Welcome to the latest SYR View From The Desk

If you would like to receive this update as a monthly email register here.

Here at SYR we pride ourselves on engaging with the market on a regular basis, to ensure that our knowledge and awareness of what happens in yachting is as current as it can be.

This week we were in London for the Superyacht Investor event. Attended by individuals from across design, build, brokerage, finance and insurance there were a wide range of discussion points covered. We found particular interest in discussions around the new build journey, the rise of explorer yachts and also the continued successful march of the charter market.

Following the initial address by Burgess, highlighting some interesting industry stats, we spent a lot of the two day event asking attendees their thoughts on the current market.

Whilst many have felt nervous as 2023 began, confidence is increasing and we’re looking towards the market building and growing into the second and third quarters of the year, as the Med season kicks off.

The industry is starting to put the initial shock of the Russian invasion behind it and charge forwards into a new era of yacht owners and charterers.

We’re here to offer advice and practical recruitment support in this ever changing market so if you would like to know more about our services, discuss your career or how we can help grow your business, please get in touch.

TEAM UPDATES

ED | CEO | ed@superyachtrecruiter.com

Yachting continues to get busier and busier as the year progresses and we’re noticing a lot more design projects starting to come online, from new releases in the small craft and tender worlds to major superyacht builds signing off.

Continued appetite from the UHNW market is giving us a busy employment market, with a wide diversity of roles across a number of disciplines. It’s a great time to be considering a move right now!

Senior Design Engineer – Hampshire
A Hampshire-based consultancy are seeking an accomplished Design Engineer to join their busy studio, leading a small team and working across a wide range of projects, including electric craft and superyachts.

This is a great chance to work with a number of world-leading yards and manufacturers on some highly innovative projects.

>>To apply click here

SIMON | Senior Recruitment Consultant – Brokerage, Management & New Build | simon@superyachtrecruiter.com

The shoreside job market remained cautious in March, with lots of noise but not much action reflecting the uncertainty being felt across the industry. However, I am seeing a gradual upturn in new roles being released which indicates growing confidence and with the Med season looming into view I’m expecting a flurry of activity as we approach Easter.

I’ve been developing several new recruitment services for clients who want to enjoy predictable outcomes in their searches. Traditional contingent models are becoming less effective in today’s market, with a success ratio of 1:5 and a cumbersome process. If you’d like to learn more about how to hack the recruitment process, please contact me directly to arrange a discovery call.

Sales Officer – South of France
A boutique Yacht Agent with a unique USP is looking for a Sales Officer to help it grow its footprint in the south of France/Monaco. Working with the MD and Country Manager, you’ll identify new opportunities across the Captain, supplier and port/marina markets to develop new business in these areas. With a background in sales, you’ll have a good working knowledge of the yachting industry and fluent verbal and written English. A strong package is available for the right candidate.

>>To apply click here

CURTIS | Senior Recruitment Consultant – Skilled Trades | curtis@superyachtrecruiter.com

The UK job market for production was quite stagnant at the start of the year, which is now picking up, so I have been working with more customers across warranty and aftersales. This is an area that many people “on the tools” can often overlook or not fully explore, we have had great success working with highly skilled Engineers/Technicians facilitating the move out of production and into servicing/warranty. I would encourage people interested in this type of career development to reach out and discuss options in this section of the industry.

Across the EU market, we have secured new supplier relationships with various boatbuilding companies, from high-performance racing yachts to luxury sailing and motor yachts. For those willing and able to live/work in Europe we have plenty of requirements for skilled Contractors; Carpenters, Electricians, Composite Boatbuilders and Marine Engineers. If you would like to discuss the job market and/or your career plans, please reach out to me for that initial conversation.

Marine Engineer – Southampton 

Working within an international yacht brokerage providing full refit, repair, maintenance, and servicing support on a variety of motor and sailing yachts. You will be joining a team of skilled Marine Engineers in a fully equipped engineering workshop. The tasks will cover the installation, servicing, repair, and maintenance on a wide range of mechanical and electrical marine systems.

From engines, generators, ancillary items and AC/DC systems, this is a great opportunity to develop your skills with a company which is passionate about your progression. You will be trained through third-party suppliers on all the latest industry equipment and actively encouraged to progress internally. A strong Marine Engineering background is required, ideally from a refit, servicing or maintenance environment.

>>To apply click here

See you next month!

Collectively, the SYR team has more than 20 years of maritime industry recruitment experience allowing us to provide you with an unrivalled knowledge of the global superyacht market. So, if you are coming ashore, looking for your next progression or even for a complete change of career we can help.

Are you new to the superyacht industry? No problem! Our vision has always been to shake up the superyacht recruitment world and we are working hard to introduce talent from industries such as automotive, aerospace and other exciting sectors, a move that is helping to push innovation in shoreside yachting through projects such as electric craft, foils and new materials usage.

In fact, in just over two years we’ve made over 100 placements, 22 of them have come from outside of the marine industry. Of those 22, most have never even stepped foot on a boat, yet they’ve brought huge levels of knowledge and understanding to the design, engineering and build of craft in our sector. Our mission is to increase this percentage to be closer to 50% therefore introducing new exciting talent and ideas to a very traditional industry.

Our friendly team are here to support you through your shoreside superyacht career pathway with not only the most up-to-date job opportunities, but with practical advice that will enable you to have the best possible progression.

In this article you will find practical tips and tricks to ensure that your CV makes you stand out from the crowd.

We asked our recruitment team for their CV advice, here’s what they said.

Start Strong:

Ed, the SYR CEO, recommends that you use the first part of your CV to give the employer a reason to read on. “If you can hook them within the first few lines you’ve already stepped ahead of the next CV in the pile. Write a short and succinct opening statement with a summary of your skills and key accomplishments.” Ed adds, “Always include success stories and key achievements as this will show the reader that you are ambitious and like to exceed the goals you are set.”

Attention To Detail:

Simon, our Senior Recruitment Consultant for Brokerage, Management & New Build, hates to state the obvious but says “It still astounds me the number of CVs I see with spelling mistakes and bad grammar. A lack of attention to detail could really derail your otherwise perfect CV and make it stand out for all the wrong reasons.”

Dave, our Operations Manager, agrees, “Spend a few extra minutes reading through your CV backwards. It’s an old trick I learnt from my publishing days. Proof readers do it so that it’s easier to spot errors as your brain has to read every word rather than skipping along the sentence.”

Formatting Matters:

When it comes to your CV, the reader should be able to easily identify your skills. This can be achieved through a short company introduction with each position listed and bullet points of key achievements or responsibilities.

Curtis, Senior Recruiter for Skilled Trades, says “Something I cannot stress enough is that ‘you eat with your eyes’ and the same can be said for CVs. This relates to the entire document, the length, chosen font and font size. Avoid using colourful underlining or highlighting and try and keep it clean and easy to read.”

After your opening statement, your professional experience should always be chronological starting with the most recent and then working backwards.

Always include any relevant qualifications, additional training or voluntary work you have undertaken.

Customising Your CV:

We have collectively reviewed thousands of CVs and understand exactly what our clients are looking for.

Ed advises, “Tailor your CV to the job you are applying for to maximise your chance of success. Read through the job description and pick out the key words or phrases that they have used to describe the person they are looking for or the skills they require. Look at ways to incorporate them into your CV so that it’s obvious you are the person they need!”

Whilst we don’t advise you to literally copy and paste elements of the job description directly into your CV, it often helps if you adapt your tone of voice or the way you describe certain skills or achievements to match the way the employer has written them, almost like mirroring a person’s body language during an interview to make them feel like you have a connection.

How Much Is Too Much?

This was a point that split the team who, eventually, agreed they would aim to offer advice on each personal case.

Curtis said, “In my opinion, the CV should contain your entire employment history. If someone has retrained mid-career and now specialises in a new area, the previous positions could be just summarised. It’s always best to shorten rather than exclude information.”

Despite agreeing that nothing should be left off, Curtis concluded that “The important and, moreover, relevant jobs, experiences and skills should be the focus of the CV.”

Consistency Is Key:

Ed adds, “Little things like making sure your employment and educational dates marry up and any career gaps are explained, a one liner is usually fine. However, the most important thing is that you show consistency between your CV and your online profile.”

Employers will usually search for candidates on LinkedIn and will check to see if the online profile matches the CV on their desk so make sure they tell the same story!

LinkedIn is the number one online networking platform, so use it to your advantage. Not only does your profile need to be kept up-to-date but ensure that you are making the most out of your connections, following companies that you are interested in and ensuring you get recommendations from past colleagues.

LinkedIn allows you to show your personality in ways a CV doesn’t always permit. By creating your own posts or by commenting on industry relevant content, you are able to prove that you are knowledgeable and engaged and can showcase your soft skills.

We offer guidance on raising your online profile and can advise which companies and industry experts to connect with so that you start getting noticed.

The SYR team really are here to help so even if we’re not currently advertising a role that interests you, get in touch and we can discuss companies you’d like us to approach on your behalf.

We look forward to speaking to you soon!

Welcome to the latest SYR View From The Desk

If you would like to receive this update as a monthly email register here.

Despite January feeling like the longest month ever, here we are in February and this month SYR has a lot to celebrate.

On the 1st February we turned two and, as a result, ate lots of cake whilst reminiscing about how far we’ve come in such a short space of time, as well as getting more excited about what’s still to come.

We also launched out brand new website – take a look around here. Our aim was to provide a site that is easy to navigate, whether you are a prospective candidate or a potential client. We will soon be adding even more features, including an industry event calendar too, so watch this space.

As we continue with our mission to invest in the industry, this month we proudly announced that we are the 2023 Gold Sponsors for the YPY UK, attended the first event of the year and spent time catching up with our fellow sponsors and members.

Last week we joined the Maritime Training Academy at the Southampton Careers Fair and had a really productive day spreading awareness of the scope of roles available and inspiring up and coming graduates to pursue a career in the maritime industry.

And finally, it seems like only five minutes ago that we were shouting about reaching 2,000 followers on LinkedIn and now we are well on our way to 3,500.

If you already follow us we really appreciate your support and if you don’t follow us yet what are you waiting for? FOLLOW US HERE

TEAM UPDATES

ED | Managing Director | ed@superyachtrecruiter.com

2023 was a bit of a slow starter in terms of recruitment, with a lot of our clients holding back on making hiring decisions until later in the month. Confidence has now returned and we’re seeing renewed excitement from the market to recruit across almost all sectors. I see 2023 as another big growth year in shoreside yachting employment.

Senior Project Manager (Electro-Mechanical) – Italy 
A highly innovative new shipyard in Italy is seeking an accomplished mechanical/electrical engineer to join them to run their new build superyacht. A project that is setting new standards in low emissions yachting, this offers an incredible opportunity for the successful individual to be a part of something that will be hugely publicised once officially launched to market.

Experience working on complex yacht builds is advantageous, as is either being located in Italy or being prepared to relocate from elsewhere. Excellent package and benefits on offer along with an immediate start.
>>To apply click here

SIMON | Senior Recruitment Consultant – Brokerage, Management & New Build | simon@superyachtrecruiter.com

After the traditionally slow start to the year, the management company space is beginning to move with a selection of roles becoming available in sales, charter and operations. I’d encourage any candidate considering a move to reach out as soon as possible.

Sales Manager – South of France
An international yacht agent is seeking an experienced sales officer to help grow the brand in the south of France. Working as part of the country team on the ground, you will develop new business opportunities by liaising directly with captains, suppliers, port authorities and other key stakeholders. Forming part of a sales team with the country manager and MD, you will proactively look for new ways to develop business through partner events, yacht shows, dock walking and social media.

Yacht industry knowledge is key and a proven track record in sales is required. Previous experience as a yacht agent would be advantageous. You will need to be fluent in verbal and written English and French and must be based in the south of France and be able to travel locally. Excellent package and benefits, good career progression.
>>To apply click here

CURTIS | Senior Recruitment Consultant – Skilled Trades | curtis@superyachtrecruiter.com

In the UK market, we are seeing work schedules and production plans for 2023 fall into place. The winter period can be slow-moving for both sides, companies and candidates, it’s good to see this pick up now we are in February with more jobs coming through. In the EU market, we are continuing the supply across several production projects, to fulfil order books and hit project goals.

I am looking to build even stronger teams for our EU customers this year, in 2022 Europe had the largest global market share with 35% of industry revenue coming from the region. If you would like to discuss any of the work available or have a need to hire skilled trades, then feel free to contact me for an initial chat.

Yacht Engineer: Warranty Technician – Southampton

If you know how to fix mechanical and electrical systems on board large yachts and would like to be a travelling trouble-shooter on yachts up to 80ft then this is the job for you. Ideally you will have worked at sea on yachts or have experience in warranty/aftersales with a large yachting brand.
>>To apply click here

LAUREN | Recruitment Consultant – Naval Architecture, Design and Engineering | lauren@superyachtrecruiter.com

After what seems like the longest month for many, January has finally come to a close and we can think about what the year ahead looks like. With the current market in the Superyacht industry, there couldn’t be a better time to be hiring. Candidates are more competitive than ever and many are looking to make a move now the weight of January has lifted.

Our project aimed at working with graduates and spreading awareness for the maritime industry is off to a great start, after attending our first UK Careers Fair in Southampton. Make sure to keep an eye out on upcoming developments and where we will be next.

Senior Design Engineer – France
This is an excellent opportunity to join an innovative and forward-looking team primarily designing boats for the power craft market, both recreational and superyacht tenders, but also with huge experience in the production and development of catamarans worldwide.
You will be a part of a passionate, dedicated multi-functional team, participating in a wide range of design activities to develop new vessels from concept to delivery.
>>To apply click here

See you next month!

There are always questions upon graduating university of ‘what do I do next?’ ‘where will my degree take me’ and ‘where do I even begin’. It can be challenging and daunting deciding your next move, however this step may just be the most important one.

It’s tempting to take whatever role first presents itself upon finishing your degree, whether it be relevant to your studies or a completely different avenue. This however, can impact your future applications and chances of getting your foot in the door of your dream career. There are many circumstances which can sway your decision in taking the first offer. Time can be a determining factor and there is always pressure whether it be financial or the location of the job.

During your time at university, placements are a great way to get introduced to your chosen field and make those connections with established industry professionals (which will come in handy post-graduation). Online, training and courses outside of university are also a great opportunity to get familiar and learn those crucial skills needed to progress. Throughout your work experience you can gain insights into these prestigious companies and see what life after university could look like.

Most employers do look for relevant experience to the role you are applying for and once you deviate from your desired path it can be hard to find your way back. It unfortunately always poses the question of why have you chosen to go down a different route to your education. Like the reasons listed above, you cannot always help taking a role which may not align with your studies, after all your 20’s should be about making mistakes, finding what you are really passionate about and deciding what you want to do in the future.

It isn’t easy to come straight out of university and land your dream job, it is almost unheard of. However there are certainly ways to increase your chances:

Do your research – learn about the companies and their missions, what your average day could look like if you worked there and the responsibilities they hold.

Experience – whilst studying do as many placements and as much work experience as you can, this is your chance to explore those various avenues and find your niche.

‘Job Hopping’ – try to avoid multiple, short term roles in different sectors, this is off putting for employers in terms of commitment and loyalty to a company.

Network – always take any opportunity to go to networking events, shows and lectures, (they are usually free and open to the public!) Make connections with industry professionals in person and on sites such as LinkedIn, in most businesses it’s ‘who you know’ which gives you the real advantage.

Recruiters are also not the enemy, as a young professional I see disheartened graduates almost every day. We are here to help you find your dream job or at least the stepping stone to it, not to waste your time. I advise candidates who are currently studying or approaching graduation on everything mentioned above and more, I urge you to persevere through your studies and seek help if you are unsure on what to do next. The world after all, is our oyster.

If you would like to discuss your next step then get in touch!

It’s hard to believe that two years have passed and SYR is celebrating its 2^nd birthday! It has been an incredible journey so far, incredibly rewarding for the majority and incredibly stressful at times, but that’s the joy of owning your own business, right?

In February 2022, on our first birthday, I said that “We want to challenge the industry. We want to give back and support the grassroots side of yachting. We want to grow, continuing our international presence and offering flexible and relevant services not only in recruitment but in data, surveys and marketing support.”

I’m proud and amazed that we’ve achieved all of that and so much more! In the last 12 months we have:

• played a key role in one of the industry’s largest research projects on diversity and inclusivity within the superyacht world, in collaboration with Boat International.
• pledged a £21,000 donation to UKSA to work with them over the next three years as they support young people, particularly from diverse backgrounds, to discover and hopefully pursue a maritime career.
• partnered with YPY UK giving us a relevant platform to offer advice, guidance and open up opportunities to the up and coming talent in the industry.
• attended 17 industry events.
• increased revenue by nearly 50%.
• helped over 100 candidates across four continents find a new career.
• connected with over 2,000 new followers on LinkedIn (hello to the 3,000+ people following our journey!).
• engaged, as a team, with a collective 42,000+ industry professionals on LinkedIn.
• successfully launched the Superyacht Supper Club,
• created a brand new website that makes navigating the recruitment process a whole lot easier, whether you are looking to hire or seeking your next role.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the SYR team who have consistently been doing what they do best; working with the finest companies, sourcing the greatest candidates and posting the most awesome career opportunities.

My vision has always been to shake up the superyacht recruitment industry and it really feels like SYR is more than just a Shoreside Superyacht Recruiter now.

Here’s to many more years of growth and success!