This is a guide to writing a curriculum vitae/resume for the megayacht/superyacht industry. This information is not meant to be a definitive guide, but merely a way of highlighting the main do’s and don’ts and the differences between a yachting CV and a standard CV.

From here on we shall use the term CV for both CV’s and resumes. This document has been set out in an easy step-by-step method to allow you to either evaluate your present CV or to build a new one as you continue through this document.

Personnel on yachts have one of the highest turn over rates of any industry. This means that captains regularly look at lots of CV’s so your objective is to make you CV stand out from a very crowded desk.

Captains not only want competent, well presented crew but also crew that shine, crew that have something special. You need to make your CV do this for you.

Your CV should both represent the type of person you are and sell your abilities and personality to a potential employer.

To do this you need to stop thinking about your CV as a textbook and starting thinking about your CV as a sales pamphlet. Your CV needs to fulfil two vital criteria.

1. State relevant points for the position you are applying for.
2. Presents these relevant points in a format, which both aids the employer in locating the points easily and emphasizes your personal style.

If you have already built your CV have an honest look at it and ask your self does my CV fulfill these two points as fully as it could

A standard rule of thumb is ‘your CV should not be more than 2 pages’ now there are some exceptions to the rule. Chefs generally get asked to include some samples of menus. Some captains like to have covering letters attached to the front of a candidates CV. But in general stick to the two page rule and you won’t go wrong.

When writing any paragraph for your CV you need to present your information in a direct and concise way, do not waffle. Start by writing down a list of points that need to be in the paragraph. For an example say we wanted to write a profile. Think of all the points you wish to put in your profile.

From a young age I have been keen on sailing, over the last three years while working on various yachts I have learnt to be a team player and efficient worker who likes to see a job done well. I get on well with people and handle stressful situations with a positive sense of humour.

Writing an objective is approached in the same manner but obviously you are writing to achieve a different result.

My long term objective is to advance my career towards running a large classic yacht.

You would obviously not write this if you were applying for a job on a 23mt plastic motor yacht.

All written paragraphs in your CV should be approached in this way. The other way in which information can be presented is bulletin points such as a list of qualifications.

Depending on whom you talk to depends on how important this is. Some people consider the covering letter to be extremely important others never read them. A well written covering letter will never do you any harm and may do you a lot of good so always write one, but if you are going to do it, do it well.

With a covering letter you are trying to say why you think you are perfect for the job you are applying for. Try to be positive and confident without sounding big headed. You want to come across as a pleasant person to be around. Remember no one wants to be stuck on a boat all season with a grumpy deckhand or stewardess.

Dear Jonathan

I am a deckhand with three years experience on vessels ranging from 30-75 mt. I am now looking to move up the ranks and become a Bosun on similar sized vessels. I left my last vessel (vessel name) in Antibes and am presently studying for my OOW ticket with The Big Boat here in Antibes. This course finishes on the 12th September and am available for work from the 15th.

My strengths include an ability to work well under pressure, making guests feel comfortable and a good knowledge of the Algrip paints system due to two years working in a shipyard.

I am a good sailor and have an understanding of both general navigation and tender driving having passed my RYA powerboat level two.

Yours sincerely
Peter Smith

A photograph is an essential part of your CV. The old saying that an image is worth a thousand words is very true. It is also good to remember that a good photograph presents a good image but a bad photo will reflect very badly on you.

The format of a CV is incredibly important because before the Captain has even read your name at the top of the first page he has already made assumptions about the type of candidate you are by how you have presented the information on the page.

This is the best method of all and should be considered as the primary drive behind the format of the CV.

Some rules concerning text

The following are two separate CV examples.

Your CV should display all your attributes as well as being styled to show what sort of person you are. This is an important document take your time over it.