A Yacht Captain’s CV is more than a list of certificates and sea miles — it is your first impression, your professional reputation, and often the deciding factor in whether an owner, management company, or recruiter invites you for interview. At Wilsonhalligan, we review thousands of Captain CVs each year, giving us a clear view of what stands out for the right reasons… and what doesn’t.
Below, we share our top ten do’s and don’ts to help ensure your CV reflects the professionalism, leadership, and reliability expected at the helm of a superyacht.
The Do’s
Do customise your CV for every application – Ensure your CV is relevant to the role.
Do proofread and proofread and, oh, proofread – Use friends, family, and your recruiter to give honest feedback on your CV.
Do detail your achievements – For example: completed six refits on time and on budget, maintained a crew turnover of less than 10% over 18 months, or achieved a high percentage of repeat charter guests.
Do use white space – Often, less is more. Some of the best CVs from Captains with 20 years’ experience are still one page and not overcrowded.
Do think about how your CV looks printed in colour or black and white – There’s a chance your CV may be viewed in black and white. Ensure it is readable and doesn’t rely on colour to stand out.
The Don’ts
Don’t write your CV as a Ship’s Captain – Think more corporate, like a company CEO. The role of Captain includes being head of finances, HR, strategic planning, operations, and compliance, to name just a few elements. Many Captains say that manoeuvring is actually a small part of the position.
Don’t use clichés – This is harder than it seems. Certain keywords appear in hundreds of CVs, making it difficult to stand out. Words like motivated, initiative, organised, hard-working, and leader are all commonly overused. Make your CV different.
Don’t turn your CV into spam – Do network and share your CV, of course. However, sending it out too widely can dilute its impact and cause it to be overlooked. You may also miss the opportunity to present it with a tailored cover letter, make it job-specific, or have a recruiter represent you.
Don’t spend money with a professional CV writer – Unless they genuinely specialise in Captain CVs. We see hundreds of professionally written CVs each week with alignment errors, grammar mistakes, and generic content.
Don’t exaggerate – Dates, experience, qualifications… there’s no need to embellish. Honesty is always the best policy.
We hope these do’s and don’ts help you refine your Captain’s CV and give it a competitive advantage in the current market.
For more guidance or to discuss current Yacht Captain job opportunities, please get in touch with our team — we’ll be happy to help you find a role that’s right for you.