How to Create a Stand-Out Yachting CV in 2026 and Beyond

There’s been a lot of talk about AI, and sometimes a bit of fear or misunderstanding. Some assume using AI is “cheating.” In reality, when used responsibly, AI is simply a smart editing tool that can help you express yourself more clearly and professionally.

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However, there’s a line:

• AI should never invent, inflate, or embellish your experience.

• It should simply help you present your real, detailed experience in a clean, consistent way.

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Think of AI as the assistant that helps you organise, sharpen, and clarify your words, not as a storyteller making things up.

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If you provide strong, honest information about what you’ve done on board, AI can then transform that into a polished narrative that reads well and makes sense to a busy employer.

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In other words, you bring the substance, and AI helps with the structure.

Your introduction sets the tone. It should be current, authentic, concise and tailored to your role. It’s not your life story, it’s your positioning.

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Too many captains and crew reuse an introduction written years ago. A modern introduction should reflect who you are today, your leadership style, your technical strengths, your service ethos, or your progression.

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AI can help here, particularly if writing isn’t your strong suit. Copy and paste your current introduction and then…

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Ask for:

• a sharper version

• clearer tone

• less fluff

• something more professional

• or something with a little more warmth

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Have a conversation back and forth with AI and don’t accept the first version. Of course, if there are words or sentences you like from the original version, keep them. Remember that you are in control.

TOP TIP: Always ask AI to ask you clarification questions first about your career before it starts rewriting it. You’ll get far better results when it understands your real background.

A strong CV works well because it is easy to read. Two pages is ideal, enough space to show your experience, but short enough that captains or other employers can scan it quickly.

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Front-load your achievements and place your strongest results in the first third of your CV
 

Keep previous roles there for context but not for persuasion.

Choose a single professional font such as Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Helvetica, or Cambria.

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Keep the formatting consistent.

• Make name slightly larger

• Headings clear

• Yacht names in bold

• No dense paragraphs

• File name that doesn’t scream chaos (first name_lastname_jobtitle)

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Avoid heavy colour blocks. Many CVs are still printed, and designs that look nice on a screen often become illegible in black and white. This also wastes a lot of ink, which no one wants to do.

In yachting, a photo is standard practice and helpful in a fast-moving industry.

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A good CV photo:

• A friendly smile

• clean background

• natural lighting

• shoulders and up framing

• tidy polo or professional shirt

• approachable expression

• no sunglasses, hats, filters, holiday shots or selfies

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Think “professional and friendly.”

Even small mistakes can influence a hiring decision, so take the time to check your spelling, grammar and formatting. Make sure dates and yacht names are correct, and watch out for common homophones such as your/you’re or its/it’s. AI can help you catch obvious errors, but a careful manual read is still essential.

Most of the time, agencies will check your references before putting you forward for a new position, and captains or other HoDs often contact previous employers directly to gather feedback before making an offer. When listing your references, start with your most recent and include the full name, position, yacht name, email address and phone number.

Even a short period onboard can bring new responsibilities, upgraded skills, guest interactions or technical experiences that deserve to be included.

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Update your CV every time you start looking for a new role so it reflects your current capabilities.

We’ve created department-specific templates that follow the structure captains and recruiters prefer.

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Use them as your base, and apply the guidance above, along with smart, honest AI refinement, to create a CV that represents you at your best.