Cruise Ship Jobs Blog

So how do you make yourself stand out from the other hundreds of other applicants that are applying for the exact same cruise job that you are?

For starters, you need to do one thing that the majority of cruise applicants fail to do.  Write a thank-you letter immediately.

One of our members wrote on the Discussion Forum this past week about his success story.  DJigor75 shared on the Forum about his Skype interview with NCL for the position of Disc Jockey.  His interview was on Thursday February 4th.  He explained that he wrote a thank-you email immediately after the interview.
This is what it said,

“I would like to thank you a lot for our interview…I had a great time and I hope to be part of the NCL crew.  You are a great interviewer and you made me feel very comfortable during the conversation.  I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.”

On February 9th, five days after the interview, DJigor received an email from NCL that said,

“I am pleased to advise you that you’ve been approved to be hired and deployed in the next opening, upon successful completion of the final clearance steps…”

It’s the little things that will give one applicant an advantage over another applicant when it comes to applying for a cruise job, even if they have the exact same skills and experience.

For more resources, members can read,

How to Write Effective Thank You Letters to Cruise Line Employers

How to Follow up Correctly

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As information technology is evolving, the demand for IT jobs on cruise ships has too. So what are these positions all about and how do you go about getting one?

Just as on land, a cruise ship has a need for a myriad of computer-savvy crew.  At one end of the spectrum they need persons to look after the behind-the-scenes operation of onboard computer systems.  Also, as cruise ships look for ways to make additional revenue, they now employ computer instructors and managers in charge of internet cafes.

Keen applicants will want to apply for all computer jobs with the same resume and cover letter, but DON’T.

Each of the computer-related jobs is very different so treat each cruise position as a separate entity.  Consider that the Internet Cafe Manager is hired by a specific concessionaire, but Computer Officers or Information Systems Managers (I/S Manager) are usually hired directly by the cruise line. Furthermore, Computer Instructors are hired by a completely different agency.

The best advice is to send separate resumes and cover letters to each specific job you want to apply for.  This means that each resume and cover letter should have an “Objective” stating the exact position you are applying for.  Then, your resume needs to back up that particular cruise ship job with skills and experiences that closely mirror that particular cruise ship job.

Members can read one of our recent feature articles, How to Get an IT Job on a Cruise Ship, which details the differences in the onboard computer-related positions.  The article also gives tips on how to apply for IT jobs on cruise ships.

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Earlier this week, one of our members posted this on our Discussion Forum about her cruise ship job interview:

“I had an interview with Harding Brothers in December 2009 and I didn’t get hired.”

She further explained that she then had an interview with Starboard Cruise Services approximately one month later (January).  She then writes, “Two and a half hours after the interview (with Starboard) I got a call back from the HR Assistant saying I got hired.”

In her post she encourages other members to “keep believing.”  Do not look at the interview that didn’t get you a job as a failure.  “Instead, see it as practice,”  she adds.

Although you may think that you are prepared for the interview, there are many factors why you may not land a job with your first attempt.

For starters, make sure you are not making one of many common mistakes, such as not asking specific questions or having poor non-verbal communication.  (you can also read, “Are You Making These Mistakes at Your Cruise Ship Job Interviews?”)

But, even if you are well prepared, there are other factors that may prevent you from being hired.  For example, they might have hired a more qualified applicant or maybe you and the interviewer just didn’t click.

There can be so many other reasons.

But, don’t give up!!  Cruise lines and agencies are constantly hiring.  If a door seems to shut for you with one, try another and view your Cruise Ship Job Interview experience as being able to learn from your mistakes.  Practice!!

Neil Maxwell-Keys
www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com

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Deciding to give up a perfectly good job on land to pursue a career on a cruise ship may have some of your friends and family questioning your mental sanity.

It is a big risk, but one that also has big rewards, travelling being one of the biggest. 

Careers at sea are unique in many aspects.  Starting with a 7-day work week and the fact you may have to share a cabin with another crew member are a couple of truths that go along with a dream job on a cruise ship.

You can read, Is Working on Cruise Ships Really for You? This article examines a checklist to see whether or not you’re really cut out for this lifestyle. 

Can you deal with strict rules and regulations? 

Could you cope with cramped living conditions for 6-10 months?

But once you understand what you are getting yourself into, then you must decide what cruise job will best fit your resume.  You may not actually be changing your career path, but rather choosing a job that complements your experiences and skills.

Knowing which job is best suited to your skills is a very popular question on our Discussion Forum.  But, after you get a chance to read the list of job descriptions, crew interviews and member posts, you’ll get a better idea of what you want to do onboard.

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