Sailors and Marine Oiler resume example

A resume for a Sailors and Marine Oiler needs to show the work itself: stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Day to day that means work like this: tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached; attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • Able Bodied Seaman
  • AB Seaman
  • Able Seaman
  • Deck Hand
  • Deckhand
  • Able Bodied Watchman
  • AB Watchman
  • Boat Crew Deck Hand
  • Bosun
  • Deckhand Engineer
  • Oiler
  • Tankerman
  • Barge Hand
  • Barge Worker
  • Bargeman
  • Boat Deckhand
  • Boat Hand
  • Boat Laborer

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
  • Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
  • Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
  • Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.
  • Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
  • Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.
  • Examine machinery to verify specified pressures or lubricant flows.
  • Maintain a ship's engines under the direction of the ship's engineering officers.
  • Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear.
  • Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.
  • Lower and man lifeboats when emergencies occur.
  • Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.

28 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
  • KNMI TurboWin
  • Kongsberg Maritime K-Log Deck Logbook
  • Log book software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • Operating system software
  • Word processing software

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • Air chippers
  • Anti-exposure coveralls
  • Bilge pumping systems
  • Blinker lights
  • Bolt cutters
  • Bridge telephones
  • Carbon dioxide CO2 firefighting systems
  • Cargo booms
  • Cargo derricks
  • Cargo hooks
  • Centrifugal cargo pumps
  • Centrifugal ventilators

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Operations Monitoring
  2. 02Operation and Control
  3. 03Monitoring
  4. 04Active Listening
  5. 05Critical Thinking
  6. 06Repairing
  7. 07Troubleshooting
  8. 08Complex Problem Solving
  9. 09Coordination
  10. 10Judgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • Public Safety and Security
  • Transportation
  • Mechanical

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 52%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
  • 24%Post-Secondary Certificate, awarded for training completed after high school
  • 22%Less than a High School Diploma

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Sailors and Marine Oiler do?
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot. Day to day that includes work like tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached and Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
What skills should a Sailors and Marine Oiler put on a resume?
O*NET rates Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Active Listening, and Critical Thinking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Sailors and Marine Oiler list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Computerized maintenance management system CMMS, KNMI TurboWin, Kongsberg Maritime K-Log Deck Logbook, Log book software, and Microsoft Excel. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Sailors and Marine Oiler work?
O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Able Bodied Seaman, AB Seaman, Able Seaman, and Deck Hand. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Sailors and Marine Oiler need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 52% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Sailors and Marine Oiler role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.