Captain interview: Jason Smith, M/Y Lady Petra
The Crew Report hears from Captain Jason Smith, of M/Y Lady Petra, about how the recruitment sector has changed over his 20 years in the superyacht industry.…
Captain Jason Smith of 46.7m motoryacht Lady Petra has been in the superyacht industry for over 20 years, and has a wealth of opinions on the evolving recruitment sector.
Captain Smith believes that the most essential facet of yachting is the crew; not just finding them, but also keeping them, for both the captain’s and owner’s sake. According to Captain Smith, the average lifespan of the modern-day crewmember is less than it used to be: after one to two years, a crewmember normally moves on, he says.
“Crew are generally entering the industry younger and are impatient to advance more quickly today, which is not a bad thing. Sometimes, however, they get ahead of themselves, thinking the grass is always greener, and move on before they are ready for the next step. Everything takes time”, says Captain Smith.
An awareness of this change in yachting calls for a slightly different approach when it comes to viewing a crewmember’s CV. “I look out for words which demonstrate key traits during the interview,” he explains, noting that questions about to salary and holidays in the first five minutes of an interview significantly lessen a candidate’s change of getting the job. “As much as I appreciate the honesty, someone who is only in the industry to save money before heading off on their next big travel adventure is not the candidate that I am going to invest in.”
Captain Smith approaches the hiring of new staff with with a variety of channels. He has developed relationships with various crew agencies over the years, whereby the agents are usually his first point of contact. He is, however, more than open to giving dockwalkers their first break, as this is what gave him the opportunity to set foot in the superyacht industry back in Fort Lauderdale over 20 years ago.
In association with Fraser Yachts.
Captain Smith believes that the most essential facet of yachting is the crew; not just finding them, but also keeping them, for both the captain’s and owner’s sake. According to Captain Smith, the average lifespan of the modern-day crewmember is less than it used to be: after one to two years, a crewmember normally moves on, he says.
“Crew are generally entering the industry younger and are impatient to advance more quickly today, which is not a bad thing. Sometimes, however, they get ahead of themselves, thinking the grass is always greener, and move on before they are ready for the next step. Everything takes time”, says Captain Smith.
"As much as I appreciate the honesty, someone who is only in the industry to save money before heading off on their next big travel adventure is not the candidate that I am going to invest in.”
An awareness of this change in yachting calls for a slightly different approach when it comes to viewing a crewmember’s CV. “I look out for words which demonstrate key traits during the interview,” he explains, noting that questions about to salary and holidays in the first five minutes of an interview significantly lessen a candidate’s change of getting the job. “As much as I appreciate the honesty, someone who is only in the industry to save money before heading off on their next big travel adventure is not the candidate that I am going to invest in.”
Captain Smith approaches the hiring of new staff with with a variety of channels. He has developed relationships with various crew agencies over the years, whereby the agents are usually his first point of contact. He is, however, more than open to giving dockwalkers their first break, as this is what gave him the opportunity to set foot in the superyacht industry back in Fort Lauderdale over 20 years ago.
In association with Fraser Yachts.
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