demonstrate that |
| college prepared me to be more competent in any | | | | you spent three years partying." |
| job. The skill of working as part of a team during | | | | Crew who bring with them IT, engineering and |
| sports activities, for instance, comes in handy when | | | | electrician or plumbing degrees can come in useful on |
| working together toward a common goal as crew. | | | | today's sophisticated yachts. But at the end of the |
| Patricia Alexander-Bird of Intra Marine Consulting, a | | | | day, there really isn't any substitute for experience. |
| crew recruitment specialist based in Barcelona, Spain, | | | | When applying for jobs on superyachts, experience is |
| said captains and the yachting industry at large place | | | | what makes crew competent. |