Cruise ship jobs come with many perks, including good salaries and valuable experience. However, getting one is not a piece of cake. The first step to applying for a new job on the cruise lines is writing a good resume, or curriculum vitae as it is known in the UK.
Remember that cruise ship companies get thousands of applications every day, so making yours stand out can help you nail the job quicker than others. Most recruitment personnel do not have much time to look through lengthy, complicated information, and it works in your favour to keep your resume short, to the point and focused on the position you are applying for.
Writing short resumes does not mean leaving out sections of your qualifications or experience. It helps to consider that most recruitment personnel are busy and will avoid resumes in which they cannot find important information quickly. So keep your resume around one or two pages long depending on your experience and the position you are applying for. Accompany it with a polite, formal cover letter that briefly highlights your skills and qualifications, and if you are uploading it electronically, it’s best to save it in common file formats such as Microsoft Word (doc), or Adobe Acrobat (pdf).
Within the resume, include important information such as education, work experience and skills that relate to the position. Many kitchen-related cruise ship jobs are specific to a certain department – perhaps pastry or a certain type of cuisine. Highlighting information within that context that makes you stand apart – say an award or a challenging situation that you turned around – can set you apart from the other job applicants.
You should list your work experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with the latest position you held, or the latest qualification you achieved. Knowing languages is an added advantage in cruise ship jobs and it helps to point out how fluent you are in each. It can also work to your advantage to include a short brief about the previous companies you worked for, particularly if they were local or not globally popular, such as indicating how many seats the restaurant had or the kind of cocktails served in the bar or if it was a specialty restaurant.
Do not forget to include achievements, particularly those related to the position you are applying for. It also helps to list out voluntary work that demonstrates relevant skills, such as team work or working to deadlines. Always include your contact details, and if requested, a professional formal photograph. Remember to double check for spelling errors before sending or printing your resume.
