Resume template · Updated October 2026
Maritime resume template
Short answer
Catalyst suits experienced mariners: it skips the summary and opens on your current vessel and rank, with credentials carried in the headline. The fictional sample is a second officer on a transatlantic container ship who came up from third officer after maritime academy, with watchkeeping, passage planning, clean port state control inspections, cargo watches, and his Coast Guard credential, STCW endorsement and TWIC.
Download the maritime sample
Noah is a fictional second officer. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Catalyst suits a maritime resume
Catalyst opens on the latest job with no summary, so a crewing manager sees rank, vessel type and trade first. The headline under the large left-aligned name carries the credential, and labelled skill rows after the jobs give navigation and cargo systems a place, under teal headings set in IBM Plex Sans.
Second choice: Leslie. Leslie keeps a summary and puts experience first, a better fit for mariners moving ashore who need to explain the switch.
What goes in each section, in Catalyst's order
Catalyst prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Work Experience. With no summary on a Catalyst page, the headline names your rank, tonnage or horsepower limits and key credentials. Bullets then give vessel type and size, trade route, watch and department duties, inspection results and safety roles. Sea service is counted precisely, so give exact dates.
- Skills. Navigation, cargo and safety competencies go in Technical; bridge and engine systems by name in Tools (ECDIS, radar, GMDSS, safety management software). Vessel types you have served on can sit here too.
- Education. A maritime academy degree or approved training program on one line. Mariners who rose through sea time can list their training courses instead.
- Certifications. The Merchant Mariner Credential now combines what were separate documents (the MMD, license, Certificate of Registry and STCW endorsement), so list it with its endorsements exactly as printed. Add your TWIC: under 46 CFR 10.203, failing to hold a valid one is grounds for denying a credential application.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Noah Pedersen
Second Officer, Unlimited Tonnage (USCG MMC, STCW)
Norfolk, VA | noah.pedersen@example.com | (757) 555-0192 | linkedin.com/in/sample-noah-pedersen
Experience
Second Officer, Chesapeake Line Shipping, Norfolk, VA (sea service) (01/2022 to Present)
- Navigation officer on a 4,250 TEU container ship on a transatlantic rotation, standing the 12 to 4 bridge watch.
- Maintain passage plans, electronic chart updates and nautical publications; no navigation deficiencies in the last two port state control inspections.
- Act as medical officer under the master's direction and keep the medical locker stocked and logged.
- Supervise cargo watches in port, checking lashing, reefer monitoring and dangerous goods stowage against the stowage plan.
- Lead monthly fire and abandon-ship drills for the watch team and record them in the safety management system.
Third Officer, Chesapeake Line Shipping, Norfolk, VA (sea service) (07/2019 to 12/2021)
- Stood the 8 to 12 bridge watch on container and ro-ro vessels.
- Kept life-saving and firefighting equipment inspected and logged as the ship's safety officer.
- Assisted the chief officer with bunkering and cargo operations.
Education
BS, Marine Transportation, Tidewater Maritime Academy (05/2019)
Certifications
- Merchant Mariner Credential: Second Mate, Unlimited Tonnage, U.S. Coast Guard (2022)
- STCW endorsement: Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, U.S. Coast Guard (2019)
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), Transportation Security Administration (2024)
Skills
Bridge watchkeeping, Passage planning, Radar and ARPA, Cargo operations, Dangerous goods stowage, Safety management system, ECDIS, GMDSS equipment, Container and ro-ro vessels, Bridge resource management, Crew drills and training
How to make the sample yours
Copy endorsements word for word
Rank, tonnage or horsepower limits, route and STCW capacities should match the credential exactly. Crewing departments check them against the document.
Give sea service and vessel detail
Vessel type, size in tonnage or TEU, trade and days at sea for each role. Upgrading to the next rank depends on it, and so does fit with a company's fleet.
Adapt for engine and shore roles
Engineers lead with plant type and horsepower, maintenance systems and watch duties; port captains and marine superintendents with fleet size, audits, vetting results and dry-dock projects.
Show inspection results for your area
Port state control, flag state and vetting inspections with no deficiencies in your area are strong evidence. Name the area you were responsible for.
Translate sea time for shore jobs
Watch leadership, safety management, cargo planning and regulatory inspections transfer to port operations, logistics and marine insurance. Rewrite ship terms in plain business language for those readers.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- maritime
- merchant marine
- Merchant Mariner Credential
- STCW
- bridge watchkeeping
- passage planning
- ECDIS
- radar
- cargo operations
- safety management system
- port state control
- TWIC
- GMDSS
- bridge resource management
- sea service
Mistakes to avoid
- A profile paragraph. Catalyst does not print one, so rank and credentials belong in the headline.
- Paraphrased endorsements ("licensed mate") instead of the wording on the credential.
- Vague dates; sea service is counted to the day, and gaps raise questions.
- Ship jargon alone on applications to shoreside employers.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I list sea time on a maritime resume?
Give each vessel or rotation with type, size, route and dates, or summarise days of sea service per rank. Keep the detailed discharge records ready for crewing departments.
Should I include my TWIC?
Yes, with its expiry date. A valid TWIC is needed to keep Merchant Mariner Credential applications on track, and port and terminal employers often ask for one.
How do I move from sailing to a shoreside maritime job?
Lead with leadership, safety management and regulatory experience, translate ship terms, and target roles such as port captain, marine superintendent, vessel operations or marine surveyor trainee.
Do I list my academy or training courses?
Yes. Academy graduates give the degree; mariners who came up through sea time list the approved courses behind their endorsements, such as firefighting or radar observer.
How long should a maritime resume be?
One page for junior officers and ratings; senior officers with long vessel histories can use two, or attach a separate sea service record.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Catalyst PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 4 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
Guides and templates for this resume
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 46 CFR 10.201 Eligibility for an MMC, general (MMC combines the former MMD, license, Certificate of Registry and STCW endorsement; issued by the Coast Guard; authorizes service in endorsed capacities)
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 46 CFR 10.203 Requirement to hold a TWIC and a Merchant Mariner Credential (failure to obtain or hold a valid TWIC is a basis for denial of an MMC application)
More in resume templates by industry.