Deck Officer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Deck Officer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Deck officers are responsible for maintaining the safety of the crew and the vessel, enforcing maritime regulations, and ensuring that cargo arrives safely at its destination. They’re also the face of their company, interacting with customers and helping them with questions or concerns.
If you love being on the water and thrive in a fast-paced environment, a career as a deck officer could be the perfect fit for you. But before you can land your dream job, you’ll need a resume that will impress hiring managers. Follow these tips and resume example to write a fantastic deck officer resume that will get you noticed by hiring managers everywhere.
How to Write a Deck Officer Resume
Here’s how to write a resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will see. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
So it’s important to use them to their full potential. And that means using them to describe your accomplishments and results. So rather than saying you “managed crew,” you could say you “managed crew of 15 to safely navigate ship through rough waters, resulting in no injuries or damage to ship or cargo.”
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a deck officer position, your resume goes through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This system scans your resume for certain keywords related to the job opening. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
One way to make sure you have the right keywords on your resume is to read through a few job postings and take note of the terms that are used most often. Then, work those keywords into your resume where they are most relevant. Here are some common deck officer keywords:
- Deck
- Shipping
- Navigation
- Seafaring
- Shiphandling
- Ship Management
- Cargo Handling
- Ports
- Oil & Gas
- Maritime
- Tankers
- Leadership
- Time Management
- Geography
- Engineering
- Safety Management Systems
- Supervisory Skills
- Negotiation
- Hauling
- Customer Service
- LNG
- Gas
- Risk Management
- Business Strategy
- Strategic Planning
- Project Planning
- Public Speaking
- Project Management
- Microsoft Access
- Team Leadership
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a deck officer, you need to be proficient in the use of various software programs and systems in order to do your job effectively. This might include programs like AutoCAD, Navisworks, and ECDIS. Additionally, you need to be familiar with maritime law and regulations, as well as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).