Chief Officer CV
CHIEF. CV · STCW II/2
A chief officer’s CV is read for cargo: which cargoes, which ship types and how much of the cargo work you ran yourself.
The job, and what crewing reads first
The chief officer, or chief mate, runs the cargo, the ballast and the stability, leads the deck crew and the maintenance of hull and deck, and takes over from the master when needed. On many ships the chief officer is also the ship security officer and the officer in charge of medical care.
Name the cargoes, not only the ship type: crude or products, chemicals by IMO type, LPG or LNG, containers with reefers and dangerous goods, bulk with grain or ore. Add the cargo systems you know and the operations you planned: ship-to-ship, lightering, heavy lifts, high-density loading.
Certificate of competency: STCW II/2
Issued as: Chief mate, ships of 500 GT or more.
You hold the certificate of officer in charge of a navigational watch (STCW II/1). For chief mate on ships of 3,000 GT or more, STCW asks for at least 12 months of approved seagoing service as officer in charge of a navigational watch, and you pass the management-level exams of your administration.
The same certificate later leads to master: 36 months as an officer of the watch, or 24 if 12 of them are as chief mate. Time as chief officer counts twice, for the CV and for the next certificate.
Certificates to list
The STCW certificates this rank is asked for. List each with its number, issue date, expiry date and the country that issued it.
| Certificate | STCW | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Safety Training | VI/1 | Personal survival, fire prevention and fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal safety and social responsibilities. Every seafarer; the survival and fire parts are refreshed every five years. |
| Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) | VI/2-1 | Asked for by administrations before an officer’s CoC and by most companies for anyone in charge of a lifeboat. Refreshed every five years. |
| Advanced Fire Fighting | VI/3 | For seafarers who control fire-fighting operations: in practice every officer. Refreshed every five years. |
| Medical First Aid | VI/4-1 | For seafarers designated to give first aid on board. Asked for before an officer’s CoC. |
| Medical Care | VI/4-2 | For the person in charge of medical care on board, usually the master. Many administrations ask for it before the master and chief mate CoC. |
| Security Awareness or Designated Security Duties | VI/6 | Every seafarer has security awareness training. Anyone with security duties in the ship security plan needs the designated security duties certificate. |
| Ship Security Officer (SSO) | VI/5 | For the officer the company names as ship security officer, often the master or the chief officer. |
| GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate (GOC) | IV/2 | Radio duties on ships in the GMDSS. Most flags issue their own endorsement of it as well; list both. |
| Medical fitness certificate | I/9 | Valid for two years at most, one year under the age of 18. Name the type, for example ENG1, and the issuing country. |
Depending on the ship
Ship types add their own training. List what you hold even when the next ship does not need it: it widens the ships you can join.
| Ships | STCW | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Oil, chemical and liquefied gas tankers | V/1-1, V/1-2 | Basic training for everyone with cargo duties; advanced training for the master, chief engineer, chief mate, second engineer and anyone directly responsible for the cargo. |
| Passenger ships | V/2 | Crowd management, crisis management and human behaviour, passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity on ro-ro passenger ships, by duty on board. |
| Ships using gas or low-flashpoint fuel (IGF Code) | V/3 | Basic training for everyone with duties on the fuel; advanced for the master, engineer officers and anyone directly responsible for the fuel. |
| Ships in polar waters | V/4 | Basic training for officers of the watch; advanced training for the master and chief mate. |
Add your passport, seaman’s book and visas with their numbers and expiry dates. Crewing checks that each one is valid for the whole contract.
Sea service: what to write
For each contract: rank, vessel name and IMO number, vessel type, flag, gross tonnage or deadweight, year built, the company that employed you (manager or owner), sign-on and sign-off dates, and the trading area.
The vessel type alone does not say the cargo. Name the cargoes and cargo systems in the summary at the top of the CV, for example “oil/chemical tankers, IMO type 2, clean products and vegetable oils”.
Sample CV
The layout of the CV that CHIEF. exports to PDF and Word. CVs go to crewing companies in English. Numbers, names and contacts are placeholders.
| Type | Number | Issued | Expires | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoC Chief Mate, STCW II/2, unlimited | ••••••• | 01.09.2023 | 31.08.2028 | Valid |
| Flag endorsement | ••••••• | 15.01.2025 | 31.08.2028 | Valid |
| GMDSS GOC | ••••••• | 22.11.2021 | 21.11.2026 | 29d left |
Sea time C/O: 11 months · Total: 11 months
- Vessel:
- Vessel name
- DWT:
- 49,990
- Flag:
- Malta
- Built:
- 2017
- Vessel:
- Vessel name
- DWT:
- 45,700
- Flag:
- Marshall Islands
- Built:
- 2014
Other ranks
- MasterMasterSTCW II/2 · Master, ships of 500 GT or more
- 2/OSecond OfficerSTCW II/1 · Officer in charge of a navigational watch, ships of 500 GT or more
- 3/OThird OfficerSTCW II/1 · Officer in charge of a navigational watch, ships of 500 GT or more
- C/EChief EngineerSTCW III/2 · Chief engineer officer, 3,000 kW propulsion power or more
- 2/ESecond EngineerSTCW III/2 · Second engineer officer, 3,000 kW propulsion power or more
- 3/EThird EngineerSTCW III/1 · Officer in charge of an engineering watch, 750 kW or more
- ETOElectro-Technical OfficerSTCW III/6 · Electro-technical officer, 750 kW or more
- ABAble SeamanSTCW II/5 · Able seafarer deck
- OilerOilerSTCW III/4 · Rating forming part of an engineering watch
Sources
These are the STCW minimums. The administration that issues your certificate decides, and it can ask for more: check its current rules.