If you’re searching for new opportunities in the marine industry, it’s important to make sure your marine engineer CV packs a punch and stands out from the crowd.
Whether you're seeking an entry-level position or have been in your career for a few years, ultimately, it’s the strength of your CV that will decide whether or not you make it to interview stage.
From snappy personal statements to the relevant skills to include, in this blog, we share our expert advice. So, if you want to become a marine engineer, don’t miss these top tips!
8 tips for tailoring your CV to a marine engineer role:
1. Read the job description carefully
First things first, before you get started, take a good look over the job description for the role you are applying for and highlight any skills, qualifications or other job requirements that are mentioned.
Are there any keywords or industry terminology used? Make a note of all the above and make sure you scatter them throughout your CV (more on this below)!
2. Put yourself in your employer’s shoes
Your marine engineer CV is your ultimate sales tool, but it’s not just for your benefit. It’s important for your potential employer too, because it enables them to see what skills and experience you can bring to the company.
So, when it’s time to start writing, look back at the job description, think about what the employer will want to see and get started from there.
3. Start with a personal statement
It makes sense to begin your sales pitch with a snappy personal statement that rounds up exactly what you can offer. Make sure your statement is short, succinct and compelling.
It only needs to be a few lines, for example, “Experienced marine engineer with a decade of experience who is highly competent in the repair and maintenance of boats, ships and offshore platforms.”
4. Showcase your industry knowledge
When it comes to creating the perfect marine engineer CV, it’s important to highlight your industry skills. Depending on the role you are applying for, your potential employers will look for clear evidence of a specific skill set, so make sure you include all relevant experience.
For example, if you’ve got five years of experience working on a specific type of system, or if you have an example of a project where you’ve had to use your analytical abilities, make sure you include it on your CV.
Just ensure you can quantify your performance with evidence to ensure your CV is a strong as possible.
5. Highlight your soft skills
Are you a good communicator? Do you work well in a team? Collaboration and communication are essential to the smooth running of a vessel, so make sure you highlight these soft skills on your CV too.
Marine engineers also need to work to tight deadlines, have excellent attention to detail and strong problem-solving skills too, so make sure you include these soft skills as well.
6. Talk about qualifications
Becoming a marine engineer takes time and there’s a number of qualifications you need to have. So, you should list all your relevant qualifications in reverse chronological order on your CV.
Start with your university, college or apprenticeship qualifications, before listing GCSEs or the equivalent.
Alternatively, if you’ve trained with the Merchant Navy or Royal Navy, make sure you include details of the qualifications you gained too.
7. Tailor your CV
Finally, once your marine engineer CV is complete, go back through it and make sure that you have tailored it to the specific role you are applying for.
Look back over the job description and the keywords you initially picked out and have a fresh look over your CV to check that it answers the brief.
If you get stuck, you could always ask a colleague or a friend to cast an objective eye over it in case you’ve missed anything.
8. Ask us for help!
Still need additional help and guidance with writing your CV? That’s what we’re here for! At M&E Global, our team are experts in marine recruitment and (though we don’t want to blow our own trumpet), we’re pretty great at putting together CVs.
So, if you still need some advice, discover how to craft the perfect CV here, or reach out to our team to have a chat. We’ll even help you with proof-reading to make sure no sneaky mistakes slip through the net.
Next steps
At M&E Global, we have more than 20 years of experience in marine industry recruitment. So, if you’re searching for your next role, we’ll be more than happy to help.
Have a look at the roles we are currently working on to find out more, or read our blog on top marine engineer interview tips for further advice!
