West Coast Capt/100ton Master Looking for a Boat

A cap put up a post looking for a job a little while ago giving very little information. I suggested he include more details about his qualifications . You've done that, but maybe a little too much detail. People and bots troll forums looking for phone numbers and email addresses and you (and your references) could end up with a lot of cranks. Anybody who's looking for a captain here can contact you by clicking on your avatar and starting a conversation. Under references I'd suggest you simply write "References available on request". Also something about your art work is rubbing me wrong. DK that I'd use the USCGA emblems on letterhead and footers not used for USCGA business.
Otherwise there's not much I can do for you since I'm on the other coast, but I wish you good luck in your search.

Glenn,

NYCap is correct about bots harvesting email addresses and phone numbers from forums, but in this case your resume is actually an attached image (jpg), which is something most bots can’t read, but can still assimilate. I would be more concerned about your references having their phone numbers posted publicly!

I applaud you for including information. However, a couple of points as to resumes. What you posted is not a resume, but a very detailed cover letter. I'd suggest researching resume formats and creating one.

A couple of other things. It is never appropriate to use the symbols of any organizations on your personal resume. That includes all the are work at the top and bottom. All that should appear at the top is your name, address, phone number and email.

The multiple fonts and underlining and bolding are distracting and unprofessional. On a resume, you would have various sections with appropriate bolding.

You have one error that spell check would not catch, but proofreading might have-"I severed many hours."

As to references, I prefer saying they will be provided upon request or putting them on a separate page. I would never make them available on the internet and even more would not put the phone numbers on the internet.

Your resume also wouldn't normally include notes on all the 8 or so different jobs you'd consider. It would indication something of the nature of "Seeking Captain or Mate position aboard a yacht, hoping to further my small vessel experience." Your credentials would be listed on the resume including all licenses and endorsements. On the cover area you would perhaps make it clear the type positions you would consider, recognizing your limited pleasure boat experience.

I mean this constructively to help you find yourself considered for jobs. I'd suggest you either research resumes further or you get a professional preparer to assist you. Go look at Captains' resumes online on other sites and then compare yours. Also add into the resume, not just what you did, but your accomplishments in those roles. Give people who have seen nothing but your resumes and others a reason to believe in you and contact you. I sense you have a strong history and you've done some things in your career you're proud of but it doesn't come out in this document.

Best of luck to you in reaching your career goals.

All good points, but I would differ on 2 points. 1) A generic symbol in your letterhead, such as a clip art anchor or line drawing of a boat could be used to make your resume more noticeable yet tasteful. 2) Sort of a "cover letter" showing your experience (but not details) and the types of positions you're looking for is the proper format for a posting such as this. Save the details for your actual resume. Also Olderboater's suggestion to research resume formats is a really good idea. When I helped my wife update her resume a few years ago I did that and was surprised to find the "normal" format has changed drastically since I last looked for a job. For one thing it seems like the Tab buttons on people's computers don't get much use anymore. The use of BOLD, italics, underlining, ( ), etc. should be used very sparingly and judiciously. You can get the same effect more subtly with a line space or even just an extra (seemingly accidental) space separating this important info or headline from the previous or subsequent words or paragraphs. And spelling mistakes are an instant resume killer. My wife is an insanely good speller (her background is medical terminology). When I have her proof read letters and such to see if they convey the message I want conveyed she immediately homes in on my spelling mistakes. I've not gotten much better with my spelling errors unfortunately, but do pick right up on them from others and it effects how I treat what I'm reading. Remember that you have only one opportunity to make a first impression. Remember also that you're not trying to get a job from this posting. You're just looking to get someone interested enough to ask for more info.

McKinna yachts is not spelled correctly either.

In reality, people want to know what experience you have ON YACHTS, and your resume/cover letter or whatever you want to call it, is very vague on that.......how much time have you spent on these yachts, trips to where, size of the yachts, etc. etc.

There's 2 other problems that I see:
1) 24 years in the Navy. (Thank you for your service). That means he's at least in his 40's. That's late to start in the yachting community.
2) 24 years in the Navy. That make him far more valuable in the commercial maritime industries.

I'd recommend going the commercial route i.e. ferries, work boats, maybe a season of crab fishing up north for fast money and to test your metal. Yachting is very much a business of connections and reputations. It takes years to develop them. I came into the business late and for the next 30 years there's almost nothing I didn't do in the maritime industries to earn a living and a reputation and to grow my experience.

For a military veteran who has been separated for more than a few years this may prove more difficult, but I wanted to add the following for any military mariners to be able to use their seatime, experience, and training, to qualify for the highest endorsements possible on their MMC

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/military_sea_service/

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/brochures/military_brochure.pdf

After viewing the original poster's MMC Verification, seeing only the domestic endorsements and no other STCW endorsements, I might disagree with NYCAP123's opinion with regard to the commercial maritime industries.
https://homeport.uscg.mil/missions/merchant-mariners/merchant-mariner-credential-verification

AB's are far more in demand than 100 ton captains in the oil and gas sector of the commercial maritime industries. The OP holds an Ordinary Seaman rating, it shouldn't be too hard to obtain and AB rating with the corresponding STCW endorsements, which would be a wise move if one were to decide to pursue employment in the commercial sector.

Good info CaptKilbride. The reason I say his experience makes him far more valuable to the commercial side is that most companies give preference to veteran candidates. So he starts at the head of the line. Then we have the training which may or may not be directly relevant, but it's training. You also have the discipline learned and the attitude of the job getting done is first priority. You don't hear 'that's not my job' in the military.