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How to Write a Yacht CV With No Yacht Experience

What to put on a yacht CV when you have never worked on a yacht: which experience counts, what to leave out, and common mistakes.

The Crew Atelier · 5 min read

Short answer: lead with your certificates (STCW, ENG1), then show shore experience that matches yacht work: hospitality, service, practical trades, watersports, childcare or anything that proves you are reliable and work well in a team. Keep it to one page with a professional photo.

This builds on our full yacht crew CV guide.

What counts as relevant experience

  • Interior: restaurant, hotel, bar, events, housekeeping, nannying, retail with high service standards.
  • Deck: watersports instructing, sailing, carpentry, painting, mechanical or outdoor work.
  • Galley: any professional kitchen work.
  • Engineering: trade or technical qualifications and workshop experience.

Describe each role in terms of what yachts care about: standards, guests, teamwork, long hours, responsibility.

Structure (one page)

  1. Photo, name, contact details, nationality, visas held, location and availability
  2. A two-line profile naming the role you want
  3. Certificates (STCW, ENG1, any others)
  4. Relevant experience
  5. Skills and languages
  6. References (or "available on request")

Common mistakes

  • Two or three pages
  • A casual or holiday photo (headshot guide)
  • No clear target role
  • Leaving out visas or location, which captains need to see straight away
  • Listing every course you have ever done

Next step

Once your CV is ready, read about your first yacht job with no experience. If you want help, CV Creation builds the CV with you, and CV Review gives feedback on one you already have.

Related next steps