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Seaplify March 22, 2026

Your seafarer CV is the first thing a manning company or ship operator sees, and in most cases, it’s the only thing that decides whether you get a call back. This guide covers what to include, how to format it, and the mistakes that get seafarer CVs rejected before anyone reads them.

Why Your Seafarer CV Decides More Than Your Qualifications

crewing managers receive hundreds of applications for every vacancy. Most take under 30 seconds to scan a CV before deciding whether to continue. A cluttered layout, a missing certificate list, or a sea service record that doesn’t show vessel types clearly, and your application gets discarded, even if your credentials are strong.

A good seafarer CV doesn’t celebrate your work ethic. It makes one thing immediately clear: your rank, your certificates, your vessel experience, and when you’re available. No objectives paragraphs. No soft skills sections. Just the facts, presented so a crewing manager can confirm your fit in ten seconds.

What Every Seafarer CV Must Include

these sections are non-negotiable regardless of rank or vessel type:

1. Personal details, full name, nationality, date of birth, contact number, email, passport number, CDC number
2. Rank applied for, clearly stated at the top, alongside your current rank
3. Certificates and endorsements, every STCW certificate with issuing flag state and expiry date
4. Sea service record, vessel name, company, rank, vessel type, GRT/DWT, flag, dates
5. Medical certificates, ENG1 or equivalent, expiry date
6. Availability date, when you can join

Include your CDC number and STCW certificate reference numbers. Crewing managers verify these. Missing numbers slow down recruitment and signal disorganisation.

How to Format Your Sea Service Record

However, the sea service section is the most important part of your seafarer CV. Crewing managers check it to confirm you have relevant experience for the vessel type and rank they’re hiring for. A weak or unclear sea service record is the most common reason qualified seafarers don’t get called.

Format each vessel entry with these details:

• Vessel name and IMO number (if known)
• Vessel type, container, bulk carrier, chemical tanker, LNG, etc.
• GRT / DWT
• Flag state
• Shipping company / operator
• Rank held
• Sign-on and sign-off dates

List entries in reverse chronological order, most recent first. Include all vessels, even short contracts. Gaps raise questions. If you had time ashore, note it briefly, “2024: leave and certificate renewal” is enough.

“I’ve seen Chief Officers with 15 years of experience get passed over because their CV didn’t show vessel sizes or flag states. A crewing manager can’t guess what class of ship you’ve worked on, you have to tell them,” says a senior maritime recruiter with 12 years placing officers across European and Asian operators.

Certificates Section: What to List and how

List every STCW certificate you hold, with the issuing authority and expiry date. Don’t assume the recruiter knows which certificates your rank requires, show them you have everything current.

For a deck officer, certificates to include:

• Certificate of Competency (COC), rank, flag state, issue and expiry dates
• STCW Basic Safety Training (BST), with refresher dates
• Advanced Fire Fighting
• Medical First Aid / Medical Care (as applicable by rank)
• GMDSS GOC or ROC
• Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB)
• Radar ARPA
• Bridge Resource Management (BRM)
• ECDIS type-specific training certificates
• Tanker endorsements, BT, ALT, AHT, if applicable
• Flag state endorsements for the flag you’re applying to sail under

If a certificate has recently expired or is due for renewal, include it with a note. Hiding an expired certificate creates problems when the crewing manager runs verification. For a full breakdown of STCW requirements by rank, see our STCW certification guide.

Common Seafarer CV Mistakes that Cost You the Job

These errors appear on a significant proportion of seafarer applications. Fix them before you send anything.

• Rank buried in the document. Your current rank and the position you’re applying for belong in the first three lines.
• Vessel names without vessel types. “MV Fortunata” tells a crewing manager nothing. “MV Fortunata, 45,000 DWT bulk carrier, Marshall Islands flag” tells them everything.
• Missing certificate expiry dates. Crewing managers need to confirm what’s current. Certificates without dates look incomplete.
• An unprofessional photo. Many shipping companies expect a photo. Use a formal headshot, not a cropped photo from a holiday or social media.
• No availability date. If you can join in two weeks, say so. If you’re on board until June, state that.
• One generic CV for all applications. Applying for a tanker role? Put tanker endorsements and experience at the top. Applying to a container line? Lead with container vessel history.
• A CV longer than three pages. Two pages for most officers. Three for Masters and Chief Engineers with long service records. Anything more rarely gets read in full.

Covering Letter: when You Need One and What to Write

Importantly, most seafarer applications don’t require a covering letter. When crewing agencies post vacancies, they want your CV fast. But when you apply directly to a shipping company, or when you’re switching vessel type, a short letter helps.

Keep it to four sentences: who you are, your current rank, your relevant experience for this specific company or vessel type, and your availability. Don’t restate your CV. Don’t write paragraphs about your commitment to safety. Crewing managers read for facts, not personality.

Notably, example opening: “I am a Chief Officer with 7 years of sea service on chemical tankers applying for a position with [Company Name] on their product tanker fleet. I hold an MCA Chief Mate unlimited certificate, current STCW BST, ALT/AHT tanker endorsements, and am available from 15 April 2026.”

Where to Send Your Seafarer CV

Apply through multiple channels. One crewing agency is not enough.

• Manning agencies, most have online portals where you upload your CV and certificates directly
• Direct to shipping companies, most major operators have a crew application section on their website
• Maritime job boards, Seaplify and specialist maritime platforms list vacancies by rank and vessel type
• LinkedIn, maritime crewing managers actively recruit here; keep your profile updated and matching your CV

In practice, update your CV after every contract. Add the new vessel entry within a week of signing off while details are fresh. Renew certificates before they expire and update expiry dates on your CV immediately. A stale CV costs you interviews.

For an overview of how maritime hiring works from the employer side, see our seafarer recruiting guide. To understand what salary to expect at each rank, see the seafarer salary guide by rank.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

A seafarer CV that shows your rank, certificates, and vessel experience clearly will always outperform a longer, messier one. Get the structure right, keep it current, and tailor it for each application type.

Ready to find your next contract? Browse seafarer job vacancies by rank and vessel type on Seaplify.

For official maritime standards and further information, visit the International Maritime Organization (IMO).