ALL
ABOARD! YOUR KEY TO A GREAT CRUISE SHIP JOB
Paul
Emery Baya worked for Norwegian Cruise Line in a variety of positions,
including that of assistant purser.
Here Mr. Baya shares his experiences working on Norwegian Cruise Line's cruise ships. He also offers these tips for others looking
to break into the cruise industry.
My
advice to those interested in cruise ship jobs would
be as follows: Take time to make your resume and cover letter
look as good as you can. Customize each one to the cruise line you are applying to.
Have
friends evaluate it. I also suggest that you mail yourself a copy of the finished product
and play the role of the hiring staff. Would you hire you? Also, come
to the interview (if you have one) with an above average knowledge
of the company.
I was asked a few questions at my interview.
- What
was my experience in the hotel industry?
- What do I know about Norwegian
Cruise Lines?
- When can I start?
Apparently the personnel manager was
very impressed with my knowledge of the company. She said, "
Wow, you have certainly done your homework. Most of the candidates
come to the interview with little knowledge of the company. I'm impressed
with what you know."
CRUISE LINE JOB APPLICATION PROCESS
After
your application is accepted, you will either have a phone or in person
interview with the cruise line, then the they will offer you
a contract. It is important that you carefully read it before you
sign it. Your first contract will usually be for somewhere between
three months and one year. Generally, an employee's first contract
will be on the shorter side of that range,
but after successfully completing its terms, an employee often will
be asked back for longer contracts. A general rule of thumb is once
you get that first contract, your next opportunity on a cruise ship will be easier
to obtain.
There
are also career positions onboard that not only include the captain
and
officers but also engineers and other staff. If you are interested
in these positions and you have the qualifications
for such positions, the employment contracts will be much longer
in term.
When you need help deciding what job opportunity is right for you, a headhunter can help, in particular a hospitality sector headhunter. Find out what your potential is...and what potential the world has to offer you, too.
Bon
Voyage!
You
may now be ready to apply for your next cruise ship job. There are many
resources on the Internet and in bookstores. Some of these resources
are outstanding and others leave much to be desired
With a lot of things, I would recommend people just wing it, but
since getting a job on a cruise ship can be very competitive, it
is worth paying a little money to try and gain that inside edge.
I spend
endless hours reviewing most of the resources available and have
highlighted my favorites. I generally recommend people use web
resources over paper books basically due to the fact that the good
internet
services are updated much more frequently than is possible with
printed books.
My favorite website for cruise
ship jobs is Cruise Job Finder.com.
Good
Luck & Bon Voyage!
Clarke
Guttman
Guest Writer - 2007 Issue of Cruise Insiders
Globe Trotter, Adventurer & Writer
Recommended
Website:
Cruise
Line Jobs @ CruiseJobFinder.com
Synopsis
We have been very impressed with what the people at Cruise Job Finder
have done with their website. The site is thorough, up-to-date and
gives a number of very useful tips on how to get on jobs on cruise
ships. The website also covers jobs as a land tour employee and working
at beach resorts. The website is intended for both the novice and
experienced applicants.
The
website
includes: resumes and cover letters, job descriptions, cruise line
profiles and application forms (in the form of links), interview
techniques, shipboard information
and more.
Cruise Job Finder.com
-Guest
Notes-
"Great
job on your website. It has given me a new lease on life" Lisa
R
"Really
informative website. Keep up the good work" Charlotte L
