The marine industry is as unique and specialized as it gets, and the customers you serve will be highly knowledgeable and know exactly what they’re looking for most of the time. This makes leadership and admin roles in the marine industry critical positions that can’t be filled by just anyone with a business degree.

If you’re looking for one of these jobs, you’re probably going to need a recruiting partner who can give you the specialized attention you need to separate your resume from the pack. Especially with increasing competition from management-level candidates from related industries like automotive sales, showcasing your skills and qualifications in the right way is vital.

We’ll help you navigate the cloudy waters of finding leadership roles and administrative positions with some key advice for landing great jobs in the marine industry.

Make Sure You Have the Necessary Prerequisites

For many management and leadership positions, being qualified starts with a degree or certification in business and/or management. It obviously takes some time and effort, but if you want to be on this career path, education delivers a huge return on the investment when you’re hunting for admin jobs in the marine industry.

On the other hand, if you’re an experienced administrator but lack knowledge about the marine industry specifically, a technical degree or training would be extremely useful as a resume line and for practical on-the-job work.

An employer is going to be hard-pressed to put you in a key leadership role if they aren’t completely convinced you understand the business. Training options are available through the US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, The American Boat and Yacht Council, and various other educational institutions.

Finally, if you don’t have the time or money to pursue a full-time degree, a management certificate is a good alternative. It can be earned with as little as 12 credits, making it less expensive in cash and time than an MBA, and an average return on investment is reported to be ten times the cost of the training.

Polish Your Resume

The reality is that most employers spend only six seconds looking at your resume. If it isn’t optimized to grab attention in that narrow window of time, you’re more than likely headed for the rejection pile.

So what should you prioritize? Here are critical points:

• Dispense with the opening mission statement (takes more than six seconds!). Rather, distill it down to a single bold phrase.
• Include bullet points listing requisite skills for the position you are applying for.
• Only list experience that’s relevant to the role at hand. It’s tempting to pack all your experience in, but it can detract from key points and make you seem overqualified.
• DO NOT use ChatGPT. It’s transparent and predictable—the last impression you want to give to an employer.
• Tweak your resume for each job you apply for, including words and phrasing from the position announcement. A great recruiter can be immensely helpful here.

These will help get you over the six-second hump, the first roadblock for anyone looking for admin jobs in the marine industry. If you work with a recruiter, they’ll have even more great industry and employer-specific insider tips to give you the edge.

LinkedIn and Social Media Should Pop

LinkedIn is used more and more as a “real” or “second” resume these days, so get your profile in order before you apply:

• Rotate some of your keywords every few weeks. This will prompt the algorithm to re-evaluate your profile, keeping you toward the top of search results.
• Utilize “Creator Mode”, which allows you to post hashtags to boost your “Activity and Features” section higher on your profile. There are a number of additional features of Creator Mode that can help you network.
• Avoid using the “Open for Work” banner. Employers say they don’t hold employment gaps against people, but let’s face it... there’s no need to point it out.

Also, employers will likely be screening your social media accounts for controversial material and other red flags. Make sure your social media profiles are scrubbed and squeaky clean. When you’re looking for a job, these accounts are not personal statements, they’re advertising for you.

Hire a Great Marine Recruiter

It’s a hard fact that up to 70% of jobs aren’t posted before they’re filled, and as many as 80% are filled via personal or professional connections in whole or in part. Jobs in the marine industry are no exception, and this is especially true for key leadership and admin roles. This means you need an insider advocate with extensive experience and connections in the maritime industry through which companies have a history of finding great employees.

V20 Recruiting built exactly this reputation with years of great placements, and we work for our candidates on a no-cost, no-obligation basis to get you on the career path you’re looking for. Many of our clients develop long-term relationships with us through multiple roles, and every step of the way we provide resume feedback, confidentiality, and a deep understanding of your goals. You’ll always be at the forefront of our recruiter’s minds when you work with V20, so when the right opportunities arise we’re already in sync.

And one of the biggest benefits of working with an industry-oriented recruiter like us is that we know the people doing the hiring personally and can get your resume front and center where the real decisions are being made. We’re a small agency that prioritizes getting to know our clients, so we can place you not just with the best-paying jobs in the marine industry, but in the environments that suit you best.

Reach out to our office or contact our top marine recruiters Douglas M. Sexton and Tom Cassidy, Jr. directly so we can get you in the spotlight when it counts. We have decades of experience connecting the top talent with the most rewarding career opportunities—find out what V20 can do for you!