At wilsonhalligan, we’re not only interested in placing candidates into their perfect Yacht ETO/AV-IT job role, but also actively encourage new crew into the yachting industry, for their own benefit and for the continued progression of the yachting world in general.
Find out below about the role, what to expect, what qualifications you may need and how to get started in a professional Yacht Stewardess job role!
First of all if you are looking at being an ETO or AV-IT Officer onboard a superyacht we need to look at what they mean and the responsibilities these positions have onboard. For most cases, these positions come under the engineering department, headed by the Chief Engineer.
This stands for “Electronic Technical Officer” and the position will encompass anything onboard that works with electrical systems on Heating Ventilation Air conditioning (HVAC), High Voltage (HV), sometimes Diesel Electric systems and can also go into IT, Navigation and bridge systems. This role works very closely with the mechanical engineering teams and co-operation is key.
The AV-IT Officer role (Audio Visual Information Technology) began from Radio Communications officers joining the industry when technology was making a breakthrough into the yachting industry and there was a need for experienced personals to be onboard. However with the explosion of technology the position so too has developed massively. The AV-IT onboard now looks after, media systems, internet and satellite connectivity, communications, control systems for lighting and blinds as well as bridge systems and much, much more equipment.
Both these roles have now cemented a position onboard the larger yachts in the industry, generally speaking a 70m yacht will have an AVIT officer with the engineers looking after electrical systems whereas some 100m+ will have a team of 2x AVIT Officers and 2x ETOs onboard at the same time. I think this shows one; how much larger yachts are becoming and two; just how important owners gauge the need for this knowledge and position onboard.
The industry welcomes people from a strong IT background (e.g. Cisco and Microsoft) as well as people experienced in AV systems commonly found on yachts such as Crestron, Plex or Kaleidascape who have the transferable skills to manage and look after the yachts equipment successfully. Good people skills are also needed as there will be a lot of facetime with the owner, especially when things may not be working and you will have to explain to them why in a calm and simple manner. The reasons for which yacht owners are buying boats have somewhat shifted from just cruising around the Med to being floating offices and meeting rooms for some of the largest businesses in the world, this makes being an ETO or AVIT officer extremely important and sometimes daunting, however the benefits can be fantastic on the right yacht.
Like any position on a yacht a minimum of the STCW 2010 and ENG1 is needed for safety reasons, then any IT qualifications or vendor related certificates are a bonus. To become an ETO onboard is a little different, there are cadetships available in the commercial world to obtain an ETO III/6 CoC (Certificate of Competence) which will allow you to work on larger yachts as a “signed on” ETO but you can be a 3rd Engineer/ ETO with a strong background in electrical engineering.
Salaries vary widely depending on job role, responsibility and yacht size. A 3rd Engineer/ ETO starting out can be on 4000 Euros per month with a basic rotation whereas an experienced (superyacht) AVIT Officer can look towards 8000 Euros per month including an equal time rotation of 2 or 3 months working period.
Each one of our consultants currently has a wealth of seagoing experience in their own area of responsibility. We, therefore, understand the roles, conditions and unique lifestyles of those who serve onboard large yachts.
Take a look at some of the current job roles available for candidates like you to apply for! Apply with a CV and/or cover letter, and we’ll do everything we can to help find the right role for you depending on your experience.
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