How to Actually Work With a Crew Agency

Registering is easy. Getting called is the hard part. What agents look for and how to stay top of the list.

The Crew Atelier · 5 min read

What an agency is

Agencies work for the boat, not for you. Their job is to send a captain three excellent candidates quickly. Your job is to make it obvious you are one of them.

Registering properly

One-page CV, PDF, named clearly with your role
A clean headshot in crew uniform, plain background
Availability dates that are actually true
Certificates uploaded, in date

Staying visible

Check in briefly every two weeks while you are looking. Not daily. A short message with an availability update is welcome; chasing is not.

Red flags

Any agency charging you a placement fee for a job is not one to use. Registration is free for crew under MLC principles.

Use more than one

Three to five reputable agencies is sensible. Twenty is noise, and you will lose track of who has which version of your CV.

References

Line up two contactable references before you register, not when the agent asks.