Resume example
Seafarer resume example
Manning agencies check your rank, sea service and documents before they read anything else. For each contract, give the vessel type, GRT, trade route and months on board, and keep your STCW certificates, SRB, SID and passport validity easy to find. A clean safety and inspection record is worth a bullet of its own.
A seafarer summary you can adapt
Able seaman with 6 years of sea service on bulk carriers and oil/chemical tankers in international trade. Experienced in bridge watchkeeping, mooring and deck maintenance, with no lost-time injuries across 6 contracts and complete, valid STCW documents.
Two or three sentences: who you are, how long you have done it, and the strongest proof. Replace the details with your own.
Bullet points that work
Able Seaman
- Completed 3 contracts of 9 months each on a 43,000 GRT bulk carrier trading between Australia, China and Japan, with a crew of 21.
- Stand 4-hour navigational watches as helmsman and lookout, and steer the vessel during pilotage in and out of 14 ports.
- Handle mooring, anchoring and hatch cover operations for about 30 port calls a year with no reported incidents.
- Carry out chipping, painting and greasing under the planned maintenance system, helping the deck department pass 4 port state control inspections with no deficiencies.
Ordinary Seaman
- Served 3 contracts of 8 to 9 months on an 11,800 GRT oil/chemical tanker on Southeast Asian routes.
- Assisted in tank cleaning, cargo hose connection and gangway watch during more than 60 loading and discharging operations.
- Joined weekly fire and abandon-ship drills as part of the lifeboat crew and finished each contract with no lost-time injury.
Each one says what was done and gives a number. Use your real figures; an honest small number beats a vague claim.
Skills to list on a seafarer resume
Deck work
Documents
Languages
Only list what you can talk about in an interview, and use the same words as the job post so screening software finds them.
Tips for your seafarer resume
- List sea service contract by contract: rank, vessel name, vessel type, GRT, trade route and exact months on board.
- Give the expiry date of your passport, SRB, SID, visas and medical certificate so the agency can see you are ready to deploy.
- Name each STCW certificate with its regulation number, such as II/4, II/5 or VI/1, because crewing staff search by those codes.
- Engine ratings should add main engine make and kW, since many principals ask for experience on a specific engine type.
Common questions
What is the difference between the SRB (SIRB) and the SID?+
The Seafarer's Record Book, formerly called the SIRB, is where your sea service is recorded. The Seafarer's Identity Document is a separate biometric ID. Both are issued by MARINA, and you should list both with their expiry dates.
Should I use the agency's application form or my own resume?+
Most manning agencies ask you to fill in their own form, but a one-page resume with your rank, sea service table and documents helps when you apply online or walk in. Bring both.
How do I write a seafarer resume as a cadet with no sea service?+
Lead with your maritime degree, your STCW Basic Training and other certificates, and any shipboard training or domestic vessel experience. State the rank you are applying for, such as deck cadet or engine cadet.