CV Layout & Content (Chef Specific)
This info is relative to yacht chefs, but most of it also applies to non-chef roles on yachts and land.
Sell yourself in your CV! Whoever picks up or opens your CV online will know in less than 10 seconds what you're about as a chef, and whether they'll continue reading — so it's vital you get your CV laid out right, with the right information on the first page.
Think to yourself when you create your CV: "I need to grab the person's attention as soon as they look at the first page." Competition for yacht chef jobs is fierce, so follow the rules below. A simple Word document with the right layout and all the right info will work better than a fancy, over-complicated CV. If the first page isn't bang on, the person reading won't turn over to page 2.
Length, Fonts & File Formats
1Length — the superyacht industry favours a two-page CV, made relevant and specific to the chef vacancy you're applying for.
2Fonts — keep it simple: Arial or Verdana in size 10 is a safe bet. A basic black-and-white CV is easy to print; don't be over-creative for the sake of it.
3File format — many crew agencies and companies parse CVs into their own database, and heavily formatted PDFs or those with multiple images can cause problems. Save your CV as a simple Word file (keeping tables and boxes to a minimum) with a PDF copy alongside.
4Spell check — check spelling and grammar throughout, and write in the first person, since it's about you.
Layout & Structure
Personal Details
Put your personal details and contacts top left of the first page, with a colour photo on the right: name, current location or address, email, mobile number, passport/nationality, visas, smoker/non-smoker, visible tattoos, and your Instagram handle or website if you have one — as a chef, Instagram lets people see your food and food-related content rather than relying on endless photos in a PDF. Include your most relevant yacht qualifications here too (STCW and ENG1 with expiry date, Ship's Cook Certificate, food hygiene level) so they're visible at a glance.
Profile Summary
A brief summary of you and what you're looking for, covering your yacht and land-based experience — a paragraph or two at most, never half a page.
Cuisines & Food Interests
This is the most important part of your CV. If someone reads this near the top of page one, they immediately know what you can cook, how passionate you are, and your training and skills — so tailor it to the job you're applying for. If you mention a passion for SE Asian and Japanese food, and 6 weeks trained at Tokyo Sushi Academy, and the job wants sushi and Japanese cuisine skills, you've ticked the box right away. Your only objective at this stage is to get the interview.
Work Experience
List your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Start with yacht-based experience, then land-based experience. For each role, include the dates, yacht name and size in metres, your role, private/charter status, guest and crew numbers, weeks of owner use vs. charter, and cruising grounds. Add a 'Reason for leaving:' line for your last 2-3 jobs. Give more detail on recent roles; older jobs can have a shorter description. Even if your most recent role isn't yachting or relevant to the job you're applying for, list it first — employers need to know what you've been doing.
Gaps / Time Off
Don't leave gaps on your CV. If you sent your CV directly to an employer with unexplained gaps, they may assume you were unemployed or worse. If you took time off to travel or were between jobs, add one line explaining it — be honest and open.
Education & Training
Keep this brief and relevant to yachting and cheffing. List "Yachting Qualifications/Certificates/Training" as a heading, followed by "Education", placed after your employment history.
Hobbies & Interests
Use this to show what you do outside work. If a yacht's crew and owner are into fitness or water sports and you are too, mention it. Travel, trying new cuisines, cookbooks, and stages are all worth including if relevant.
Cover Letter
Separate cover letters aren't used much anymore, but include a version of it in the email when sending your CV — short, accurate, and tailored specifically to each job. If a job advert asks for "2 years sole chef experience on a 40-50m yacht, with knowledge of Balearic Islands ports and provisioning" and you have that, say so directly in the email — think of it as ticking boxes in the reader's mind before they've even opened your CV.
Photos
Technically not required, but yachting expects one — ideally in your chef whites or crew uniform, at work, with your face clearly visible. Food photos are fine too, but keep them toward the bottom of the CV so your first page focuses on your most important information; a link to your Instagram or website is often quicker.
Need more help? We've covered the basics here, but feel free to contact us if you'd like more guidance. Good luck!
Here is a sample of a very simple yacht industry and chef-specific CV: view the sample CV.
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