Posts Tagged ‘cruise ship employment’

How Long Before I Get Hired for a Cruise Job?

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Nov 04 2011

This is one of the most common questions that we get asked on the WoCS.com members’ discussion forum. The fact is, there isn’t a specific time frame since there are numerous reasons why one person would get hired before another.

Some of our members have been hired within a couple of weeks of joining WoCS, while others have waited over a year to be placed on a ship and then there are some that are still waiting.

After sending out resume and cover letter, the first stage the waiting game begins. If your resume and cover letter get to the right person at the right time, you may get contacted for an interview sooner than you think.

After you have an interview, the second stage of the waiting game kicks in. Depending on how consistently and persistently you follow up can be the deciding factor of how quickly you get hired.

For a more in depth look at the time the application process takes, read The Cruise Industry Waiting Game.

Now your question is probably, “What are the reasons why I’m not hired, yet? Funny you should ask…that’s our next blog post!

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Cruise Job Advice from a New Crewmember

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Jul 09 2009

I’ve said recently that the biggest mistake most cruise job seekers make is NOT following up on their job applications.

Well, the proof is in the pudding, as they say…

Natalie from Australia and a member of www.WorkOnCruiseShips.com took my advice to heart and last week she was hired by Holland America Line as a Librarian.

Here’s Natalie’s advice about how she landed her cruise job:

"The best advice I can give people is to not give up and to just keep on following up… Be keen and persistent, but always do it in a professional manner.

"At times I seriously thought they were not interested in me, but every week without fail I emailed them again telling them how interested I was. Then I followed up with another email telling them how appreciative I would be if they just gave me an opportunity to discuss my experience.

"They did eventually reply showing interest… but then I didn’t hear back again for another 6 weeks! Finally, they got back to me after noticing all the emails and follow ups I had sent. I eventually had my first interview, but even then I had to chase them up again to get the second interview!!

"So you see how persistence works? Just keep being positive, keep picking yourself up and keep going – that’s the best piece of advice I can give!"

Most people I speak to would NOT have been this persistent – and that’s the main reason why they are still at home dreaming about traveling the world and today Natalie is about to live that dream.

Incidentally, I just checked out her ship’s itinerary and over the next 6 months she’ll be visiting: Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Sicily, Great Britain, Portugal, Florida, St. Lucia, Barbados, St Maarten, Tortola, Bahamas, Martinique, Aruba, Dominica, St Thomas and more …and she’ll be getting paid for it!

Is that not worth the extra time and effort it takes to send a few follow-up emails?!

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Working On Cruise Ships Radio Interview

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Jun 26 2009

Thinking about working on cruise ships?

Listen to the 7 minute live radio interview with Neil Maxwell-Keys and Walt Sorg of AM Lansing as they discuss the subject of working on cruise ships, what the current jobs market is like for the industry, as well as tips for getting hired in the cruise industry. 

You can listen to the replay online right now by visiting the link below.

Listen online now by going here ==> http://www.workoncruiseships.com/public/1155.cfm

 

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Answers To 5 Most Burning Cruise Ship Employment Questions

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Jun 24 2009

As you can imagine, every day we get hundreds of emails from people enquiring about cruise ship employment.

In this weeks tip, I thought I’d share with you a few of the most common questions we are asked, which I hope will help you:

1) How long will it take me to get a cruise job?
You can get hired within days, weeks or months from the time you send out your first application. However, as with any job, the time it will take you will depend on the position you’re applying for and the current demand for that position.

It will also depend on how much EFFORT you put into applying for such jobs. It goes without saying; the more time and attention you spend on creating a decent application and the more applications and follow ups you send, the greater your chance of success. 

Having the right contacts will also help dramatically speed up the process.

2) How long are contracts?
Contracts vary depending on the position and cruise line you’re working for. Contracts can range from 4 to 10 months, but a typical contract length is 6 months.

3) What hours will I work?
There is no rough guide to the hours you will work as it will depend entirely on which department/job you work in and the itinerary of the ship you’re on. However, you must be mentally prepared to work long hours and be completely flexible as your schedule will vary from day-to-day.

What I can tell you is that you will NOT be working 9 til 5 (with weekends off)!

4) Do I get time off in port?
All positions allow you time off in port. But the job you do will determine exactly how much time you get off. To get the maximum time off in port, apply for jobs in departments that only really function when the ship is at sea, including; gift shop, casino, entertainment, etc.

5) Can I choose which ship I work on?
This is a surprisingly common question. 99% of the time the answer is "no" for your first contract. You will be told which ship you’re going to. Returning crewmembers sometimes have the privilege of choosing their next ship if there are availabilities.

Remember, if you have any SPECIFIC cruise ship employment questions you need answering, then be sure to post them to our active discussion forums.  Our forums are open 24/7 and you’ll get personal access to me and our team of crew members, which means zero guess work and a LOT of inside info :-)

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Getting the Most from Your Cruise Ship Job Applications

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Jun 10 2009

The biggest mistake most cruise job seekers make is NOT following up on their job applications.

Or, put another way, you need to FOLLOW UP EVERYTHING!

We often get emails from people asking, "how do I follow up correctly?" so here’s some extra info to help you follow-up on your cruise ship job applications.

Sending a simple follow up letter or email 10 – 14 days after your first application can be an effective way of getting your name to the top of the huge pile of resumes that are sitting on the desk of most recruiters!

The purpose of the "follow up" letter is to politely inquire about the status of your application. But it also shows that you’re very keen in working for that cruise line and can often prompt the employer to dig out your original application and send you an update.

In your follow up letter or email, you need to include the following details:

* Your full name
* The date you sent your initial application
* The position you applied for
* And of course ask about the "status of your application".

It’s also a good idea to include another copy of your CV/resume.

Here is a real-life example of a successful cruise ship job follow up letter you can copy.

Remember, the people who are successful in getting jobs on cruise ships are almost always the people who followed up consistently, FORCING cruise lines to sit up and take notice of their cruise ship job applications.

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How Long Will It Take YOU To Get A Job On A Cruise Ship?

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
May 07 2009

If you’ve been trying to get a job on a cruise ship for any length of time then here’s a short, inspiring message which also contains a valuable lesson. 

It was posted to our discussion forum by Karen from the UK who fly’s out to Gibraltar next week to join her ship the Aurora (right).  She will spend this summer getting paid to cruise around the Mediterranean and America!

Here’s what she had to say:

"It has been a while as to be honest I ALMOST gave up.  I have been bashing away since early December, then I was advised some positions can be a 3-5 month wait so I thought ok I will chill for a while… but the more I struggle each day to get of bed and do my current job which I am so BORED with, the more I started thinking ‘I best take action and just keep going…’

"Finally it has paid off!! I have just been hired as a Digital Living Presenter and they are flying me out to Gibraltar on the 26th April to join the Aurora on the 27th. Neil, thank you to you and your team I would have never been able to do this without your support, encouragement and wonderful website!"

You can read Karen’s original message on our forum and also find out more about how she got hired as a Digital Living Presenter.

The moral of the message is this: with the cruise industry you just never know how long it will take you to get hired. We’ve had so many members who were hired within days (literally) and many others who landed a job on a cruise ship within months.

Either way, the people who always succeeded in the end were the people who, like Karen, simply refused to give in and just kept going until they landed their dream job.

While Karen is intelligent enough to know that it will be a big life adjustment at first and even hard going at times (varied working hours and homesickness!). At the same time she knows she’s in for an amazing adventure… she’ll get to meet all kinds of new people, visit exciting, exotic destinations and enjoy a great life experience.

And that’s a goal definitely worth pursuing with determination and persistence!

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Working On Cruise Ships & What NOT to Say in Your Job Applications!

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Apr 08 2009

I heard a great tip this week and I want to share it with you because it’s very important if you’re serious about working on cruise ships.

When applying for jobs, a lot of applicants love to tell cruise lines just how much they want to travel the world and meet new people.

Well, guess what? Cruise lines are NOT here to make a crewmembers dreams come true!

The cruise industry is all about the passenger and making sure they have a great value, fun-filled vacation. The brutal truth is that a cruise line does not really care that you the job seeker want to travel the world and meet new people.

Instead, all they really care about is what YOU can do for THEM and what value you’ll bring to their paying guests.

Think about this and it will make a lot of sense.

As an example, if you’re looking to work in the on board gift shops then focus entirely on your strong sales and customer service skills. Don’t tell them that you can’t wait until the shops are closed so you can get off the ship and explore the world!

Remember, they’re NOT here to make YOUR dreams come true. When working on cruise ships you’re there to keep their guests satisfied and make sure they have a great time!

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A quick tip to force your cruise job applications to the top of the stack!

Cruise Job Tips | Posted by Renee Ruggero
Feb 21 2009

Here’s a great ‘Follow Up’ tip a former recruiting colleague of mine shared on our forums recently, that you can use today:

When you apply for cruise jobs with several different companies, create a simple spreadsheet listing the cruise lines you applied to in a column going down the page. Then, make three additional columns labeled “Recommendations,” “Call,” “TY Card”.

Here’s what these mean:

Recommendation: Two days after you send in your application, send three letters of recommendation in to the HR department.

If you don’t have any letters like this, then simply ask people for them!

Even better, write the letters yourself and get some prestigious people and/or ex-employers to sign and print them on their letterhead. When you send these letters in, your application will be pushed to the front of the stack since the cruise line must go through and dig out your original application to match these letters along with your resume.

Call: Call or email the cruise line a week later asking if they have everything they need to make a hiring decision. This is not the time to beg for a job. You’re simply calling to ask if they have everything they need from you in order to offer you a job. Take the name of the person you speak with.

TY Card: Immediately after getting off the phone, send a Thank You card addressed to the person you just spoke with.

From the perspective of someone who has hired many people to work on cruise ships, it’s little tips like these that can make all the difference and make you stand head and shoulders above your competition and ultimately land your “dream job”.

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