CV top tips and Don'ts

The Perfect CV

Once you upload your CV onto your Yotspot profile, we will automatically create a digital CV for you, making it easy for employers to review suitable candidates and easy for you to apply for jobs.

There’s a knack for putting together your “Yacht CV”, remember it’s different from a “Land CV”.

If you want your CV to stand out, keep it short, sweet and to the point:

1. HEADSHOT
   Look the part, wear a polo shirt, tie your hair up/tidy and smile! Make sure it’s a clear photo with good lighting and ideally in situ on a boat/marina. No selfies, sunglasses, hats or props!
2. PERSONAL INFO
   Full name, email address, telephone number (include country code), Skype name (optional)
3. BIRTH DATE
4. NATIONALITY
   Some yachts have restrictions on which nationalities they are legally allowed to hire
5. LANGUAGES SPOKEN
6. PASSPORTS/VISAS List current Passports and/or Visas held
7. INDICATE VISIBLE TATTOOS/SMOKER Yes or No
8. EDUCATION
9. ABOUT
   Indicate the role you’re after IE: stewardess, chef, deckhand etc and why you’re an asset to the team, not just how great you think you are! Employers want to hear; relevant skills, experience and/or unique background etc. Max 1 -2 sentences.
10. SKILLS & CERTIFICATES
    List maritime certificates and skills relevant to the post EG: STCW and ENG1 (min. requirement), security training, boating licences, silver service, food safety, ship’s cook, Yacht Master, PADI/diving etc.
11. EXPERIENCE
    Yachting experience is crucial so include any day work if that’s all you’ve had, with most recent position at the top. Include yacht brand, name and size, dates of employment and duties. Only include land-based experience if it’s relevant to the position.
12. REFERENCES
    Include reference contact details from any daywork or from a previous yacht include Captain’s name, yacht name, email and phone number. If land-based references, make sure they’re relevant.

CV No No’s

Make sure your CV is well presented, accurate and you don’t fall into any of the following traps!

1. Blurry, out of date profile picture – keep it up to date, clear, smart and presentable.
2. Out of date employment – update your CV with your current role as soon as you start it. Recruiters are headhunting all the time and if you’re still down as a 2^nd Stew rather than Chief Stew, you could miss out on a potential new role.
3. Irrelevant Employment History – daywork or summer jobs you did years ago aren’t going to necessarily help you get the next job, remove irrelevant roles.
4. No References – potential recruiters will want to contact your most recent head of department or Captain so include their name and contact details so it’s easy to follow up.
5. Forget In Confidence - Do mention on your CV if you are looking for work in confidence.
6. One CV fits all – it doesn’t! If you’re looking for specific roles, make sure your CV is relevant for that role, rather than one CV for lots of different roles.
7. Incorrect contact details – make sure they’re up to date and spelt correctly!
8. Mistakes and typos – errors in your CV give a sloppy impression, so check it, get someone else to check it and proofread it again!
9. Unclear start/end dates – specify months and years, not just years, to demonstrate the beginning and end of individual jobs, so a potential employer can see your experience and any gaps.
10. No clear goal – be clear about what you want, if you’re a deckhand looking for Bosun, include mention of that. Your CV will come up on more searches and you’ll be approached for relevant positions.