The modern recruiting process for seafarers is significantly different from what it was a few years ago. Today’s job search websites are not just bulletin boards where you can find information about a vacancy or post your resume. They offer various tools that optimize your job search or employment:
- Creating and editing CVs and cover letters;
- Automatic sending of CVs to crewing agencies;
- Assistance in preparing documents such as a passport, visa, etc.
In fact, many websites are becoming a kind of agency offering both paid and free services. Let’s dive deeper into the specifics of finding a job for a seafarer online. Discover the most effective websites that act as a link between seafarers and companies looking for certain specialists.
Seafarer Jobs Websites Comparison by Basic Parameters
To choose the best website for finding a job in the maritime industry, you need to determine the most important comparison criteria. For example, this could be the number of available vacancies, paid/free subscriptions, the ability to edit the CV, etc. Look at the summary table of the best websites and consider them in detail below.
Website |
Subscription for seafarers |
Publication of vacancies for companies |
Additional opportunities |
MaritimeZone | Free | Free |
|
FREEMIUM/PREMIUM model: The main functionality is free of charge, but more advanced features are subject to a fee |
|
||
Crewlinker | Free |
|
|
Seafair | Free + extra benefits from Seafair | A fee is charged to Crew Managers in accordance with written agreements |
|
Maritime-Union | Free account and two types of Premium Membership | Free Account and
Premium Membership |
|
Maritime Zone
The rating leader is one of the oldest recruitment websites, initiated by the Polish company Maritimezone. This company has been developing and manufacturing marine equipment for over 30 years and has become a respected player in the maritime industry. That is why the job search website, launched in 2008, immediately became a meeting point for seafarers, crewing companies, and shipowners. This allowed MaritimeZone to attract over 213,500 seafarers and 1,569 companies registered on the website.
Advantages of the MaritimeZone
- Unlike many competitors, publishing seafarers’ CVs and companies’ job vacancies is free.
- An advanced search system that allows you to navigate among thousands of vacancies and resumes easily.
- More than 2,505 vacancies from companies in 54 countries.
- Possibilities of bulk emailing of CVs to crewing agencies.
- Convenient tools for composing and editing cover letters and resume.
The team emphasizes that this is not just a job search website but a modern web system with many valuable features. Depending on whether the user is a seafarer or a shipowner/crew company, they can benefit from the following features:
For job seekers in the maritime industry:
- Search for a job among more than 2,262 vacancies;
- Access to a database of more than 1,689 employers;
- Creating and editing CVs;
- Storing scanned documents;
- Email distribution of CVs and other documents;
- Instant notifications about new vacancies;
- Communication with a potential employer via live chat.
For Shipowner and Crewing companies:
- Publishing vacancies on the website;
- Automatic distribution of new vacancies to the subscriber;
- Publishing vacancies on popular social networks;
- Access to an extensive database of seamen;
- Automatic selection and recommendation of the most suitable CVs immediately after vacancy publication;
- Convenient system for sorting, downloading, and printing CVs and other applicants’ documents.
- Joint company account for recruiters with the ability to conduct discussions in real time.
Crewlinker
Crewlinker is a job search website for the maritime and offshore sectors. It was created by people with 15 years of experience in recruiting in the maritime industry. The team has worked with international crews, different types of vessels, and ship owners. It is a relatively young service, only 4 years old, but it is based on advanced digital technologies and has promising prospects.
The platform sorts users’ CVs using matching filters and profile completion scores. Thus, seafarers seeking work don’t have to pay to rank higher in employer search results. They just need to include as much detail as possible in their CVs.
Seafair
The creators of Seafair aim to support the global maritime industry. For them, it does not matter what country job seekers, ship owners, or crewing companies represent. The platform uses the latest technologies to personalise the job search process. Registered users can store all the necessary documents in their accounts for faster distribution to employers.
For employers, the platform offers manning & crew software certified by RINA. The software has many useful features, including extensive reporting capabilities. Thus, employers can analyze the effectiveness of their recruitment for further optimization.
Maritime-Union
A Belize company created the Maritime-Union job portal to help seafarers worldwide. Like other websites, it is aimed at job seekers and employers. The site has a convenient organization, highlighting hot jobs and careers. Moreover, there are sections with seafarers’ CVs and detailed employer information. A distinctive feature of the portal is that it checks seafarers’ certificates and puts an Approved mark on the applicant’s CV. The database of employers and job seekers is quite impressive:
- 5,800+ employers
- 360,000+ seafarers
The Bottom Line
Registration and placement of CVs for seafarers on all the best job search websites is free. Therefore, you can benefit from each of them, not just one job portal. As a result, you will get access to thousands of vacancies and become more visible to crewing companies and ship owners.