Building a Career Network on Stable Foundations

Similar to building a career, my husband Rob and I's entry into sailing just three seasons ago was an experience that gave us community and skills. Sometimes it boosted our confidence and inspired us, other times it was discouraging, exhausting, and frustrating. Sail by sail, we made connections, acquired skills, discovered hidden talents, and strengthened our seamanship.  

Like someone starting a new career in an unfamiliar work environment, we initially brought our enthusiasm, energy, and inexperience into the sailing community—as beginners. Now, three years later, we are an integral part of a community of dozens of sailors, many with international offshore experience and all with a love for sailing as both art and science.

Research and Conversations

After some research online and on-site, as well as conversations with various providers, we decided on our first sailboat, an 8.5-meter Columbia. It offered a sturdy frame and a thick-walled hull with a weathered exterior – ideal for beginners who were still a bit inexperienced with entering and leaving harbors and might occasionally bump into things and cause scratches.

If we had invested in the largest and most luxurious sailboat from the start, it would have been comparable to a beginner in accounting aiming for a controller position or a production assistant applying for the role of managing director. We lacked the skills, training, and sailing experience to handle the challenges of the sea with a more complex, flawless, and overwhelmingly large ship.

So if you are new to job hunting, fresh out of university, and have little to no professional experience, remember this: becoming a captain is certainly an admirable goal, but an internship as a sailor will help you acquire the basics without making all the mistakes right away. Look for suitable positions that benefit from your entry-level knowledge and dedication while also providing opportunities for your future career.  

The enthusiasm and discoveries that come with learning the workflows will take you from a beginner to an expert and eventually to a competent team member who one day will set the sails and lead their crew with enthusiasm.

Choosing the Right Harbor

Not only was investing in the right sailboat a decisive step for our new sport/our new hobby, but choosing the right harbor was also of central importance. Geographically, we explored various options and narrowed our decision down to three locations. Our choice was primarily based on the reputation among other sailors: where the wind was best and where the culture provided the best conditions for an authentic sailing experience and a value-oriented lifestyle.

Frankly, the actual financial investment for our boat’s berth was not at the top of our priority list. Once the other needs were met, the added value justified the investment in something so important in our lives.

Equally important when looking for a new employer and attending job interviews is to focus on a company with a culture that matches your needs and values, rather than just concentrating on salary and job description. These other aspects of satisfaction are dynamic and evolve over time as you demonstrate your value and contribution to the company's success.

Integration into the community and contribution to the company's success

After we had settled into our new home at Lake Perry in Kansas, the culture there not only met our expectations but even exceeded them. After just one or two visits, the members of the surrounding community—mainly experienced sailors curious about the newcomers in their harbor—began introducing themselves to us and welcoming us into their close-knit, respectful, and cooperative group.

Sail trip after sail trip, weekend after weekend, season after season – we embraced the sailing community, got involved in it, and felt honored to be so warmly welcomed by it. They could just as easily have kept us at a distance or challenged us to prove ourselves worthy of belonging. In fact, just six months after setting off with our small boat on this Midwestern lake, Rob and I not only upgraded to a more beautiful, larger (34-foot) and more demanding sailboat, but we also exchanged our vows on our sailboat, surrounded by our sailing friends and family members.

Perhaps we radiated our sincere desire to become capable sailors, combined with our respect and interest in the necessary knowledge and skills for safe and joyful sailing, and thus contributed to the warm camaraderie of our harbor neighbors. But maybe we were simply lucky to have found such a nice community that we could call our second home!

The journey from a beginner sailor to an integral crew member perfectly illustrates the trajectory of a successful career start: it requires humility in initial investment, focus on skill acquisition, and prioritizing cultural fit over immediate high returns. Choosing the right "harbor"—a company with a strong, supportive culture—is the most decisive factor, as it determines the quality of mentorship and community you receive. For HR leaders using IceHrm, this metaphor reinforces the power of corporate culture in recruitment and retention. By utilizing IceHrm to clearly define, promote, and manage a healthy, cooperative organizational culture, companies attract not just applicants, but dedicated "sailors" who will enthusiastically embrace the community, quickly acquire competence, and ultimately upgrade their skills to contribute maximum value to the company's success.