Catch More Jobs with a Perfect Fisherman Resume
Avoid the pitfalls that keep hiring managers from noticing your sea‑savvy skills.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
- Hiring managers can’t gauge your productivity
- ATS often looks for numbers like tonnage or trip counts
- Lacks evidence of value to a vessel owner
- Add total catch weight per season (e.g., 12,000 lbs)
- Include number of trips and average haul per trip
- Show improvements over time (e.g., +15% catch YoY)
- Operated trawler for 3 years, performed net maintenance.
- Operated 30‑ft trawler for 3 years, achieving 12,000 lbs catch per season (15% increase YoY) and completing 120 trips with 100 lbs average haul per trip.
- Fails to convey specialized fishing experience
- Reduces keyword match for niche ATS filters
- Makes you blend with unrelated candidates
- Replace "Crew Member" with "Deckhand – Commercial Trawler"
- Add specific vessel type or fishery (e.g., "Salmon Purse‑Seine Deckhand")
- Include any certifications in the title line
Crew Member, Oceanic Fisheries
Deckhand – Commercial Trawler (USCG‑licensed), Oceanic Fisheries
- Dilutes focus on fishing expertise
- ATS may filter out non‑fishing keywords
- Hiring managers waste time scanning irrelevant info
- Keep only tasks directly tied to fishing operations
- Create a separate "Additional Experience" section for unrelated jobs
- Use action verbs that highlight maritime skills
- Managed inventory for a retail store - Assisted customers with purchases
- Managed deck inventory of nets, lines, and bait for 30‑ft trawler - Coordinated daily catch logs and reporting to vessel captain
- ATS may fail to parse information
- Hiring managers struggle to locate key credentials
- Looks unprofessional on deck and on paper
- Use standard headings (Experience, Skills, Certifications)
- Keep resume to 1‑2 pages with clear bullet points
- Save as PDF or DOCX
A block of text with no headings, dates run together, and no bullet points.
**Professional Summary** Seasoned deckhand with 5 years on commercial trawlers, USCG‑licensed, certified in safety and navigation. **Experience** Deckhand – Commercial Trawler, Oceanic Fisheries (06/2019 – Present) - ... **Certifications** USCG Merchant Mariner Credential, CPR/First Aid
- Include USCG license number
- List vessel types and fishing methods
- Add catch volume metrics
- Use industry keywords (e.g., trawling, net operations)
- Standardize dates to MM/YYYY
- Save as PDF before sending
- Add quantifiable catch data
- Replace generic titles with vessel‑specific titles
- Reorder sections to match ATS order
- Standardize date and location formats
- Insert top fishing industry keywords
