Guide to Boating Jobs

Boating careers encompass many different opportunities: from working on a cruise boat crew to building vessels. Whether you're an adventure seeker or someone who takes pride in your creative building skills, there's a job for you.

With this guide, you'll learn how to:

1. Emphasize your previous work skills to show you're perfect for certain boating careers.
2. Find the perfect boating job without ever having to leave your computer.
3. Choose marine industry careers that match your lifestyle and goals.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Spend time outlining your qualifications and making a resume

Your resume is a way to showcase what you've learned from each job that makes you a great candidate for boating industry jobs. Even if you've never held boating employment, you've likely developed skills and knowledge that would make you successful in the boating field. Write a resume that emphasizes your technical and customer service skills.

I recommend: Contact Boat Crews USA. It's a large boating jobs personnel firm. Submit a response form and let the company link you up to one of their boating industry jobs. Use this page from Nautic Blue as a guide to writing your boating resume.

Decide what type of boating career you're qualified for

If you have a construction background, building boats may be perfect for you. If your experience is mostly in the service field, you're qualified to work on yacht crews. Then again, if you're a great sales and marketing person, maybe you should sell boats.

I recommend: Crowley Maritime Corporation specializes in logistics, ship escort, salvage and vessel construction. Check out their career page to see what boating careers they offer. Use this cruising crew list if you're interested in boating careers aboard cruising vessels.

Look online for boating careers

How people found careers in boating before the Internet, you may never know. There are dozens of websites that list marine industry careers. Some will even email you daily as new jobs are posted.

I recommend: Indeed allows you to search by a keyword and find jobs in boating. If you're willing to relocate, search for jobs all over the country. If you want to stay local, specify your city. Maritime jobs allows you to sign up for emails every time jobs in the boating industry are posted. Sail Miami offers a list of marine industry jobs and other careers in boating.

Consider other water jobs that may keep you on land more often

Being gone at sea for months at a time may not be your cup of tea. If so, consider marine industry jobs like loading or unloading at a port or studying water samples.

I recommend: Water-people is a great resource for marine industry jobs like scientists, waste water specialists, accountants and hydrologists. Check out Atlantic Coast Boating for a list of boating jobs available on the Atlantic Coast. This includes sales positions and technicians.

The official source of Boating Jobs is the Boating Jobs page at Business.com