I have a confession.
For years, my yachting CV was my biggest professional pet peeve, and it kind of still is. All those years as a stewardess, it wasn't the stairwells with impossible light sculptures to clean, not the back-to-back charters with barely any time off... it wasn't even polishing stainless in 35-degree heat when I worked summer of 2018 on deck. Nope!
Pet Peeve numero uno was, and still is... drumroll... My CV.
That one document that was supposed to represent me, my work ethic, my grit, my experience, my standards and my skills felt like the part of my yachting career I was least interested in or qualified for.
And I avoided it like the plague.
Why Does Writing a Yachting CV Feel So Hard?
If you’re yacht crew, you already know this: Your CV is usually the first impression a recruiter or captain will ever have of you. Before they hear your voice. Before they see how you move during service. Before they watch you handle heavy pressure during a busy charter.
Whenever I tackled my CV, the questions started to spiral in my head:
• Is my format correct and specific enough for recruiters?
• Am I underselling myself?
• How do I stand out?
• What do captains actually look for?
• Am I missing something important?
Most of us didn’t join yachting because we love writing about ourselves. We joined because we want a unique and exciting career, to make great money, and to travel the world. But self-marketing? Geeez…That’s a different skill set altogether, in my opinion.
My Bed-Making Epiphany (And What It Taught Me About CVs)
When I first joined yachting, I hated making beds. I mean really hated it. The symmetry. The tension. The invisible standard everyone else seemed to magically understand. I felt clumsy, slow and behind. So one day, instead of avoiding it, I made it my challenge. If I hated it, I would master it... that became my mantra.
I watched my head housekeeper carefully as she mastered it with perfection and ease. I practiced over and over and I learned what “five-star standard” actually meant. Eventually, beds stopped being my weakness. They became my pride.
Donkey years later, I realized something uncomfortable: My CV had become another bed I didn’t want to make.
How to Write a Yachting CV That Stands Out Well
If you’re wondering how to write a yachting CV that stands out, here is the practical framework I wish someone had given me early on, but which many recruiters agree upon.
1. Use a Clean Yachting CV Format
Recruiters get sent hundreds of CVs a week to look through. Many crew use Canva (a great tool by the way) to create their CVs these days. The templates range from simple to colourful.
That means to me:
• No over-designed templates
• No extreme graphics
• No fancy columns
• Simple fonts
• Clear headings
• Consistent spacing
A clean superyacht CV format performs well. Think: bridge-ready, not Instagram-ready.
2. Structure It Specifically for the Yachting Industry
A yacht CV is not the same as a land-based resume. Agencies like YPI CREW consistently emphasize industry-specific clarity, and training providers like Flying Fish outline similar expectations.
Your CV should clearly include:
- Professional headshot (neutral background)
- Personal details (nationality, visas, location, availability)
- Certifications (STCW, ENG1, additional training)
- Yacht experience (structured properly)
Below are sample CVs that YPI Crew have suggested. You can find their templates and guidance HERE.
What else should be included:
• Yacht name
• Yacht length in meters or feet
• Position you held
• Dates you worked
• Program type (private/charter) is optional but adds value
• Crew size (optional)
• Key responsibilities
• References ( email & number)
3. Show Your Impact, Not Just Your Duties.
This is where most yacht crew CVs seem to fall a bit flat. I recently attended a webinar hosted by YPI crew about taking the next step from experienced to senior crew. The topic of CVs was raised. The moderators and guest speakers emphasized the importance of wording parts of your CV to show the value of what you bring to the table, not just listing your duties.
So, for example, instead of writing: "Responsible for housekeeping." Write something like this:
"Maintained 5-star interior standards on a 70m private yacht during high-profile owner trips and back-to-back charters."
Instead of the simple: “Assisted with service.” How about writing this:
"Delivered impeccable synchronized silver service for 12 guests during 10 high-end Mediterranean charters, maintaining seamless execution under pressure."
Specifics make you memorable to captains and recruiters.
4. Keep It 1 - 2 Pages Max
Green crew can get away with one page, especially if they also don't have much land-based experience as yet. If you’re experienced crew, aim for two pages max.
Recruiters scan quickly. Captains skim. Your yacht crew resume should feel tight, polished and intentional. If it feels like an autobiography, it’s too long.
5. Write a Strong Professional Profile
Your profile section should answer this question: “Why should this captain interview me?”
So rephrase the over-used: “I am hardworking and motivated,” and instead reframe it like : “Detail-oriented second stewardess with 3 years' experience on 60–80m private and charter yachts. Recognized for high service standards, strong guest rapport, and calm performance during fast-paced charter rotations.” It's longer wording, I know, but it's still compact, targeted and professional.
What most captains Look for in a yacht CV anyway? Captains are scanning for:
- Longevity (you don’t jump ship every 3 months unless you are a freelancer)
- Reliability
- Growth progression
- Clear sea time, especially for deck roles
- Relevant experience
- Stability
- Professional presentation
- Attention to detail
Your CV is proof of your attention to detail and your standards. If your formatting is really messy, they may question how you’ll keep your cabin, manage the pantry or the deck lockers. If your dates are inconsistent, they may question your reliability.
And if there are too many spelling mistakes??? Well… ahem… no comment.
Here are my Do’s & Dont’s
Do:
✔ Keep formatting consistent
✔ Highlight how you have progressed through the ranks
✔ Quantify experience
✔ Show charter exposure if you have any, no matter which department you are in
✔ Update your certificates and any training you have done
✔ Save as PDF format
✔ Proofread carefully
Don’t:
✘ Use Canva-heavy templates with multi-colours
✘ Write long, essay paragraphs
✘ Exaggerate sea time or dates worked on the vessel
✘ Leave unexplained gaps (log them as career breaks)
✘ Include irrelevant hobbies
✘ Send it without reviewing it twice
Treat your CV like a guest area on the boat that the chief stew will inspect and you’ll turn over to the yacht owners and guests. What would you change or improve in the CV below?
How to Stand Out With Your Yachting CV (What I've Been Told)
Standing out in a sea of piled up CVs doesn’t mean "get flashy". It means be strategic.
1. Show Your Progression (Deckhand → Lead Deckhand/ Stewardess → 2nd Stewardess or chief/ Temp contract → Permanent
Progression signals commitment.
2. Highlight Charter Intensity: Charter experience, especially on heavy charter programs, shows resilience, adaptability, and pressure handling. Trust me, I've been there...done that. They require turnaround mastery, strong guest hospitality and service, confident communication skills, the ability to remember preferences of many people and excellent co-ordination between departments. Tailoring your cv can increase interviews.
If you have no charter experience, that's ok. Private programs need a serious skillset too because they are still people-facing programs, so highlight your descretion and longevity. Demonstrate your stability.
The Emotional Reality of Writing Your Yacht Crew Resume
Let’s talk honestly. Writing your CV forces reflection. I’ve had to ask myself
• Am I progressing?
• Am I underselling myself?
• Am I over-inflating my accomplishments?
• Am I stuck?
It’s pretty confronting, but it’s powerful. When you finally write your CV intentionally, you will see all your growth. I saw the charters I survived, the standards I mastered, the leadership I stepped into. It stopped feeling like paperwork and became more about positioning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yachting CVs
1. How long should a yachting CV be? One to two pages maximum
2. Should I include a photo on my yacht CV? Yes. The yachting industry expects a professional headshot. Non-yachting, land based positions don’t.
3. Do I need different CVs for private vs charter yachts? Not necessarily. However, tailoring improves alignment and interview rates. It’s a small tweak, so you can have two versions if you know the program you are applying to (usually stated in the Whatsapp and Facebook groups). But if you’re applying on recruiter sites and don’t know the programs, don’t stress. Present the Cv that shows you in the best light.
4. What is the best format for a superyacht CV? Clean, simple, ATS-friendly structure with clear headings and bullet points.
But what Does “ATS-Friendly” Actually Mean? When people say your yachting CV should be “ATS-friendly,” it sounds technical, but it’s actually simple. ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It’s just software some recruiters may use to store and search through CVs before they review them properly. Instead of opening every document one by one, they can type in keywords like “STCW,” or “charter,” and the system pulls up matching candidates.
At the time of writing this, I was unable to verify if any yacht agencies use advanced recruiting software for this purpose. But agencies do keep digital databases where they search and filter crew by qualifications, yacht size, position, or availability. If your CV is full of graphics, heavy design elements, text boxes, or unusual layouts, those systems sometimes can’t read the information properly.
And even if there’s no software involved? A captain or recruiter may still be scanning quickly. So make it clean, clear and clear say to read.
Why, Oh Why, Do I Care About This Now?
Since I won the Best Crew Mentor Award by ACREW, crew now send me their CVs asking for feedback, and it honestly unsettles me every time. I go into overdrive worrying because I don’t want to give them wrong advice, especially as CV’s have never been my forté or keen interest.
And yet sometimes, when I open them, I see potential buried under poor structure. I see brilliant experience, hidden by bad formatting, obvious spelling errors and undervalued by vague wording. So I give my opinion with a disclaimer that I’m no Cv expert, but genuinely happy to help where I can. In addition, I don’t want crew to feel insecure about the very document that may open their next opportunity, so I often point them in the direction of those who live it and breathe it every day.
My Challenge to You
If your CV makes you uncomfortable as mine does…
Good!
That discomfort is a growth opportunity, just like beds once were for me. Master it by learning the standards and researching what recruiters scan for. Many recruiters are on Linkedin and often share what actually gets you noticed and what works. Follow them and join their network. I certainly do, and I learn more and more every day. Also study what their crewing agencies publish too. Then refine your CV intentionally. It can be a continuous work in progress. I have a yachtie friend who revisits hers often and I have come to admire her for it, because when your yachting CV is strong, it stops being so intimidating. It becomes strategic, and strategy is what separates crew who wait from crew who get called first.
If you want more details, exact structures, deeper breakdowns, examples, or CV guidance, explore more resources below from industry experts. Your next opportunity may start with that one document, so make it count.
https://www.flyingfishonline.com/working-on-a-superyacht/how-to-write-a-yachting-cv/
https://www.ypicrew.com/yachting-cv-resume
https://www.ypicrew.com/yacht-crew-cv-templates
