I am a 21 year old man who is currently in the US Navy. I have over 250 days of sea time on 2 deployments so being out to sea will not bother me. I will be separating near the middle of the year and I am strongly considering becoming a deckhand for a yacht. But I have absolutely no idea what qualifications I might need or how to even pursue for a job. In all honesty I learned about the Yachting industry through the Bravo TV show "Below Deck" (I understand that yachting is nothing like the show) and it peaked my interest. So I have been doing a lot of research but have not found a core set of qualifications or avenues to start a career. I also have many basic questions like "How is the pay?" and "What does the job entail?". I am completely green but also entirely serious about making it a career and one day being a captain. Any information would be greatly appreciated!
Here is one of the best write ups I've seen on the subject, as a starting place. http://wakenmake.com/yacht-jobs/
Your seatime in the Navy can be very valuable, but as I have been told by several veterans, you will have an easier time of it by making sure you get the right documentation before you are separated. 250 days is a nice chunk of seatime, at 21 years old it helps jumpstart what you may need to obtain licenses and qualifications that will help you with your professional development. https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/about_us/brochures/Military_Brochure.pdf https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/professional_qualifications/pdfs/crediting_military_ss.pdf