This week we had several emails from people who had recently had interviews with cruise companies for various positions on board.
They were all elated about securing a cruise ship job interview in such a competitive and exciting industry…
However, AFTER the interview all had come away feeling slightly deflated about their performance and were worried that they might not have done enough to secure the job.
If you think back to your last job interview, then you’re probably well aware of that “I could have done better” feeling.
Post interview jitters is a pretty normal feeling and most of us walk away thinking something along the lines of “I should have said this…”, or “I could have explained ‘that’ better”, or “Oh, why didn’t I say THAT…”!
The key is to put any feelings like this out of your mind completely. The interview is over. You’ve done all you can do and you can’t go back and change anything now.
However, what you CAN do is something that most applicants don’t think about, but it’s a simple technique that can really swing things in your favor…
Send a “post Interview” email!
The Post Interview email should:
1) Thank them for their time and state how much you… [enjoyed meeting with them, finding out more about the job and learning more about their company, etc].
2) Compliment them or their company on a specific point you picked up during the interview
3) Reiterate your strongest qualities and remind them exactly why they decided to interview you in the first place and why you’re the ideal candidate for the job.
4) Prompt them to contact you.
Key Points:
1) Keep it brief (2 or 3 paragraphs maximum).
2) NEVER attempt to apologize for anything you feel you should or should not have said during the interview.
3) Don’t go over board with your compliments. Flattery is nice and will get you so far, but excessive compliments can have the opposite effect that you are hoping for.
The ‘Post-Interview email’ is a completely overlooked and effective technique that can really give you a winning edge, make you stand out from every other candidate which can ultimately lead to you landing the job.
And in an incredibly competitive industry like the cruise industry, you need every ‘edge’ you can get.
If you want to see specific examples of successful Post Interview Cover Letters that members have used to get hired by some of the world’s most exclusive cruise lines, then log into the members area of www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com.
You’re free to copy and adapt them as you choose for your next cruise ship job interview.
Neil Maxwell-Keys