Water is the only way of life for some of us—relaxing in it, living by it, and of course, working on it. Whether your love of the open water is powered by fuel or wind, watersports and recreation offer a tremendous opportunity to develop both your career and your passion. However, if you’re just starting to look for jobs in the marine industry without the success you hoped for, you’re probably starting to realize how competitive it can be.

With a hiring pool this deep, you may have great skills but struggle to make yourself stand out in the crowd. It’s hard to know what will make your resume rise to the top, and it takes a lot of industry experience to get it into the right hands.

A dedicated marine recruiter with the relationships to find the best jobs and a track record of supplying businesses with the best candidates is the insider you need. Choosing the right partner can be your ticket to career success in the marine industry, but how can you distinguish between the recruiting heroes and the big-name zeroes?

Here are the most important things to look for (and avoid!) when you’re looking for a marine industry recruiter.

Don’t Settle for a Generalist

Websites like ZipRecruiter and Indeed sound attractive with their big footprint and spots on your favorite podcasts. They may be great for filling generic positions with generic candidates, but as any enthusiast knows, the marine industry is as specialized as it gets.

Big recruiting agencies that cater to any industry will never have the expertise it takes to connect employers with qualified employees who will deliver what they need. These companies are all about quantity, not quality, and going through them to find good jobs in the marine industry will get you nowhere fast.

Part of what makes job hunting on these sites difficult is the increased hiring overlap between industries. Because marine positions are more rare in the post-COVID days, job seekers from places like the automotive world are increasingly applying. You may be the best marine salesperson in the world, but your resume will be lumped in with slick candidates from dealers like Porsche who have never seen a center console or pontoon in their life.

Big recruiting agencies are good for many roles, but the marine and watersports fields simply don’t align with their business model. They don’t understand you or the people you want to work with, and if they do manage to hook you up with a great job it will be pure luck after a lot of wasted time.

Look for Passionate Insiders

The best people to represent you share your passions and are active in your industry. They know how to look at a candidate from an employer’s perspective and can spot an excellent prospect in a sea of resumes at a glance. Because they are skilled at connecting businesses with excellent candidates, employers take the leads they send much more seriously.

Also, as you probably know from your time on the water, the marine and watersports worlds are tight-knit communities, and the same is true for the business side. All the major players know each other, and credibility is earned through experience and expertise, not simply having a big name. To find a partner who can navigate the landscape for you, look for a recruiter who checks as many of these boxes as possible:

• They understand the marine industry and have a long history within it.
• People in the business know them as a recruiter who supplies outstanding, well-matched candidates who go on to be stellar employees.
• They are easy for you to reach, take the time to understand your individual strengths, and identify areas in which you can improve.
• They’re ready to coach you to make sure your skills and resume are on point and know how to best present yourself to potential employers.

Getting on the short list for the best jobs in the marine industry is key to being successful. A great recruiter will make sure your resume goes on the desk of employers who need a candidate like you, not in the pile with the rest of the pack.

They’ll Help You Polish Your Resume

A great resume is not just about conveying relevant information, but presenting it in the right way. Top-notch agencies actively work with you to ensure your resume ticks the right boxes:

• Employers spend an average of six seconds reading a resume, so include a great summary statement that clearly and concisely tells them why you’re the best choice. It should appear in the first third, and preferably in the first few sentences.
• Tailor the facts of your work experience to highlight why you’re perfect for the specific job you’re applying for, not just generally why you’d be great for the industry. Avoid embellishments and frills, and keep it simple and straightforward.
• Don’t just list jobs—demonstrate results. Describe a challenging situation you faced, how you dealt with it, and the great outcome you got. Also, the marine industry is full of highly specific issues that matter to customers; you’ll want to highlight your knowledge and skill in addressing relevant problems.

Choose the Right Partner

As you research different recruiters, you’re going to discover the smaller, highly specialized agencies are the best matches for you. Because you’re a real human being to them (not just another file on a server), these recruiters will serve you well and take a deep dive into the skills and intangibles you bring to the table.

At V20 Recruiting + Consulting, the passion that drove us to the open water is why we made connecting marine employers with top candidates our career. We specialize in outdoor recruiting services and have decades of experience across every aspect of powersports and recreation.

Our superstar industry recruiters have contacts deep inside the marine industry, and we work closely with job seekers to find roles that will deliver a fulfilling and rewarding career. That’s why the companies we work with know that, when they hear from us, they’re about to meet some of the strongest candidates out there.

And unlike the cattle-call job sites, our recruiting team will actively work to transform you into an interview superstar. We know how to make resumes pop, and what skills you’ll need to acquire for specific jobs to ensure you’re the total package. We’ll coach you through the hiring process so you’ll know the best ways to sell yourself.

Reach out to our marine team today to put some wind in your job search’s sails. Tom Cassidy, Jr. is our superstar marine recruiter, with a vast knowledge of the industry and a proven track record of job placements with the biggest names in the business. He’s a legend in the marine industry—and he wants to speak with you personally. Like all our top team members, his email, office phone, and cell number are listed on his Recruiter page.

Contact V20 today and find out the difference a dedicated recruiter can make in your search for the best jobs in the marine industry.