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Yacht captain resume - how to structure your cv the right way.

Over the past year, Covid-imposed lockdowns have brought the yachting industry to a standstill. Many captains across several yachting capitals are now forced to stay ashore. And while the outlook of things may not seem very optimistic, some captains find it a great opportunity to catch up on less important tasks, like updating their CV.

A job that would otherwise not be considered a priority is now more critical than ever. Even highly experienced captains are looking for new work opportunities, which makes the presentation of your skills and experience ever-more important.

In this article, we help you get a better understanding of the steps you need to follow to structure a yacht captain resume. By breaking down each component of the resume and offering a downloadable template, you will be able to “refresh” your CV in no time!

Table of contents

Structuring a yacht captain resume

Yacht captain cv - the components, captain resume template, sending your cv.

• Short Summary

Gaining a position of high responsibility and authority in such a specialized industry requires lots of experience and certifications. This is why, in most cases, your CV will not fit into the typical “one-pager”.

Apart from being able to demonstrate that you are both qualified and certified to work as a yacht captain , the CV should give insights into you as a person. This includes a short intro to your objectives and soft skills. This will help agencies and yacht owners understand whether or not you are the right candidate to take responsibility for a vessel.

Overall, it is essential to remember that a yacht captain’s resume is all about organizing compact information. The easier it is to scan through your document and get a high-level understanding of all the important elements within, the better your chances of getting an interview.

While there are no “unspoken rules” when it comes to the structure of a yacht captain resume, it is important to show your experience and expertise across all aspects that might come in handy during your trips. As such, you will need to focus on many different points, broken down into categories. The most common way to do this is to create separate chapters on the following:

Basic information

Start out with your name on the top of the document, including basic information that relates to your profession. This includes but is not limited to a professional photograph, your age, nationality, contact information, current location, and languages of which you have a good command (fluent).

You are part of a specialized industry, which is why it is important to start your resume with personal objectives related to your work. This can further help agencies and yacht owners understand if you are the right person for a specific contract.

Career highlights

Start off by showcasing a very high-level overview of your career highlights. Create 4-6 bullet points to create a short, value-packed summary of your skills, experience, and training.

Two types of experience

A captain’s responsibility is to ensure the safety and organization of everyone onboard. This requires experience in two categories:

• At Sea Experience: This section should include all your work experience, including the type of ship you worked on, your role, and the responsibilities you have on board.
• Business & Management Experience: This includes experience and work positions that require business and management skills. Once again, break it down into bullet points and make sure the information is related to your abilities as a yacht captain.

Create a separate chapter for each of the two categories and try to keep the details as compact as possible.

Education, training & certifications

It is only at this point that your education and certifications should be listed. Since most yacht captains have to undergo similar training to become certified for their role, this part of your resume simply verifies that your experience is backed by proper education. It also gives a better overview of other useful skills you may have (e.g. rescue diver). Make sure that you add a date reference next to each certificate to indicate that it is still valid and up to date.

Personal information

While a yacht captain resume doesn’t necessarily need to delve into personal details, it might be a good idea to give a brief introduction of your personal interests. This will give a better idea of the type of person you are, and help yacht owners understand if you are the right fit “culturally”. In other words, this point gives a better idea of your abilities to socialize and make small talk on extracurricular topics.

When it comes to references, it is a good idea to add both boat owners you have worked with in the past, and other captains that can verify your level of expertise. Make sure you get their approval before adding their personal information on your CV, and if you have a recommendation letter feel free to add it with a hyperlink within the document.

(!) Note: Stay up to date with resume-related laws to avoid being disqualified. This is especially true when it comes to professional photos. Due to strict anti-discrimination laws in the UK, US, and Ireland, it is best to not add a picture of yourself within the resume. You can always add a link to your LinkedIn or a professional website that showcases your resume, as seen here .

In our efforts to illustrate how you CV should be structured, we created a template that you can simply download and fill in with your personal details. This captain CV sample includes all the points mentioned above, allowing you to make adjustments where necessary.

Click here to access our yacht captain CV template.

Once you open the document, click on File and select Make a copy.

Next, click on OK to verify the copy and create your own version.

You can now make changes within the newly created document. As soon as the editing is completed, save the file in .pdf format and you’re good to go.

With your CV at hand, you can now start applying. Due to the type of work that you are doing, printing out your CV and going dock walking is not recommended. In fact, it is far from ideal and it can make you look unprofessional. The best way to get exposure and land a new job is by doing the following:

Sign up with the best yacht agencies

Some platforms will take your CV and go headhunting to help you find work opportunities. Others are more user-centric, meaning that you will have to create a profile and add your CV. From that point onwards they will act as matching platforms, helping you discover new opportunities. A simple Google search can go a long way here.

Personal relationships

If you’ve been in the industry long enough you have probably built a network that can help get your CV in the right hands. While this may not be the best way to kick things off, it can be very effective for those with many years of experience. Send your CV to industry-relevant people in your social circle and let them know that you are looking for work. If they know of anyone looking for a captain with your skillset they can forward the information to them.

Facebook groups

Much of the yachting industry is discussed in Facebook groups. While most work-related posts are aimed to help captains find deck hands or other crew jobs, it can also be a good place for self-promotion. Therefore, if you want to increase the odds of connecting with the right people, make sure you join and closely follow the following groups:

• Yacht Crew CV - 26000 members
• Yacht Industry JOBS group - 30900 members
• Yacht Crew Jobs - 28200 members

Before making any post make sure you familiarize yourself with the rules of the group to ensure that your post will not be taken down.

Short summary

You should now have a better idea of both the structure of your CV and the steps you need to follow to increase your odds of getting hired. To summarize, here is what you need to remember:

• Adding a section on your personal objectives can help agencies and yacht owners get a better idea of your ability to communicate properly.
• Create one section for your experience at sea and one that refers to your involvement with business and management roles, and keep your certifications for later in the document.
• Adding a section that reflects on your personal interests is not mandatory but recommended.
• Try to keep all information compact to make your resume easier to scan. The longer your CV is, the harder it will be to read. If needed, add hyperlinks to relevant words.
• Remain informed on resume-related laws to avoid being disqualified (e.g. adding a photo).

And that’s it! You should now be able to update your CV and increase your odds of employment.

How to Write the Perfect Yacht CV [With Template]

If you’re looking to craft the perfect yacht CV, you’ve come to the right place. As the Chief Stewardess onboard a 50m Super Yacht, I’ve been assisting Captains with hiring crew and gathering yacht crew CVs for 8 years.

With my experience, I am familiar with the type of yachting CVs that Captains prefer to see. It is crucial to make a great first impression to ensure that your yacht resume is given proper consideration.

In this article, I break down the essential do’s and don’ts of a Yacht CV.

Scroll down to the end of this article to find a basic Yacht CV Template to help get you started. And yes, it’s free!

You can use this template and edit it accordingly to create your own Yacht Captain CV, Deckhand CV, Yacht Stew CV, as well as an Engineer or Chef Resume. All that’s left is for you to email it to recruiters or hand out physical copies when dock walking.

Table of Contents

What is a CV in Yachting?

There are a few distinct differences between a regular CV and a CV in yachting.

• The main one is that you need to include a photo of yourself! If you do not include a photo, it is likely your yacht CV will be tossed in the bin
• Unlike other CV’s, you also need to include your date of birth
• You will be highlighting your skills and attributes specific to the job you are applying for. It is a great idea to make these edits to highlight what you have to offer
• As you travel to seek work, you will need to edit your location and availability

Layout of a Yacht CV

When a Captain has 20 to 50 yachting resumes on his desk, there is a general easy-to-read layout that they prefer to see.

• It is very important to keep your CV to 2 pages
• Use a simple, easy-to-read font
• If you want to be creative with your colors, go for it. Just make sure the Captain can easily read the font
• Keep your layout clear and simple, making sure to include all of the required information listed in this article
• There are numerous Yacht CV examples online for you to decide your preference. A great tool to use is Canva .

Your Photo for a Yachting CV

You may not be a Yachtie yet, but you need to act the part and look like one. Follow these guidelines for the perfect photo:

• SMILE! You want to look like someone the crew would enjoy having onboard
• Dress in something smart/appropriate, and sell yourself as the professional yacht crew member you want to be seen as. Ideally, a polo so you look like a Yachtie
• Take the photo from about the mid-waistline up
• Stand by a natural background of either a marina, the ocean, or some greenery
• Do not take a selfie! Have someone take this photo for you

Profile/Objective

This is a short paragraph highlighting the position you are looking for and any attributes and skills that make you a good fit for the job. Be very specific about what you write here, and be sure to include attributes that are beneficial to the job you are applying for!

This is the moment the Captain will decide if they continue to read the rest of your Yacht CV or not.

Personal Information to Add to your Yachting CV

Most yachts have very specific requirements when hiring crew, so do not leave out any of the below points:

• Nationality
• Visa’s held
• Tattoo (visible or not)
• Health Status & Smoker (Y/N)
• Languages spoken
• Drivers License
• Email & phone number
• Availability and current location

Yachting Experience

Here, you need to list all of the Yacht Jobs you have held. Be sure to include:

• The name and size of the Yacht
• The dates you were onboard
• The position you held
• Your basic roles, responsibilities, and duties while onboard
• If you have the space, you can include the locations where the vessel cruised

Some of you may not have any maritime experience, and that is ok. If you have done any day work, be sure to include that here and highlight your duties and the dates you were onboard.

Other Non-Yachting Experience

Here, you want to include any experience prior to yachting, even if it is not yachting-related.

Captains like to see any jobs/positions you have held in the past, as skills are always transferable. This gives some insight into what you have been doing leading up to the point of finding a job in yachting.

Qualifications to Include on your Yacht CV

List all qualifications you have relevant to yachting in your Yacht resume.

Remember that yachts like to see add-on skills, so things such as Scuba Diving Instructor, Yoga Instructor, Masseuse, and any other certifications you hold should be included.

Here, you just want to include your highest level of education and when you graduated.

Other Interests/About me/Hobbies

This section of your Yacht CV is your chance to list out a few additional standout qualities, attributes, or hobbies. This gives a bit of insight into who you are as a person and what you enjoy doing in your spare time.

This is very important, as anyone can write anything on a piece of paper, but a reference speaks volumes.

Even if the position you held was not maritime-related, a reference is also a good indication of your character and work ethic in any position you have held in the past.

You really want to get written references wherever possible.

How to Make sure your CV doesn’t get Trashed

• Take the time to write up a good Yacht CV. I can’t tell you how often I haven’t read further than the first line because of a sloppy, disorganized Yacht resume.
• SPELL CHECK! In an industry where you have to be meticulous in everything that you do, spelling and grammatical issues in your Yacht CV are not a good start.
• When you save and email your Yacht CV, be sure to have it saved in a Word and PDF format.
• When you are responding to a job posting, write a short and clear email to the person who put up the post and highlight why you are a good fit for the position and why you want to become a yachtie .

How to Introduce Yourself in an Email

Dear Captain/To Whom it may concern

Please find attached my resume and references in my application for the position of “Deckhand on a 50m Superyacht”. Although I am new to the industry, I believe I would be an asset to your team as I am motivated and driven to succeed in the yachting industry. I am also an avid wakeboarder and love being on the ocean, so I believe I will adapt well and learn quickly. I am not afraid of hard work, and I look forward to having the opportunity to speak with you further.

Thank you for taking the time to view my application.

Kind regards

Downloadable Yacht CV Template

Use this Yacht CV link to download a basic yachting resume, fill in your personal information, and get ready to land your dream job!

Now that you have crafted the perfect Yacht CV, it is time to land your dream job. For those of you wanting to know how to become a yacht deckhand , read here for more information.

For those of you looking to find out how to become a yacht stewardess, read this insider’s guide!

Hi, my name is Lisa, a Chief Stewardess in the yachting industry with 10 years of experience, as well as 8 years of hospitality experience prior to that. Being in the yachting industry has been a whirlwind of adventure, growth, challenges and some of the best experiences of my life, and I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences with all of you.

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Download free yacht crew cv templates.

How to fill out the templates?

The CV templates you can find below are editable Microsoft Word documents that you can fill in with your personal details. Once completed, save the document as a PDF and upload it to your YPI CREW profile .

Below you will also find examples of filled out CVs to help you get an idea of what the final version should look like. If you need additional tips on how to write your CV, have a look at our guide on ‘ How to write a memorable yachting CV ’.

Some examples of good yacht crew CV photos:

Remember that looks are not important, what matters is the photo should capture a glimpse of your character. A smiley photo with a nice light, wearing a plain white polo or collared shirt (for chef's whites or blacks for chefs), no cap, no sunglasses, neat and tidy. No selfies. If possible try to take a picture outdoors, with yachts in background but this is not mandatory.

YACHT CREW RESUME TEMPLATES

Download free yacht crew cv templates, deck department.

Download CV Template

Download CV Example

Bosun/Deckhand CV

Engineering Department

Engineering CV

Interior Department

Yacht Chef CV

Chief Stew CV

Stew and Specialist CV

Other essential guides

Mandatory certificates

What you need to know about B1/B2 visa

How to write a memorable yachting CV

How to prepare for a yacht interview?

What are the two main yachting seasons?

Big yacht crew hubs you should know about

Is yachting the right choice for me?

Yacht crew salary guide

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Each of our recruiters is specialised in crew placement for a particular department and they will do their best to get you an interview on board a yacht. They will also advise you on how to best present your experience and skills and prepare for a yacht job interview.

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Chief Officer

Second Officer

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Interior Crew

Head of Service

Head of Housekeeping

Specialist Positions

Spa Manager

Spa Therapist

Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor

Hairdresser

Mandatory Certificates

B1/b2 visa information, how to write a memorable cv, how to prepare for an interview, yachting seasons, yacht crew salary guide, is yachting the right choice for me, cv templates, ocean mapping, new to yachting.

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How to write a yacht CV in 2023 [with tips, instructions, and examples]

Whether you want to work as a deckhand on a small private vessel or join the large service staff of a superyacht, it’s important to learn how to write a yacht CV.

Working on a yacht can be a fulfilling career. It is a great way to experience the sea, visit different places, meet important people, and have unique experiences. It is also, however, a difficult career. The employee quarters on a yacht typically have little privacy, the days can be long, and the work can be difficult. Further, when you are working on a yacht, you are at sea. You can’t go home until the voyage is over, which could be weeks or even months.

This means that your yacht CV needs to show that not only are you skilled, you have the personality and constitution for working on a yacht.

But if you, like Moby Dick’s Ishmael, find yourself with little or no money in your purse, and nothing particular to interest you on shore, it may be time to write a great yacht CV and see the watery part of the world.

This article will explore all aspects of writing a yacht CV, including:

• What is a yacht CV?
• Yacht CV requirements

Yacht CV certifications

• Yacht CV qualifications
• How to write a yacht CV

A yacht CV is a document describing your yachting skills and experience that you submit to employers as a part of a job application. It will contain details like personal information, work experience, education, and skills.

The yacht experience can vary greatly. Some yachts may have only a single captain on board and a handful of passengers. Others, such as enormous superyachts, may have a large dedicated staff and crew. Yacht jobs can include captain, crew, bosun, mate, deckhand, dock worker, marina worker, chef, sous chef, stewardess, engineer, and more.

The exact details of your yacht CV will depend on your specific career. There are several different paths that might take you to a yacht, and it’s important that your CV has the right details for your specific goals.

• Yacht CV Requirements

If you want to become a yacht employee, sometimes called a “yachtie”, your yacht CV will need to show that you have all the certifications and accreditations for the position you are applying for.

The specific requirements of a yacht CV may depend on what country the yacht company is based in and what countries it will travel to. Because most yacht jobs will require sailing to and from different countries, you will have to be conscious of where the particular yacht job is based and what the hiring requirements are.

Further, the specific qualifications, certifications, and skills that you need will depend on what specific yacht role you are applying for.

If you are looking to work in the kitchen of a yacht, for example, or as wait staff, you will want to list your food safety certifications, your culinary education, and your experience serving.

If you are looking to work as a member of the deck crew, you will need appropriate safety certifications.

Will you be working as a tour guide? Will you have to use the helm, or do any navigation? Will you be dealing directly with customers, clients, or passengers? If so, make sure your yacht CV reflects this.

Yacht CV Certifications

Certain certifications are required to become a yachtie. When you apply for a yacht job, you must ensure that you have the right certifications for your role.

Anyone who works on a commercial ship will need a Standard for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certification.

Also required is an ENG1 Medical or equivalent, which is a certificate confirming that you are medically able to work on a yacht and at sea.

Other certifications, while not strictly mandatory, can improve your CV, such as deckhand training courses and boating certifications like Power Boat 2.

If you are applying for a role in the kitchen or in a hospitality role, you can also look for stewardess training courses, food safety and hygiene certifications, hospitality courses, silver service courses, and more.

It’s important to think carefully about exactly what type of career you are pursuing and what certifications can help you.

Once you have the certifications you need, you can get to work writing your yacht CV. Yacht CV sections include:

Yacht CV personal information

At the beginning of your CV, make sure to add your personal information.

This should begin with your contact details. In your contact information section, include your:

• Email address
• Phone Number
• City of residence

In the USA and Canada, you are not expected to include a picture with your yacht CV. In most European countries, however, a picture will be expected, especially if your position will be guest-facing. Make sure to study the CV requirements of your specific country when preparing your CV. If you provide a picture, make sure it is professional and appropriate.

Some yacht companies also require you to state whether you are a smoker, and whether you have tattoos. You can include this alongside your contact information, or in a separate Personal Details section.

Yacht CV summary

At the top of your CV, begin with a brief professional summary. A summary is a short section, usually only a few sentences or bullet points, that briefly describes you and your experience. It should have a few key highlights, either of key skills that make you a great candidate, or some important achievements from other roles that show what you can do.

A great summary can be what convinces a hiring manager to read the rest of the CV.

Yacht CV work experience

Your Work Experience section is the most important part of your CV. It is the longest section, and the section containing the most detail.

In a Work Experience section, list previous positions in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent job and working backwards. In each role, provide a job description that details your responsibilities and achievements in that position.

For each entry, include:

• Company name
• Dates worked
• Job description

If you have experience working on a yacht, you should emphasize your yacht positions, providing them with more detail than you do to other positions. Work Experience entries for yacht jobs can also be formatted differently. For yacht positions, list the name of the vessel, its size, and whether the yacht was private or charter.

For example:

Deep Blue | 103’ | Private Stewardess June 2021 - August 2022

This gives yacht employers a clear idea of what kind of yacht experience you have.

When writing your job descriptions for each role, try to focus on concrete examples of your experience, including achievements and accomplishments. Describing only your basic duties makes for a boring CV.

To come up with achievements, try to brainstorm concrete successes that you contributed to. It can help to consider quantifiable aspects of your job. If you can provide verifiable numbers, your experience will seem more credible and more impressive. For a yacht CV, measurable aspects of previous positions could include the size of the vessel, the length of the voyage, the number of passengers or rooms, event attendance, provisioning budgets, and more.

Further, be sure to use active language as much as possible when describing past experience. Action words make your work experience seem more dynamic, and make you sound like an independent worker who takes initiative and gets the job done. Action words like organized , managed , hosted , spearheaded , and navigated all indicate an employee that employers would be happy to hire.

Yacht CV education

The importance of your education will depend on your specific role. If you are applying to work as a server or deckhand, a post-secondary degree won’t be necessary (as long as you have the right certifications). If you are applying as an engineer, however, you will need to show that you have the right academic credentials.

In your Education section, list your degrees in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your most recent degree and working backwards. For each entry, include the:

• Degree name
• School name
• Date of graduation

Generally, a description isn’t needed in an Education entry. If there are particular aspects of your education that you would like to highlight, however, such as GPA, specializations, or a key project, they can be included.

Certain certifications are integral to your yacht CV. If you want to work on a yacht, or any commercial vessel, you will need to show that you have the right safety training and health certification.

This usually means that you need to list your STCW certification and ENG 1 Medical certification. You may also want to include your Power Boat 2 certification. First aid certifications can also be an asset.

However, those certifications may not be enough. Be sure to study the job posting and research the position as much as possible so you know exactly what certifications will be required.

Yacht CV skills

A Skills section is a section of your CV where you list your most important and most relevant competencies. This can include soft skills , like communication and people skills, and hard skills , like electrical engineering or navigation.

A Skills section, while not strictly mandatory, is a great way to make your yacht CV more impressive. Listing all your skills in one place makes it easy for employers to quickly glance at your CV and see exactly what your expertise is.

The easiest way to format your skill section is to simply list your skills in a bulleted list. Sort the list so that your most relevant skills are at the top.

If you would like to draw more attention to your skills, you can make each skill or skill area a heading, and provide a more detailed description of the skill below. With VisualCV, you can even add strength ratings to each skill. This method works great for skills-based CVs .

Yacht CV skills can include:

• Customer Service
• Maintenance
• Firefighting

Yacht CV interests

When you work on a yacht, you will be sharing cramped quarters with all of your coworkers, with very little privacy and no time to yourself. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you are a good culture fit for the vessel. While not mandatory, it can be a good idea to include a brief selection of your interests and hobbies in your yacht CV so the employer can see if you will fit in with the rest of the crew.

• Customize your Yacht CV

Even if you are only applying for yacht jobs, it’s important to customize your yacht CV for every application. Different job postings will have specific requirements and specific skills they are looking for, so it’s important to make sure your CV is a perfect fit. A generic CV won’t be perfect for every application.

To do this, study the application closely, and research the company and vessel to learn as much about it as you can. Then, use what you have learned to carefully customize your CV so that the right skills, experience, and personality are emphasized. Remain truthful, but edit your experience so that it matches the job description as closely as possible.

• Yacht CV example

A dedicated and enthusiastic steward with extensive experience working on yachts and superyachts. Capable of achieving the most demanding targets and objectives whilst remaining focused on delivering a high standard of service at all times. Naturally strong interpersonal skills give me the ability to communicate concisely and articulately with crew and guests. I enjoy being a part of a successful and productive team and have the ability to shine in high pressure environments. I am certified in first aid, ship safety, and health standards.

Work Experience

Steward Deep Blue | 103’ | Private

• Hosted cocktail parties of 100+ guests.
• Managed galley to ensure organization of food and service.
• Led galley training for new hires, including plating and presenting meals.
• Delivered a 5-star service to our guests.
• Provided care for passengers who require special assistance.
• Organized meal service, including serving hors d'oeuvres, drink service, and bartending.
• Received multiple commendations for customer service and communication.
• Ensured the highest level of safety by inspecting safety equipment, making safety announcements, and demonstrating safety procedures.
• Provided excellent VIP enhanced service to important guests on board.
• Gave tours and passed appetizers.

Senior Steward Demeter | 100' | Charter

• Organized interior stewardess duties.
• Made sure the company's SOPs were followed and respected on every voyage.
• Managed catering orders when sailing as a single operator.
• Organized VIP catering on the vessel, meeting preferences of guests.
• Assisted cooking crew and chef in galley when needed
• Organized food provisioning for crew and guests.
• Provided excellent VVIP enhanced service to important guests on board.
• Ensured safety and wellbeing of VIP guests during voyages to various destinations.
• Conducted safety demonstrations prior to voyages and carried out checks throughout the vessel.
• Laundry, cabin service, interior detailing.

Steward Ranger | 60' | Private

• Made beds, including turn downs and fluff ups.
• Led laundry and ironing services for guests and crew.
• Cleaned and maintained heads.
• Prepared yacht for 3 boat shows and multiple cocktail parties with 50+ guests.
• Verified passengers' compliance with safety regulations throughout all stages of voyage.
• Assisted exterior crew support when needed.
• Rostered on various short and long haul routes.

Master in Tourism & Hospitality Management University of Texas

• Provisioning
• Drink service
• Meal service
• Galley management
• Safety demonstrations
• Scuba Diving
• Learning Languages

Certifications

• ENG 1 Medical

Community Success Manager & CV Writing Expert

Ben is a writer, customer success manager and CV writing expert with over 5 years of experience helping job-seekers create their best careers. He believes in the importance of a great resume summary and the power of coffee.

Our 2023 Free Resume Writing Guide is filled with quality job search tips, resume examples and information you need to know before writing your resume or CV.

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Yacht Crew CV example

Are you hoping to work onboard a yacht this year as a valued member of the crew?

If you want to deliver a great holiday experience to the owner and/or guests of the yacht, this can be a very rewarding role. As long as you love the sea, of course!

Find out how to write a professional CV that’s going to get you aboard, using our detailed guide below, complete with a yacht crew member CV example to help you.

CV templates 

Yacht Crew CV example

Before you start writing your CV, take a look at the example Yacht Crew Member CV above to give yourself a good idea of the style and format that works best in today’s job market.

Also, take note of the type of content that is included to impress recruiters, and how the most relevant information is made prominent, to ensure it gets noticed.

Yacht Crew CV format and structure

First impressions count, so a sloppy, disorganised CV may cause your CV to be overlooked..

Instead, perfect the format and structure of your CV by working to a clear logical structure and applying some simple formatting tricks to ease readability.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this step; if your CV lacks readability, your written content won’t even be seen.

Tips for formatting your Yacht Crew CV

• Length: It’s essential to keep your CV concise, regardless of whether you have one year or thirty years of experience. Recruiters are frequently managing multiple roles and responsibilities and do not have the luxury of reading lengthy CVs. Therefore, limit your CV to two sides of A4. If you have little industry experience, one page is sufficient.
• Readability : To help busy recruiters scan through your CV, make sure your section headings stand out – bold or coloured text works well. Additionally, try to use bullet points wherever you can, as they’re far easier to skim through than huge paragraphs. Lastly, don’t be afraid of white space on your CV – a little breathing space is great for readability.
• Design & format: While it’s important that your CV design looks good, it also needs to be functional (which means easy for recruiters to read) Keep the design simple to achieve a good balance between looking good and reading well.
• Photos: You can add a profile photo to your CV, if you want to add some personality to it, but they are not a requirement the UK, so you don’t have to.

Quick tip: Creating a professional CV style can be difficult and time-consuming when using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. To create a winning CV quickly, try our quick-and-easy CV Builder and use one of their eye-catching professional CV templates.

CV structure

For easy reading, write your CV to the following CV structure:

• Contact details – Make it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by listing your contact details at the top of your CV.
• Profile – A short and snappy summary of your experience and skills, showcasing what makes you a good fit for the position.
• Work experience / career history – Note down all your work history, with your current position first, then working backwards.
• Education – A short list of your academic background and professional/vocational qualifications.
• Interest and hobbies – This is an optional section, which you can use to highlight any relevant hobbies or interests.

Now you understand the basic layout of a CV, here’s what you should include in each section of yours.

Contact Details

Tuck your contact details into the corner of your CV, so that they don’t take up too much space. Stick to the basic details, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address – It should sound professional, such as your full name.
• Location -Just write your rough location, rather than your full address.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – If you include these, ensure they’re sleek, professional and up-to-date.

Yacht Crew CV Profile

Make a strong first impression with recruiters by starting your CV with an impactful profile (or personal statement for junior applicants).

This short introduction paragraph should summarise your skills, experience, and knowledge, highlighting your suitability for the job.

It should be compelling enough to encourage recruiters to read through the rest of your CV.

How to write a good CV profile:

• Make it short and sharp: Recruiters are busy, so to ensure your profile is actually read, it’s best to keep it short and snappy. 3-5 punchy lines makes for the perfect profile.
• Tailor it: No matter how much time you put into your CV profile, it won’t impress if it’s irrelevant to the role you’re applying for. Before you start writing, make a list of the skills, knowledge and experience your target employer is looking for. Then, make sure to mention them in your CV profile and throughout the rest of your application.
• Don’t add an objective: Leave your career objectives or goals out of your profile. You only have limited space to work with, so they’re best suited to your cover letter .
• Avoid generic phrases: Clichés like “ blue-sky thinker with a go-getter attitude” might sound impressive to you, but they don’t actually tell the recruiter much about you. Concentrate on highlighting hard facts and skills, as recruiters are more likely to take these on board.

Example CV profile for Yacht Crew

What to include in your yacht crew cv profile.

• Experience overview: To give employers an idea of your capabilities, show them your track record by giving an overview of the types of companies you have worked for in the past and the roles you have carried out for previous employers – but keep it high level and save the details for your experience section.
• Targeted skills: Employers need to know what skills you can bring to their organisation, and ideally they want to see skills that match their job vacancy. So, research your target roles thoroughly and add the most important Yacht Crew skills to your profile.
• Important qualifications: If you have any qualifications which are highly relevant to Yacht Crew jobs, then highlight them in your profile so that employers do not miss them.

Quick tip: If you are finding it difficult to write an attention-grabbing CV profile, choose from hundreds of pre-written profiles across all industries, and add one to your CV with one click in our quick-and-easy CV Builder . All profiles are written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset.

Core skills section

Create a core skills section underneath your profile to spotlight your most in-demand skills and grab the attention of readers.

This section should feature 2-3 columns of bullet points that emphasise your applicable skills for your target jobs. Before constructing this section, review the job description and compile a list of any specific skills, specialisms, or knowledge required.

Important skills for your Yacht Crew CV

Seamanship – Utilising knowledge of navigation, boat handling, and general seamanship skills to safely operate and manoeuvre the yacht.

Safety and Emergency Response – Utilising knowledge of safety procedures and emergency protocols, including first aid, fire safety, and life-saving techniques, to ensure the well-being of passengers and crew in various situations.

Knot Tying and Rope Handling – Tying different types of knots and efficiently handling ropes to secure the yacht, handle lines, and assist with docking.

Maintenance and Repair – Completing basic maintenance and repair tasks such as cleaning, painting, varnishing, and minor repairs to ensure the yacht’s upkeep and smooth operation.

Customer Service – Providing exceptional customer service to yacht guests, anticipating their needs, and ensuring a pleasant and comfortable experience on board.

Hospitality and Etiquette – Utilising knowledge of proper etiquette, table setting, and service standards to assist with meal service, manage guest cabins, and create a welcoming environment.

Water Sports and Activities – Supporting with water sports activities such as snorkelling, diving, kayaking, and jet skiing, including knowledge of safety protocols and equipment usage.

Teamwork and Collaboration – Collaborating effectively with other crew members, including deckhands, engineers, chefs, and stewardesses, to ensure smooth operations and exceptional guest experience.

Weather and Navigation – Utilising knowledge of weather patterns, tides, and navigational charts to assist the captain in route planning, weather monitoring, and maintaining a safe course.

Language Proficiency – Maintaining fluency in English and additional languages as necessary, to effectively communicate with diverse guests and provide multilingual assistance.

Quick tip: Our quick-and-easy CV Builder has thousands of in-demand skills for all industries and professions, that can be added to your CV in seconds – This will save you time and ensure you get noticed by recruiters.

Work experience

By now, you’ll have hooked the reader’s attention and need to show them how you apply your skills and knowledge in the workplace, to benefit your employers.

So, starting with your most recent role and working backwards to your older roles, create a thorough summary of your career history to date.

If you’ve held several roles and are struggling for space, cut down the descriptions for your oldest jobs.

Structuring each job

Lengthy, unbroken chunks of text is a recruiters worst nightmare, but your work experience section can easily end up looking like that if you are not careful.

To avoid this, use my tried-and-tested 3-step structure, as illustrated below:

Begin with a summary of your role, detailing what the purpose of your job was, who you reported to and what size of team you were part of (or led).

Key responsibilities

Using easy-to-read bullet points, note down your day-to-day responsibilities in the role.

Make sure to showcase how you used your hard sector skills and knowledge.

Key achievements

Lastly, add impact by highlight 1-3 key achievements  that you made within the role.

Struggling to think of an achievement? If it had a positive impact on your company, it counts.

For example, you might increased company profits, improved processes, or something simpler, such as going above and beyond to solve a customer’s problem.

Sample job description for Yacht Crew CV

Work for a leading UK yacht manufacturing company, supporting the skipper in the delivery of new racing and cruising yachts to clients across Europe and North America.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough pre-departure inspections, assessing the yacht’s seaworthiness, equipment functionality, and compliance with safety regulations
• Complete routine maintenance and inspections of rigging, sails, and other sailing equipment, ensuring optimal performance and addressing any issues promptly
• Educated junior crew on sailing techniques, equipment operation, and safety
• Assume daytime command of the vessel in the absence of the Captain, ensuring compliance with navigation regulations and safe passage planning

Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our quick-and-easy CV Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.

Education section

Next up, you should list your education and qualifications.

This can include your formal qualifications (a degree, A-Levels and GCSEs), as well as sector-specific Yacht Crew qualifications and/or training.

While school leavers and recent grads should include a lot of detail here to make up for the lack of work experience, experienced candidates may benefit from a shorter education section, as your work experience section will be more important to recruiters.

Hobbies and interests

Although this is an optional section, it can be useful if your hobbies and interests will add further depth to your CV.

Interests which are related to the sector you are applying to, or which show transferable skills like leadership or teamwork, can worth listing.

On the other hand, generic hobbies like “going out with friends” won’t add any value to your application, so are best left off your CV.

An interview-winning CV for a Yacht Crew Member role, needs to be both visually pleasing and packed with targeted content.

Whilst it needs to detail your experience, accomplishments and relevant skills, it also needs to be as clear and easy to read as possible.

Remember to research the role and review the job ad before applying, so you’re able to match yourself up to the requirements.

If you follow these guidelines and keep motivated in your job search, you should land an interview in no time.

Best of luck with your next application!

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How To Write A Yachting CV

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Your Yachting CV (Curriculum Vitae) is most likely the first point of contact a superyacht has with you. Therefore, putting together the Perfect Yachting CV is essential. After all, it’s your personal sales pitch to the Captain or Head Of Department looking to hire you!  

A Yachting CV differs significantly from a land-based CV. It features maritime jargon, qualifications, and a photo. As well as this, it also requires a particular layout that needs to tick the relevant ‘industry standard’ boxes. Imagine a Captain or Chief Stew has 150 CV’s on their desk. If your CV doesn’t look like a Yachting CV, it’s probably going straight to the shredder. It needs to look the part! 

Below I have created a simple step-by-step guide providing all you need to create a perfect, professional yachting CV AND If you need some help with this check out my course – The Yachting CV Toolkit . It’s a comprehensive guide which includes 3 x CV templates, a full CV review and all the information on how to piece together your CV from land to sea to make sure you have the best chance at scoring your dream yacht job.

1. Primary Information

Start by filling in all primary information within the top half of the page, including your phone number, email, date of birth and nationality (Do not include your passport number!). Also include your health status (if you’re COVID vaccinated), marital status, driver’s license, your current location and availability. 

• Phone numbers:  I recommend having a local sim card when you are in an area to ensure a boat can contact you at any time. WhatsApp is extensively used within the industry. Therefore I recommend getting a WhatsApp number. Once you are in the industry, you will most likely have various international sim cards. It’s a good idea to keep one consistent WhatsApp number. Then, use the local number you may have at the time for phone calls and data. 
• Email:  If your email isn’t professional sounding (e.g. [email protected]), create a new one. 
• Location : Ensure this is kept up to date, as captains will use this location to work out your flight paths and travel arrangements when you secure a job. 

2. Qualifications

Here you will need to separate your  maritime qualifications  (mandatorily required certificates) and  other qualifications  to avoid clutter. 

For your Maritime Certifications such as STCW, PDSD and Food Hygiene Level 2, add the expiry dates or the year of completing them if an expiry date is not applicable. 

If you have  other relevant qualifications , you can create another heading and include certificates such as University Degrees or Diplomas, Post Graduate Education, PADI or SCUBA (Dive Certifications), Carpentry or Electrician (Deck related only), Floristry course, Mixology or Wine Courses. 

3. Work Experience and your transferable skill s

In this section, you need to list your land-based and/or yachting experience. If you’re green ,  you will need to pull apart all your land-based work experiences, highlighting the duties/skills that could be transferable to the yachting industry. 

If you have worked in restaurants, hotels, events or the aviation or cruise ship industry, this is all highly transferable to yachting. It is essential to pull out any key skills and include them under your type of experience, such as  Hospitality   Experience  or  Other Experience.  It is not necessary to write all aspects of the job. Choose the duties that are the most relevant to your desired yachting role. From here, you can further break down and add relatable skills to help explain your background and what you’re capable of. 

Once you have day work experience,  you can add this to your ‘Yachting Experience’ heading, including all of the key duties you had and the time you were on board. 

If you have Yachting Experience,  highlight everything unique about your position and the direct responsibilities you had. Then you need to back up these with examples as proof.  For example, instead of writing you have ‘Wine Knowledge’ you need to think about how you used this skill. It may have been a food and wine pairing menu for charter guests, here you SHOW OFF your talent’s with a practical example. Think about what your working highlights were whilst onboard. What did you LOVE to do? Maybe you have been setting up themed nights and planning events such as beach BBQs. 

For your yachting experience, we should write it as per the below:

• MM YY – MM YY M/Y NAME, 80 M OCEANCO • 2200GT – STEWARDESS
• Followed by a paragraph about the position (This format also applies to any day work experience). 

Your hobbies should be a brief paragraph where you can add a few quirky things, outdoor activities, and water-sport activities. If you’re aiming for an interior role, you can add something creative if it suits you (do not put socialising). 

It’s a good idea to look at transferring your hobbies into skills. As the hobbies section is an excellent place to put secondary skills superyachts may look for. For example, you may have on your CV that you’re into photography and filming. They could turn this into taking crew profile pictures, creating a guest charter and welcome videos. 

It is not uncommon for charter boats to request crew to have additional skills that guests may find interesting or helpful. It allows charter brokers to sell a yacht having valuable crew skills such as kite-surfing or a pilates teacher onboard. These skills are also usually listed under your crew profile in the boat’s  Welcome booklet .

5. The Perfect Yachting CV Personal Profile

This section is one of the LAST steps as it ties together all your experience and skills.  It’s also the most important paragraph of your CV  and should be six sentences or less and sit right below your primary information.  

Your Personal Profile is where you persuade the reader to carry on looking at your CV. Your profile should concisely and effectively display who you are, your skills and strengths relevant to the role and the experience to back it up. Therefore, I recommend saving this key paragraph to last as it’s a summary and the hook, line and sinker as to why you are fit for the job.

I suggest splitting your profile into three sections:

• What are you searching for?
• Who you are
• What can you offer?

Bullet point things you might mention under each section, then list the qualities that position you as the ideal person for the job.  

If you’re green  for the ‘what you’re searching for’ section, I suggest broadening this statement. For example:

“I aim to secure a position as a yacht stewardess/deckhand/chef/engineer position on a motor or sailing yacht.”

You want to avoid being too picky with what you want based on no experience yet. 

When you are writing what you can offer, you need to know what you can bring to the table that is unique? You can use a mix of hard and soft skills to position yourself as well-rounded. Last, back up your skills with evidence. Don’t just add ‘attention to detail’. You need to give an example of this.

6. References

Put down a minimum of three references you can rely on to have positive things to say about you. Ensure their information is current when writing on your CV and structure it so the most recent reference is at the top with correct contact details as they will no doubt be checked.

7. Your CV Headshot

Your photo is a really important part of your CV. It needs to show you are professional, smiling and looking the part. This means you will need to dress in a white polo shirt or white blouse (ironed) and ideally have a background of yachts in the distance or water. If you can’t take a picture in these environments, a plain white background is ok.  TIP:  When you are taking your photo, have your shoulders back and put your hands behind you as it helps to stand up tall, also face into the sun (at the perfect time in the day), so you don’t have shadows on your face. Natural makeup and neat hair are best for females. For males, ensure you are well-groomed.

Other important yachting CV rules to follow:

•  Your CV should be no longer than two pages
•  Font sizes should be between 10.5 and 12
•  Correctly labelled and saved as:

NAME SURNAME CV 

• Send your CV as a PDF document to a yacht or PDF and .doc to yacht crew agents
• Make sure there are NO Spelling and grammar errors
• List certificates and experience in reverse chronological order

A yachting CV can be the difference between you getting a job and being overlooked among a sea full of other candidates. If you need some help, check out  The Yachting CV Toolkit . It’s a comprehensive toolkit that gives you everything you need to create a professional Yachting CV that ticks the industry boxes, and stands out from the rest. It includes:

• Three CV Templates;
• How to recognise the transferable skills from your land-based jobs and apply them to your new CV;
• How to use power words to communicate your message firmly and confidently;
• The secret personal profile formula;
• Advice on how to create the perfect CV headshot (no fancy equipment required!)
• And a full CV review. 

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This article was originally posted on Superyacht Contents page to see the article click here

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I’m a chief stewardess with over 6 years experience working in the superyacht industry on boats up to 88m. I help aspiring yacht crew by propelling them with the know-how and tools to confidently break into the superyacht industry.

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