A captain or crew agent will glance at your yacht CV for a few seconds before deciding whether you are worth a conversation. It is its own format: get it right and you stand out, get it wrong and you are filtered out before anyone reads a word. Here is how to build one that works.
Key points
- Keep your yacht CV to one page, always.
- Put a clean, professional headshot at the top, with your role, nationality, visa status and contact details.
- Show certificates (STCW, ENG1, RYA Powerboat Level 2) near the top, then experience newest first.
- Transferable experience from hospitality, trades and watersports counts for green crew.
- Save as a PDF, check for typos, and never stretch the truth.
The golden rule: one page
Yacht CVs are one page. Crew and officers are busy, and a tidy single page signals that you understand the industry. If it spills onto a second page, cut it down. Every line has to earn its place.
What goes where on a yacht CV
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Header | Name, the role you want, headshot, nationality, visa status, contact details, date of birth, current location |
| Profile | Two or three specific lines on who you are and what you are after, with no clichés |
| Certificates | STCW, ENG1, RYA Powerboat Level 2 and anything else relevant, near the top |
| Experience | Newest first, with dates; yachting roles and useful land experience, with vessel size and type where it applies |
| References | A couple of people who will vouch for your work, ideally from day work or previous jobs |
The photo matters more than you would think
Your headshot does a lot of work, and it is often the first thing a recruiter looks at. Make it clean, friendly and professional: collared shirt, plain background, good light. No holiday selfies, no sunglasses, no group photos cropped down.
🎧 Study on watch: Certificates sit near the top of your CV, so get the right tickets first. The Audio Fastlane app has captain-written crew courses you can listen to while you work. Get the courses in the Audio Fastlane app →
Show transferable experience
No yachting background? It matters less than you think. Hospitality, carpentry, landscaping, watersports instructing, diving, and bar and customer service all translate, because they show you can work hard, handle people and stay calm under pressure. Frame your past jobs around the skills a yacht actually wants.
Mistakes that get green crew rejected
- Going over one page, or burying your certificates at the bottom.
- A casual or low-quality photo.
- Typos and inconsistent formatting. On a detail-obsessed boat, this reads as carelessness.
- Vague filler instead of specifics.
- Stretching the truth. It always unravels in a small industry.
Save your CV as a PDF so the formatting holds, and name the file with your name and role.
Now go and use it
A great CV only works if it is in front of the right people. Run every channel at once: dockwalking in person, crew agencies (under the Maritime Labour Convention they must not charge you a fee for finding you a job; the yacht pays them) and online platforms such as Yotspot. The full job-hunting playbook is in how to become a superyacht deckhand, and if you still need your tickets, start with STCW Basic Safety Training.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a yacht CV be?
One page. Crew and recruiters scan CVs quickly, and a concise single page signals that you understand the industry.
Do I need a photo on my yacht CV?
Yes. A clean, professional headshot is standard on yacht CVs and is usually the first thing a recruiter looks at. Avoid casual selfies, sunglasses and group photos.
What certificates should I list on a yacht CV?
List your STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical and RYA Powerboat Level 2 if you have it, near the top where they are easy to find, along with any other relevant qualifications.
Can I get a yacht job with no experience?
Yes. Many crew start with no yachting background. Transferable experience from hospitality, trades or watersports helps, and employers value work ethic and attitude above all.
What format should I send my yacht CV in?
A PDF, so the layout holds on any device, named with your name and the role you are applying for.
Related guides
Get qualified, then get hired
Captain-written crew courses you can listen to on watch, in the Audio Fastlane app.
Get the Audio Fastlane app