You may not realize it, but some employment ads are actually written to prevent all but the most gung-ho cruise job seekers from applying!
Reason? To prevent a flood of resumes that would take days to plough through. Some cruise lines even deliberately place ads that ask for unrealistic requirements or qualifications.
One of our members who got hired recently told us this:
"I saw a job ad on WorkOnCruiseShips.com for the position of Assistant Beverage Manager. I thought I’d be a great fit… until I read the advert properly, that is. It read like a laundry list and too be honest, it was pretty disheartening to read.
"They wanted someone with a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, able to speak 3 languages, 3 – 5 years of bar and restaurant experience, highly computer proficient — it went on and on like this. Of course, I did meet some of their criteria, but I was nowhere near to what they were asking for. For starters, I only speak English!"
So, how did he overcome this obstacle?
"I spent some time putting together a targeted resume package as you suggested, focusing on what skills and experience I did have. I then posted it to them instead of emailing it. Over the next couple of weeks I followed this up with a letter (using a template from your site) and several emails.
"My last email basically said ‘Here I am!’ I told them that God himself couldn’t meet all their qualifications, but if they wanted an extremely enthusiastic, experienced Assistant Beverage Manager, then I was their man. Within 20 minutes of sending that email I got a reply back from the hiring manager of the cruise line. We arranged a telephone interview for the following day and he hired me a day later!"