Getting a job after sailing around the world?

[Ric]

I am in the lucky position of at age 40 having my house and boat paid up, so I could set off sailing around the world for a year or so and live off the income from my house rental (it would be about E2000 per month).

I appreciate that I am very fortunate to be in this position, and expect I will get some envious replies! But I do have once concern - namely getting back into the employment market when it is all over. I would be mid forties probably on completion, which is not an easy age to get started in something new.

Has anybody been in this position, and how did employers view dossing around on a boat for a couple of years on your CV?

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[ChrisE]

I work as an independant management consultant which is perhaps a special case but for what it's worth, in 1996 I took a year off to do the Atlantic circuit, aged 44 and got back into work straight away upon return. In fact, having 'Skippered yacht across Atlantic' on CV has got me most of my work since.

Best of luck.



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[snowleopard]

depends on your line of work. i went off and found that blair had abolished my industry (IT) while i was away.

the trip will definitely enhance your cv. just don't leave it out or prospective employers will assume you were either unemployable or imprisoned!

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[Trazie]

Re: Go for it

What more is there to say..........enjoy.
Its always better to regret what you have done, than what you havent!!!
Traz

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[slavkod]

Re: Go for it

Good point. I would love to put it the same way as you have.

Slavko

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[tcm]

Hm, independent mgment consultant is indeed a special case.

I spose i'm more on the employer than employee side. If planning to hire someone in whom we'd invest a lot of training etc and would only become really useful after a year or more, then having someone who had proven themselves to praps nip off on the rtw or transat trip would not really be an attraction, I'm afraid: most careers can't compete if the alternative is blue-water sailing or being an astronaut and so on.

However, that same get up and go spirit, leadership, getting things completed in difficult circumstances, and (especially) showing pref for a lifestyle (like the career) comprising a series of shortish term goals rather than a longer albeit more secure career path over many years...would mean that independent management consultant would be an ideal choice of career. Being tall helps too!

Shorter people with similar CV, perhaps with more experience of going up masts etc might consider um, being a cat-burglar - which in some cases pretty much amounts to the erm er well anyway....

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[BrendanChandler]

When you get back you will be a different person,
the world will be a different place.
It may have altered to your advantage.

Go for it while you can, you may not get the opportunity later.

Brendan

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http://hometown.aol.co.uk/brendanchandler/index.html

 

[slavkod]

Dear Brendan,

I have a friend who came 2 years ago from 3 years around the world sailing. He sailed down to Horn as well. He is unhappy being back. But he had to, as his children are in 10 and 15 years range. As soon as they grow up he is going again.

Slavko

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[Ric]

I would feel much more comfortable about doing it if I had readily employable skills that had a ready niche in the employment market. But because I already have a very mixed CV, I think going off sailing might really kill off my chances of getting work on return. If anybody wants to give any advice, I got a first from Cambridge in aero-eng, then did a masters degree at M.I.T, then worked for a couple of years in management consultancy (hated every millisecond), then joined the FCO (and loved it - but got fired), learnt five languages fluently in the process, then since 1995 have really struggled to get back into work as satisfying as at the FCO. I've spent a bit of time in international marketing (not really my scene), then wrote a book, and did an ATPL (but work very hard to come by for low hours pilot like myself and am a bit old too). As you can imagine I have lots of rather diverse knowledge - but not really experience or skills that would enable me to jump into a post immediately. Perhaps here is not the ideal place to get advice but hey you never know - all input welcome!

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[charles_reed]

Forget PAYE

It's a bore anyway.

Be self-employed, don't be charged a major premium by an employer for the opportunity cost.

If nothing else you could come back buy or set-up your own business, build it and sell out for your retirement nest-egg.

Whilst it seemed a catastrophe at the time, my group's buying in my service contract in '92 was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I had more fun, less stress and made more money than I would have as a plc director.

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[HaraldS]

Don't think your chances for a good job will be any worse after your sailing adventure, but probably different. As you will have changed , so will have the opportunities. You can't plan for it today, just let it happen.

When I was an employer, I chose the more interesting people over the more boring ones, and many will do the same, and those who don't, you don't want to work for anyway.

I'm taking off too now, and have retired from full business already a year ago, but between sailing, I got so many small jobs that I was busy with that for 10% of the time earning 30% of what I had full time.

Maybe it helps if, like in my case, you just planned for no income for a while, then you can cherry pick.

Anyway, if you worry too much, you'll get yourself into trouble...

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[Metabarca]

Ric,
We've had careers that have a few points in common (aimless wandering for instance!). I got a history of art degree at Cambridge, worked a year in Venice, joined Sotheby's in London, had myself posted to Monte Carlo, hated it, had myself posted to Paris, was offered a job as newspaper director in Turin, was made redundant, invented a living, fell in love, moved to Trieste, bought a boat, living like a pig in clover.
Inventing myself a living was the point - it gave me an independence impossible in employed work. One of my working caps is as translator, which is something I can do from the end of a phone-line anywhere in the world. The work can be tedious and badly-paid, but if you are good, lucky and sell yourself, you can do some really interesting work. Sure, there's little kudos, but I decided early on to trade in kudos in favour of living life well, where and how I wanted to. I'm lucky: I've built up a reputation over about 10 years and now do virtually only translations of art and architecture catalogues and exhibitions, an on-line newspaper, a few semi-academic publications and... all things saily: a magazine, a web-site, a sails manufacturer and so on. Not so bad!
With your languages, faute de mieux, it's certainly something you could do to earn a crust with.
Hope this helps!

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[neutronstar]

I have ten years on you, with a teaching degree and a Bsc in IT. 13 years in sales and 13 years as a civil servant. I have tried over the last ten years to get a teaching or IT job with approximately 1500 job applications, (and about 15 replies and one interview). I am still stuck on a low salary in the civy. I found the magic age of 40 meant something in management clubs for some reason, but no one will admit it.

I recently asked a knowledgeable contributor to these groups if he thought there was work out in the med. as with only two years of net earnings I was going to have to find work as I travelled, and there seemed about as much chance of that elswhere as there was here.

The old 'teaching english' possibility arose and the usual 'bar' and 'english speaking tourist related' jobs are about all there is. I personally can't see the possibility of any other way of doing any long distance cruising unless a fixed income exists for the crew.

Some day I will have to retire, and will no doubt get going full time, (I have lived aboard in the UK for 8 years now). I have not made the break simply because there seemed no real chance of getting back into work like there was in the late 60's and early 70's. Plus with a 45 ft boat to keep afloat, which has been my life's work, (and I would NOT sell it), there is no way I want to risk being stuck in an income trap where I have bills higher than earnings. Bear in mind I do not own property.

SO:

If you see yourself in a better position than me 'then go for it', because I will have to soon!

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[Abigail]

Have to say that it looks as if you've got tons of skills that you could sell.

I guess one of the things that changed for me after abandoning the greasy pole 15 months ago was actually stopping caring about a 'career' and finding ways to sell what I do (also consultancy) at max daily rates to fund the sailing. This was a massive shift of attitude for me, but has been very liberating. I find there's tons of work out there which is interesting and maybe there's some very lateral thinking you could do around eg dispute mediation, or appropriate technology development, or niche travel agency (off the top of my head) that would use the languages, the engineering and the wanderlust!

So it is about whether you want to go back to a 'career' or put together portfolios of work whic earn enough to do as little of it as possible ...



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[Close hauled]

Re: Forget PAYE

I've recenlty done the same thing. My approach is not to worry too much about what's going to happen after we've been sailing for a long time. So many things that are impossible to predcict can happen that will change you and the world.

The talent and ability that has enabled you to be in this envious position now is not gpoing to disappear because you decide to go off sailing - quite the opposite. Seize the day.

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[roly_voya]

My solution was to retrain in nursing, now I gan get a worthwhile job anywhere in the world or set up a voluntary clinic on the boat if that is what's needed. I feel I can make apositive contribution and will therefore be more welcome anywhere. The job is also very interesting, challenging and makes you feel good at the end of the day. Down side? I don't gat paid much but life on board can easily be kept cheap.

Try asking youself what you want from a job, social position, wealth, security or money for food and a coat of antifouling the answers will make a big difference to what you do. After all not many CEO's took time out when they where young to just go play, er exept Bill Gateswho played with this new toy called a home computer!!

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[Danthegorrila]

HI,

e2000 per month is quite enough.

Why return, why work?

Once your out you won´´t want too.

Pete

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[sea_hobbit]

I don't know if the problem would be getting a job on your return or whether you could stick the job. I found that after a couple of years sailing I walked right back into work even though it was a difficult market at the time. However, my mind could not settle back down to office routine - not only did I feel the freedom gone, and office politics so petty, but even things like air-conditioned offices, and miserable pale faces crammed on the tube made me utterly miserable. So despite work being available I chucked it in and went self-employed working from home - earning far less but much happier.
You can't anticipate what a few years out will do to you. But there's only one way to find out - DO IT.
Best of luck
Sarah

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[robind]

Hi all! it sounds like there is a niche market for a "middle aged" employment agency, perhaps one that you mail with your return date and CV and they fix you up with some work until you get back "into the swing".
How about one of you "old fogies" setting this up? the first mill goes to my departure fund ??? te he!
)) regards

Rob

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