01
Header and contact
Show your name, target rank, phone, professional email, country of residence and availability.
- Target position or current rank
- Phone and professional email
- Residence and travel availability
02 · BUILDING A SEAFARER CV
Build a strong CV that presents your maritime experience in the right order.
A good seafarer CV does more than list previous assignments. It turns your rank, sea service, competencies and vessel experience into a clear structure that a crewing team can assess quickly.
Core principle: The most important information should be visible on the first page, and every detail should be verifiable, current and relevant to the role.
THE RIGHT SECTION ORDER
Help the crewing team find what matters within seconds.
The order can change with seniority and target role, but the following structure is a strong starting point for most maritime CVs.
02
Professional summary
Summarise your service, vessel exposure and strongest competencies in three or four clear sentences.
- Total sea service
- Primary vessel types
- Relevant operational experience
03
Competencies and documents
Present CoC, endorsements, STCW and role-specific documents with validity dates.
- Document name and number
- Issuing country or authority
- Issue and expiry dates
04
Sea service
List each contract from newest to oldest in a consistent and comparable table.
- Vessel, type, GT/DWT and main engine
- Rank and company
- Sign-on, sign-off and duration
05
Skills and training
Connect technical, operational and leadership skills with concrete experience.
- Vessel or equipment exposure
- Safety and operational skills
- Language and digital skills
06
References and extras
Add references with permission and include visa, vaccination or travel details only when relevant.
- Verifiable references
- Visa and travel readiness
- Role-specific additional details
SEA SERVICE RECORD
Make your sea service consistent and comparable.
The sea service table is one of the most important parts of a seafarer CV. Dates and vessel details should align with your discharge book, service letters and other official records.
↔ Swipe the table horizontally to view every column.
| Vessel | Type / Tonnage | Rank | Company | Dates | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/V Example Horizon | Bulk Carrier · 38,500 DWT | Second Officer | Example Maritime | 03/2025–09/2025 | 6 mo 12 days |
| M/V Example Atlas | Container · 2,800 TEU | Third Officer | Example Lines | 05/2024–11/2024 | 6 mo 4 days |
Example format only. Use verifiable vessel and service information in your actual CV.
TAILORING THE CV
Do not send the same CV to every role.
- 01
Read the role
Mark the required rank, vessel type, operation, documents and language skills in the vacancy.
- 02
Prioritise relevant experience
Make contracts and responsibilities closest to the target vessel type or operation easy to find.
- 03
Use keywords naturally
Match technical wording from the vacancy only to competencies and experience you genuinely possess.
- 04
Run a final check
Verify dates, document validity, contact details and the filename before submitting.
COMMON MISTAKES
Avoid details that make strong experience look weak.
- Leaving unexplained conflicts between sea service dates
- Presenting expired documents as current
- Using generic claims instead of clear responsibilities
- Including unnecessary personal or sensitive information
- Using a difficult layout, tiny type or inconsistent tables
- Sending an ambiguously named or editable file
FINAL CHECK
Verify these six points before sending your CV.
Target rank and contact details are clear
Sea service is reverse chronological and consistent
CoC and critical document dates are current
Vessel types and technical details are accurate
Spelling, date format and language are consistent
Professional PDF filename: Name_Surname_Rank_CV.pdf
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Essential answers about seafarer CVs.
How long should a seafarer CV be?
One or two pages is often enough early in a career. Two or three pages can be reasonable for senior professionals with extensive sea service; remove repetition and prioritise relevant information.
Should I list every certificate?
Show documents required for or strongly relevant to the position. If your document list is long, provide a detailed certificate record as a separate attachment.
Should I include a photograph?
Expectations differ by country and company. Unless requested, a professional photograph is not mandatory; if included, it should be current, simple and work-appropriate.
How should sea service be ordered?
Use reverse chronological order, usually from the newest contract backward. Present vessel name, IMO number, type, tonnage, rank, company and sign-on/sign-off dates consistently.
Which file format should I send?
Unless another format is requested, use PDF to preserve the layout. The filename should clearly include your name and target rank.
Do not merely list sea service—make your career story easy to understand.
With Pelastra’s basic and premium CV options, you can turn career records into an organised, current and application-ready profile.