How to write a seafarer CV that crewing managers actually read

Who reads a seafarer CV, and how

The first person to open your CV is usually a crewing officer with a vacancy to fill — say, a Second Engineer to join in Singapore in three weeks — and a stack of applications. At first glance they are not looking for style. They are checking eligibility: does this person hold the right certificate of competency for the rank? Will every certificate stay valid for the whole contract? Is there enough sea service on this ship type? When, and from which airport, can they join?

A CV that answers those questions on page one goes forward to the technical superintendent or the master, who reads your ships and your experience. A CV that doesn't is often put aside, however good the seafarer behind it. That is why a strong seaman CV looks less like an essay and more like a well-kept record.

Personal details and documents

The top of the CV holds what a company needs to identify you and reach you. Keep it short, but complete:

• Full name exactly as in your passport. Flight tickets, visa applications and flag endorsements are all issued in that spelling.
• Rank applied for and date of availability — the two lines a crewing officer looks for first.
• Date of birth, nationality and nearest airport.
• Phone number with the country code (say if it is on WhatsApp) and a plain, professional email address.
• Passport — number and expiry. Seaman's book (discharge book, SIRB) — number, issuing state and expiry.
• Visas — US C1/D, Schengen or any others you hold, with expiry dates.
• Medical fitness certificate, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate where relevant, with expiry dates.

Many managers' application forms also ask for boiler suit and safety shoe sizes; one line on your CV saves the person filling in the form a phone call. Leave out national ID numbers, passport scans and bank details — they are shared only once you are hired, and only when asked.

Certificate of competency and flag endorsements

Your certificate of competency (CoC) is the most important line on the CV. Write its full title, the issuing administration, the STCW regulation (for example II/2 or III/2), the number and the expiry date. If it carries a limitation — tonnage, propulsion power, trading area — state it. The crewing officer will see it anyway, and stating it up front builds trust.

Rank and certificate are not always the same thing. A Second Officer and a Third Officer often hold the same officer-in-charge-of-a-navigational-watch certificate (STCW II/1). On the engine side the parallel is the Third and Fourth Engineer, who usually both hold the officer-in-charge-of-an-engineering-watch certificate (STCW III/1); a Second Engineer is a management-level officer and needs a second engineer certificate (STCW III/2, or III/3 on ships of 750–3,000 kW). Give both: the rank you served in, and the certificate you hold.

List flag state endorsements (CoE) on their own line: the flag, the competency endorsed and the expiry — for example “Marshall Islands — II/2 — valid to 2027”. The company usually applies for endorsements, but showing the ones you already hold tells a manager which ships you can join quickly.

STCW certificates: which ones and how to list them

List every STCW certificate in a table — certificate — issued by — date of issue — expiry. Write “unlimited” where there is no expiry; a blank date reads as missing. Depending on your rank, the list usually includes:

• Basic safety training (STCW A-VI/1): Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities. Watch the refresher dates.
• Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats (PSCRB, A-VI/2-1) and, where required, Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats (FRB, A-VI/2-2).
• Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF, A-VI/3).
• Medical First Aid (MEFA, A-VI/4-1) and, for masters, chief officers and the officer designated to take charge of medical care on board (often the Second Officer), Medical Care (MECA, A-VI/4-2).
• Security: Security Awareness, Designated Security Duties or Ship Security Officer (SSO).
• Deck: GMDSS General Operator's Certificate (GOC), ECDIS generic and type-specific training (name the equipment maker), Radar/ARPA, Bridge Resource Management.
• Engine: Engine Room Resource Management, High Voltage.
• Leadership: Leadership and Teamworking Skills at operational level, Leadership and Managerial Skills at management level.
• Ship-type training: Basic Oil and Chemical Tanker Cargo Operations, Advanced Oil or Advanced Chemical Tanker training, liquefied gas tanker courses; IGF Code training for gas-fuelled ships; crowd and crisis management for passenger ships.

Put tanker endorsements on a line of their own and say which level they are. Tanker operators look for that line first.

The sea service table

Sea service is the heart of a maritime CV. Always present it as a table, most recent first, one row per contract. These are the columns a crewing manager expects:

Engineers add one more column: main engine make, model and power (for example MAN B&W 6S60ME-C, 11,000 kW). Note electronically controlled engines (ME, RT-flex), exhaust gas scrubbers or ballast water treatment systems if you have run them. For masters and deck officers, the trading area and the cargo (crude, products, chemicals, grain, coal, containers) are useful extras.

Write dates as day–month–year with the month in letters (12 Mar 2026). A date like 03/06/2025 reads as 3 June in Europe and 6 March in the United States. Under the table, add totals by rank and by ship type: “26 months on tankers, 11 of them as Second Officer.” Tanker operators read those totals for the officer matrix used in oil-major vetting (OCIMF): time in rank, time on the tanker type and time with the operator.

Every date on the CV must match your seaman's book entries and your sea service testimonials. A date that doesn't match is the fastest way to lose a good application.

What to highlight by rank

Master and Chief Officer

Separate command and senior-officer time by ship type. Mention cargo work (loading computer, ballast planning, crude oil washing on tankers), dry-dock periods, and port state control and vetting inspections. See the Master and Chief Officer pages for rank-specific notes.

Second and Third Officer

Lead with navigation equipment (ECDIS models, ARPA), your GMDSS certificate and passage planning. For a Third Officer, safety equipment duties and the cadet training record book matter. Second Officer · Third Officer

Chief, Second and Third Engineer

Main and auxiliary engine types and power, boilers and purifiers, planned maintenance software and dry-dock experience are the lines that count. A Chief Engineer adds budget and spare-parts management; a Second Engineer, how they organised the engine room. Chief Engineer · Second Engineer · Third Engineer

Ratings and cadets

For bosuns, ABs, ordinary seamen and oilers, one page is enough: your certificate of proficiency (STCW II/4 or II/5 on deck, III/4 or III/5 in the engine room), ship types, practical skills such as crane work, mooring or welding, and references. Ship's cooks should list their cook certificate. Cadets lead with their academy, sea training time, training record book and English level.

What shipowners, managers and manning agents expect

Shipowners who crew their own ships often read the CV alongside a reference: who you sailed with, and a master or chief engineer who can vouch for you, can weigh as much as the CV itself. Some accept a CV in the local language, but any company running foreign-flag tonnage will want it in English.

Third-party ship managers and manning agents always want English and usually have their own application form; the CV is used to shortlist. Flag endorsements, a valid US visa, your English level (test scores such as Marlins), totals by ship type and contactable references — the name and email of a former master or chief engineer — carry the most weight. Keep your appraisal reports ready to send when asked.

The rule is the same everywhere: a crewing officer should find the answer in your CV before they have to call you.

The most common mistakes

1. Certificates without expiry dates. An undated certificate is one the crewing officer cannot check.
2. Leaving an expired certificate in, silently. If you are booked on a refresher, say so, with the date (“refresher: November 2026”).
3. Dates that don't match the seaman's book. Even one day invites questions.
4. Unexplained gaps. If there is a long break between contracts, explain it in one line: courses, exams, health, family.
5. Incomplete vessel details. A ship's name with no type, tonnage or (for engineers) main engine tells a manager very little.
6. Rank without certificate — or a certificate with its limitations hidden.
7. A broken file. Send a single PDF, not a Word file whose tables shift or 15 MB of scans; name it with your rank and name (2O_SAHIN_Mehmet_CV.pdf).
8. An objective paragraph. “Hard-working and dynamic” takes space that belongs to your certificates and your ships.

Sample seafarer CV (short section)

This is what the top of page one can look like. The details are examples.

The sea service table, the STCW table and your references follow. Keep the whole CV within two pages; if your sea service is long, move the table to an annex.

Frequently asked questions