Home Shipwright Resume template
Shipwright resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what shipwrights actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most shipwrights should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Shipwright with a trade background in marine craft construction, working across timber, composite, steel and aluminium vessels in shipyards and marinas. Comfortable taking a job from reading plans and lofting lines through to fabrication, installation and finishing, with a steady focus on hull integrity and safe work around haul-out and slipway operations. Works well alongside engineers and other marine trades on refits where the scope can shift once a hull is opened up.
Key skills
- Hand and power tool work across timber, composite and metal
- Reading plans, specifications and lofted hull lines
- Hull framing, planking and structural repair
- Composite laminating and fairing
- Deck, cabin and marine systems installation
- Anti-fouling and finishing coatings
- Worksite safety management around slipways and confined spaces
- Rhino 3D and AutoCAD for component layout
- CNC router operation for ply and foam core parts
- Moisture meter testing and hull condition assessment
Experience: example bullet points
- Refitted timber and composite hulls through the full repair cycle, from moisture testing and cutting out damaged sections to scarfing in new stock and fairing the finished surface.
- Lofted and cut planking and frames to tight tolerances so decks and cabin units dropped into place without rework on the fit-out.
- Ran the slipway repair schedule for haul-out jobs, lifting average turnaround from two weeks to nine days by sequencing trades around the coating and cure times.
- Operated a CNC router to cut plywood and foam core components, laying out nested parts to keep offcut waste down on every sheet.
- Applied anti-fouling and finishing systems to commercial and recreational hulls, checking film thickness and coverage before vessels returned to the water.
- Installed decks, cabinetry and through-hull fittings alongside marine electricians and engineers, agreeing service penetrations before panels were closed up.
- Supervised first and second year apprentices on fairing, sanding and tool maintenance, and signed off their work before it went to the supervisor.
Education
Certificate III in Marine Craft Construction (MEM30719), usually completed through an apprenticeship in a yard or boatbuilding workshop, with some shipwrights going on to a Certificate IV or a diploma in marine technology or naval architecture.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Certificate III in Marine Craft Construction
- MEM30719
- marine craft construction
- shipwright
- boatbuilding
- lofting
- hull repair
- planking
- composite laminating
- anti-fouling
- slipway
- AMSA
- National Standard for Commercial Vessels
- Australian Builders Plate
- marine surveyor
- Rhino 3D
- AutoCAD
- CNC router
- moisture meter
- White Card
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.