The concept of a maritime pilot is said to be as old as the sea itself. In ancient Greece, local fishermen would be hired to bring foreign ships safely into port. Modern day pilots serve to facilitate a global shipping trade where local laws and navigation rules could possibly overwhelm a ship’s captain and crew. Instead of risking shipwreck or disaster, they rely on pilot ships to guide them to harbor or actually allow a skilled pilot to board and assume temporary command of the ship during critical passage. The first time I learned about pilots taking command of ships was quite by chance several years ago. In Chesapeake, MD there was a famous restaurant, Schaefer’s Canal House that for 30 years was the place to go in the area for special occasions. It was situated on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on property that had been the historical site for pilot changes on the huge cargo ships navigating the canal. So this unlikely place is where the seed was planted that the need for a personal pilot through tough times is not surrendering authority, but necessarily borrowing knowledge to enhance authority.
Borrowed bona fide expertise – One of the key factors of information gathering for intelligent decision making is the reliance on the opinions of individuals that have expertise outside of the realm of the decision maker. While most people are capable of good communication through both written and spoken words, applying these tools in an unfamiliar environment can cause surprising results. Venturing into the sea of a job search most people will need to reach beyond themselves for assistance. This is not an indication of failure, but the acknowledgement that there are times that help is needed beyond personal capabilities. The tips and tricks of writing a resume are not intuitive to most people. Looking for credentialed resume writers with references is as important as the search for employment. Trained career counselors and coaches are worth their weight in gold if they can help to navigate the hazards of networking and interviewing. Successful talent acquisition professionals know both sides of the interviewing table and can be an invaluable resource to gain intelligence on how things really work. It is also not failure to concede that sometimes financial, medical, psychological and other expertise is needed to keep an even keel.
Fallacy of appeal to authority – A common fault in deductive reasoning is to assume that someone who is an expert in one area is also expert in another. A simple analogy might be to look at the opinion of a Nobel Laureate in chemistry with strong beliefs regarding social welfare. While he has the right to his beliefs, taking his opinions as fact without any expertise in the second area is assuming some sort of universal knowledge that simply does not exist. Job seekers are besieged by expert advisers on all sides. Some experts have used their talents to successfully create social media outlets to promote job seekers, provide for networking and serve as a resource for job search advice. Beyond their expertise in social media, most of them can offer no meaningful advice other than their own opinion and hearsay. Recruiters are experts in matching candidates to job requirements, but most are notoriously bad resume writers. Your Uncle John who used to work in HR was an expert in managing high level talent until he retired. Please don’t take his advice as gospel. The world if full of former HR Managers and Directors who are outstanding in their field but are not the experts needed for the detailed needs of a job seeker. Listen to them respectfully, but be reluctant to turn over the wheel of your ship to them.
Epilogue – Keep in mind that sometimes things are not what they seem to be. I was happy to read recently that Schaefer’s had been totally renovated and reopened in November after being closed since 2006. I hope the new owners did not neuter the old cozy feeling of being there. Setting the atmosphere for an evening began by walking past buildings with signs warning “Pilots Only†and then down a boardwalk with yachts tied up as if it were the restaurant parking lot.  Inside the luxurious ambiance continued with an expensive looking nautical decor. As ships would pass by on the canal, the house lights would dim and a voice over the PA system would announce the name of the ship, its captain and the name of the pilot on board. Unbelievable detail about the dimensions, cargo, origin and destination of the vessel filled the room… unbelievable because it was completely faked. After being totally impressed during several visits there I finally learned the truth: the waiters took turns at the microphone making up salty stories trying to outdo each other. The guests loved it. I want to go back. Â
Image Credit: Pilot launch, “Betty S.” in C&D Canal changing pilots, by Dick Legates (2006)
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