BM Career Guide
BM: Boatswain's Mate
Career transition guide for Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate (BM)
Translate Your BM Experience Now
Get a personalized AI-powered translation of your military experience into civilian resume language.
Start Free TranslationCivilian Career Pathways
Top civilian roles for BM veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Merchant Mariner/Deck Officer
Skills to develop:
Ship or Boat Captain
Skills to develop:
Marine Surveyor
Skills to develop:
Port Operations Manager
Skills to develop:
Technical Trainer (Maritime)
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your BM training built — and where they transfer.
Team Synchronization
Directing deck operations, small boat crews, and seamanship evolutions where precise timing prevents equipment damage and personnel injury
Coordinating physical team operations in hazardous environments — applicable to construction supervision, logistics operations, and maritime industry management
Situational Awareness
Monitoring weather, sea state, vessel traffic, and crew safety simultaneously during deck operations and underway replenishment
Processing multiple environmental and operational inputs — valued in operations management, safety supervision, and transportation logistics
Degraded-Mode Operations
Maintaining seamanship operations in heavy weather, equipment casualties, and emergency situations at sea
Performing under adverse conditions — the resilience mindset behind field operations, emergency management, and outdoor industry leadership
Rapid Prioritization
Making immediate decisions during man-overboard, flooding, and other shipboard emergencies where seconds matter
Emergency decision-making under extreme time pressure — applicable to emergency management, construction safety, and industrial operations
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Construction Foreman
SOC 47-1011Directing crews through hazardous physical work, maintaining safety standards, and managing complex operations on a timeline — construction supervision mirrors your deck operations leadership.
Port Operations Manager
SOC 11-3071Your seamanship, cargo handling, and maritime operations experience translates directly to commercial port and terminal management.
Wind Farm Operations Technician
SOC 49-9081Your comfort working at heights, in adverse weather, and with heavy rigging equipment transfers to offshore and onshore wind energy operations.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Boatswain's Mate 'A' School, Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown
Topics Covered
- •Marlinspike Seamanship
- •Boat Handling
- •Navigation and Piloting
- •Small Boat Maintenance
- •Search and Rescue Procedures
- •Damage Control
- •Rules of the Road
- •Supervision and Leadership
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Celestial navigation calculations, commercial vessel regulations, and maritime law
Focus on confined space, electrical safety, and lockout/tagout procedures
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) | Law enforcement records management systems (RMS) |
| Abstract of Operations (AOPS) | Maritime operations management software |
| Training Management Tool (TMT) | Learning management systems (LMS) |
| AN/SPS-73(V) Surface Search Radar | Commercial maritime radar systems |
| Very high frequency (VHF) marine band radio | Commercial VHF marine radios |
| Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) | Satellite-based emergency communication systems |
| Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) | Electronic Chart Systems (ECS) |
Ready to Translate Your Experience?
Our AI-powered translator converts your BM experience into ATS-optimized civilian resume language.
Translate My Resume — Free