Every year the International Superyacht Society hosts crew-training seminars during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. This coming boat show will be no different, with two morning and afternoon seminars running concurrently from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., respectively, on Friday, October 31.
While Jimmy Cornell, a renowned sailor who’s circumnavigated the globe three times, will be one of the speakers, discussing (you guessed it) world cruising, another seminar really caught my attention. It’s called “Business Etiquette & Presenting Yourself for Interview.” Martha Galvez, a trainer from the Protocol School of Washington, will lead this discussion.
Having heard captains and yacht managers alike complain about the immature behavior of some crewmembers, there’s sure to be helpful behavioral hints coming out of the presentation. I’ve seen the problems myself, both on megayachts and even on land, since it’s a societal problem. We teach our young men and women to add and subtract, memorize historical dates, say “How are you?” in different languages… yet we don’t equip them with the proper life skills. And considering working and living aboard a megayacht involves close quarters and some really long hours, it’s about time someone decided to do something about it.
Whether you’re interested in working aboard megayachts or are already part of a team onboard one, visit the Superyacht Society Web site for registration information. (Register in advance, and you get a free lunch—and if any of you have attended these seminars in the past, you’ll know it’s a great opportunity to network to land a job.)
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