Did you know? A crewing recruiter needs on average less than 20 seconds to decide whether your CV is worth reading further or goes straight to the pile. In the competitive maritime industry, a CV isn’t just a formality — it’s your first ticket to an interview call.
Here are 7 tips for writing a proper seafarer CV, compiled from crewing managers and international manning agencies.
1. Write Your Sea Service in Full Detail
This is the most important part of a seafarer CV. List it most recent first (reverse chronological), and for each contract include:
- Vessel name
- Vessel type (tanker, bulk carrier, container, etc.)
- Vessel size (GT/DWT)
- Your rank on that vessel
- Contract period (month & year)
- Company/operator name
For the engine department, one detail is often forgotten but always asked by shipowners: the main engine model and power (e.g. MAN B&W, Wärtsilä, with kW). Leave it out and crewing wastes time tracking it down — and your CV can lose to a faster candidate.
2. List Certificates with Their Validity Dates
Include all relevant certificates and documents: BST, AFF, MFA, CCM, SAT, SSO, seaman’s book, passport, medical (MCU), and maritime diplomas (COC). Write the number and expiry date of each.
Important: don’t hide certificates that are about to expire. Companies always check during verification. Instead add a small note like “renewal scheduled next month” — it shows you’re a professional who plans ahead.
3. Prove Your English with Concrete Evidence
Writing “English: good” on a CV means nothing — good according to whom? Crewing managers recommend concrete proof, for example:
- Marlins Test score (e.g. 85%)
- CES score
- Experience with multinational crews (e.g. “4 contracts with mixed crews”)
4. Keep Personal Data and Documents Relevant
At the top of the CV, make yourself easy to reach: full name, active phone/WhatsApp number, a professional-looking email (use your real name, not a nickname or joke), and your home city.
For seafarers, usually also required: nationality, date of birth, seaman’s book & passport numbers, and availability (when you can join). Don’t include unrequested sensitive data like passwords or bank details.
5. Keep the Format Clean: File Name to Page Count
- File name: use the format
CV_Rank_Name.pdf(example:CV_AB_Santoso.pdf). Don’t use names likeCV_final_v3.pdf— your file will drown in crewing’s download folder. - Format: always send as PDF, just 1–2 pages.
- Photo: attach a recent formal photo.
- Language: when applying to foreign vessels, write your CV in English.
- Spelling: zero tolerance for typos — proofread before sending.
6. Add a Short Personal Statement
At the top, write a 2–3 sentence summary: your current experience, certification level, and career target. It’s the first thing a recruiter reads and sets the first impression — like a written elevator pitch.
7. Be Honest — Never Lie About Experience
Manning agencies always verify sea service and certificates with previous employers. A lie that gets caught means your name goes on a blacklist. Also, don’t just copy a friend’s CV format — a generic, cookie-cutter CV sinks in the pile.
Beyond the document, agencies also judge what’s not written on the CV: attitude, career consistency, communication, and response speed. Candidates who respond fast when crewing calls always score extra points.
Example Seafarer CV Structure
- Personal data & contact — name, phone/WhatsApp, email, domicile, nationality, date of birth
- Personal statement — 2–3 sentence summary
- Sea service — table, most recent first (vessel name, type, GT/DWT, rank, period, company, engine model for engine crew)
- Certificates & documents — list + numbers + validity
- Education — maritime school/academy + graduation year
- English ability — test scores / multinational crew experience
- References — 1–2 contactable references (optional)
No Time to Write Your Own? There’s a Service
If you don’t have time to put together a neat, crewing-standard CV, InfoPelaut offers a seafarer CV writing service — written to the structure above, ready to send to crewing companies. Chat directly via WhatsApp:
Coming soon: the InfoPelaut Seafarer CV Generator — build a crewing-standard CV yourself in minutes, only Rp20,000.
Sources
- ProSeafarers — How to Write a Great Seafarer Resume & Cover Letter
- Indostar Group — CV (Seafarer’s Management and Crewing Agency)
- MovieBox Philippines — How to Build a Professional CV for Seafarers
- Larisa Phkhakadze — 5 CV Mistakes That Can Kill Your Maritime Job Chances
- Deckofficer.ru — 6 Mistakes Seafarers Make While Searching for Maritime Jobs
