Matt Brown has posted an interview with me on his blog "
The Life of a Contract Yachtie." The interview is about my book, "The Insiders' Guide To Becoming A Yacht Stewardess: Confessions from My Years Afloat with the Rich and Famous."
In addition to covering the types of exclusive advice and practical guidance offered in my book, we also touch on topics such as crew education, crew conflicts (especially w/ regard to nationality differences), and concerns one might have taking a leap into such an unconventional career path.
Matt's
blog post also features a video clip from a talk I gave at University of Miami in Feb. '07 addressing American college students and many of the fears they have with taking time off to work/study/volunteer abroad either before, during, or after (or instead of) college.
Please check it out—especially if you know a young adult who's currently looking for a new adventure (that pays really, really well!) Meanwhile, my book is available at
www.WorkOnAYacht.com.
A note on the video clip that appears in the post: Wow, how much caffeine had I drank before I got up to do that talk? That's some fast talking!
What's funny about that presentation is that it kept straying so far from my originally-planned talk, mainly because, once I got there and heard all the concerns these guys had about whether or not working on yachts was a "safe" thing to do (in terms of their future career or graduate school plans), I broke completely from the talk I'd planned to give and got pretty passionate in my attempt to convince them it was OKAY. Because it is!
My hope is that more American young adults decide to take similar adventures and get out there to see the world. In the end, many of those I've convinced to give yachting a shot are now in their fourth or fifth year of doing it, including several Captains! And no, that's not just Americans—those are simply the ones I point to as the hardest to persuade.
There are so many long-term career opportunities within the luxury yachting industry—and the marine industry at-large—and people need to realize that this doesn't just mean on-board positions. One can parlay their crew experience into a number of great land-based careers in yachting, whether it be becoming a yacht broker, charter broker, crew agent, marine architect, interior decorator, marina supervisor, yacht agent, crew educator/trainer … or even a journalist or ad sales rep for one of the many outstanding yacht and yacht crew magazines & websites that are out there.
It's an industry of endless opportunities, and as an industry, we need to do a better job of making people aware that we exist. Matt's blog is helping to lead that effort—his coverage of the industry is fantastic and is one that all current and wannabe yachties should consult on a regular basis. He offers superb information and insight into one of the world's coolest lines of work!
Please check it out! Again, the post can be found at
http://mattbrownblog.com/?p=72 -- and autographed copies of my book,
The Insiders' Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess: Confessions from My Years Afloat with the Rich and Famous, can be found on my website:
http://www.WorkOnAYacht.com.
Thanks so much!!
~Julie Perry-------------------------
About My Book: The Insiders' Guide To Becoming A Yacht Stewardess: Confessions from My Years Afloat with the Rich and Famous is a part how-to guide/part memoir. It includes my "confessions"—short, anecdotal side-stories that serve to illustrate some of the adventurers one can look forward to in the megayacht industry. My book also contains all the exclusive advice and practical guidance one needs to get started—and succeed—as crew in the luxury yachting industry, whether it be as a steward/ess, chef, engineer, or deckhand (all entry-level megayacht crew positions).