How to Write a Maritime CV That Gets You Hired

The top of your CV should answer the first three questions every crewing manager asks: what rank are you, what is your relevant sea time, and when are you available. Put your current or most recent rank, total sea time, and availability date where they can be read in seconds.

Everything else supports these. If a manager has to dig through three pages to find your rank and availability, you have already lost ground to a candidate whose CV made it obvious.

A strong maritime CV follows a predictable order: personal and contact details, a short professional summary, certificates and endorsements, sea service record, and references. Predictable is good here — crewing managers are scanning for specific things, and a familiar structure lets them find them fast.

Your sea service record is the heart of the document. List vessels in reverse chronological order with vessel type, tonnage, engine type where relevant, flag, your rank, and the dates on board. Specifics build trust; vague entries raise doubt.

List your STCW certificates, certificates of competency, and any specialised endorsements clearly, with issue and expiry dates. Expired or missing certificates are one of the fastest ways to get filtered out — if a manager cannot confirm you are currently certified for the role, they move on.

If you are unsure which certificates matter for your rank and vessel type, our overview of STCW certificates explains the essentials every seafarer needs.

The biggest avoidable errors are gaps left unexplained, inconsistent dates, vessel details that do not add up, and contact information that is out of date. Crewing managers notice inconsistencies, and in a role where reliability is everything, a sloppy CV reads as a sloppy candidate.

Honesty matters more than polish. Inflated sea time or invented endorsements get caught at document verification, and once trust is broken, you are off the list for good. A modest, accurate CV beats an impressive, questionable one every time.

Increasingly, companies want to confirm your documents are genuine before they commit. A verified profile that backs up your CV shortens the hiring process and sets you apart from unverified candidates. As the hiring market tightens, the candidates who get contacted first are those whose information is complete, current, and trustworthy.

Keep a clean PDF version ready to send, and keep your online profile up to date so employers can find and verify you without delay.