The maritime industry has been exploding over the last two decades, with total cargo increasing by over six billion tons. On top of that, it’s a great time to get into the field as the marine economy recovers from COVID-19.

Even though the future is bright, as one of the top talents in the field you know competition is still fierce for any position. What can you do to give yourself the edge?

We’ve got a game plan for you! It may require some work, but you already know how to work hard. You’ve got this!

Landlubber or Sea Dog?

This is the first decision. Are you looking to work on land for dockyards, ports, and transport yards, or do you feel the call of the sea? Jobs on the open water can be extremely lucrative, but they often come with a tradeoff—you may be away from home for long periods of time!

In marine industry careers, credentials and training also vary widely depending on where you’re doing the work. And if you’re looking to go into anything involving the military (directly or indirectly), you may need additional certifications, clearances, or credentials.

Fill Education or Training Gaps

You’re already a world-class technician, but if you’re just getting into the marine field you may need to complete certain maritime-specific training, get certifications, or obtain particular ratings if you wish to be competitive for jobs in marine industry sectors.

Many higher-level positions will require some type of university degree. There are a number of excellent college choices, though many are located (surprise, surprise!) on the coasts or in the Great Lakes region.

Completing relevant training programs or apprenticeships can also help set your application head and shoulders above the rest, and they are often mandatory. OSHA courses are one example of many, and it is relatively common for businesses to require recertification at three-year intervals. In fact, even though you’ve completed a course, your company may consider your training outdated or inapplicable by internal standards.

The marine industry is vast and wide, and knowing exactly what training and education you’ll need to really blow away the hiring committee can be difficult. In many cases, you can ask friends in the field or an experienced and successful marine recruiter.

Obtain Relevant Certifications

Similar to the training mentioned above, adding certain certificates or endorsements to your resume can be a distinct advantage when competing for a job in marine industry fields. Again, your marine recruiter will help you understand exactly what will be needed for the specific type and location of the career in which you’re interested.

Here are a few standard items you’ll encounter:

• STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping): basic safety, security, survival, and first aid course.
• TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential): required for access to secure government locations.
• ABCY (American Boat & Yacht Council): covers common marine tech work areas such as diesel, corrosion, A/C, and electrical certifications.
• OSHA Safety & Health Fundamentals Certificate for Maritime: the name says it all.
• CDL (Commercial driver’s license): necessary for driving heavy vehicles.

Your ideal career path may require several of these or none at all.

Polish That Resume!

For an HR manager, nothing is worse than a bad or unclear resume when making hiring decisions for any job, and this is even more true when there is expensive heavy equipment involved. Keep the following points in mind:

• List only relevant facts to avoid cluttering up your resume with unnecessary fluff.
• Don’t embellish—your job history and references will absolutely be verified, and you should be building toward a successful resume—not inventing one!
• List your best and most attractive skills and attributes in the top third of your resume. Employers spend an average of six seconds scanning them, so this is very much a “put your best foot forward’ type of situation. An opening summary statement is an excellent place to do this.
• Demonstrate results: don’t restrict yourself to dry lists of training and certifications. In any tech job, problem-solving skills are a critical intangible that’s hard for any committee to measure. List examples of difficult situations and how you solved them.

Let V20 Connect You

When you’re taking the first step in building a future, you cannot count on luck to get you a job. In marine industry circles, there’s a lot of “Who do you know?”, and there’s no substitute for an insider advocating for you. That means a top-flight marine recruiter is a great person to have in your corner.

V20 Recruiting would love to be your ace in the hole! Our amazing marine recruiters Douglas M. Sexton and Tom Cassidy, Jr. have years of experience matching top talent to the best businesses in the game. You can reach either through their web pages above; Douglas and Tom list their contact information so you can connect with them personally—and that individual connection is the foundation of our recruiting and consulting work.

Reach out to us today! Contact Douglas or Tom directly, or you can drop a line to our main offices. We’re ready to connect qualified techs with jobs in marine industry sectors that will change their lives and secure the futures they deserve.