How To Become A First Mate: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2024)

Key steps to become a first mate

1. Explore first mate education requirements

   If you're interested in becoming a first mate, you must consider how much education you need. Based on real first mate resumes, 58.1% of first mates have a bachelor's degree. Regarding higher education levels, 5.2% of first mates have master's degrees. Even though most first mates have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

   Most common first mate degrees

   Bachelor's

   58.1

   %

   High School Diploma

   17.2

   See Also

   Captains’ WivesSecond MateCrew positions

   %

   Associate

   13.6

   %

2. Start to develop specific first mate skills

   First mates are in charge of maintaining safety, cleanliness, and good working order on board their vessels. They assist their captains with the overall operation of the ship, from supervising crew members to performing routine maintenance on machinery. In emergencies, they ensure proper communication between department heads. They also train crew members in safety protocols and drills. Some first mates even take on additional tasks like painting, bartending, and ticket sales.

   Skills	Percentages
   Vessel Maintenance	18.58%
   Cleanliness	16.33%
   Passenger Safety	15.04%
   Mooring Lines	11.98%
   Engine Room	5.08%

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3. Complete relevant first mate training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New first mates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a first mate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real first mate resumes.

4. Research first mate duties and responsibilities

   First mates are responsible for a variety of tasks, including maintaining vessel machinery, relaying messages in emergency situations, ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the sales floor and backroom, and supervising deck maintenance. They also handle mooring lines and rigging, perform routine maintenance on shipboard weapons and cargo handling elevators, and use radio contact to ensure safe traveling and direction. Additionally, first mates assist in activities related to vessel security and operations, obtain captain's license and standard first aid certification, clean and maintain all areas of the vessel, and monitor passenger safety. They also coordinate and maintain preventative maintenance schedules for ship's electrical systems, conduct safety training, and supervise a crew of members.

   • Work closely with surveyors, clients and ROV supervisors to achieve safe and effective subsea operations.
   • Hold a PIC and are in charge of loading/discharging of product as well as docking/undocking and handling of the ATB unit.
   • Trained/Mentore multiple junior officers in dynamic positioning, ballast control, and seamanship.
   • Provide operational and technical support to the company's fleet of tugboats.

5. Prepare your first mate resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your first mate resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a first mate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose From 10+ Customizable First Mate Resume templates

   Build a professional

   First Mate

   resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume.

   Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your First Mate resume.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

6. Apply for first mate jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a first mate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams

How do first mates rate their job?

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.