TravelDuties

Thanks to the internet, one business trend appears to be falling out of fashion. Thanks to the internet, this same trend still seems popular with marketing savvy individuals.

What am I talking about?

Business cards — those 3.75 x 2.25 card stock tools that have been long favored by business folks the world over.

Despite the fact that the internet is connecting people like never before, thereby making the exchange of business cards seem like a moot issue, there are reasons why you should still have cards of your own.

3 Reasons Why You Need A Business Card

Business cards are still useful and for the following reasons:

• When applying for a job, particularly one where a hard copy of your resume is requested, sending a business card out with your cover letter and resume is smart thinking. Lots of employers use business card scanning software and, yes, the trusty Rolodex is still used by some managers.

• If you are heading to a convention or job fair, a business card comes in handy. Certainly, handing a copy of your resume off to a potential employer is wise, but so is exchanging cards with your peers. I’ve attended conventions where I’ve handed off scores of my cards within just a few hours time — a terrific and cheap networking tool!

• Your personal contacts can also use your business card. How many times have you been out and about, meeting up with someone and found that you didn’t have a pen handy to give them your number? A business card eliminates that need, making it easier for you to share contact information with friends.

Business Card Prices Are Cheap – Online

Business card prices are very cheap, with the best deals found online. Lest you think that I’m making a plug for an affiliate site, I can assure you that I am not. Simply “google” a search for business cards and a number of companies will pop up on the search engine results pages.

I’ve used VistaPrint in the past and have visited the Overnight Print site as well. Staples, Office Max and other some other print shops offer cards too, but the best deals clearly can be found online.

Photo courtesy of Steve Woods — just make sure that your card isn’t blank!

When seeking a new job, you hope that you will pass the interview and get hired, right? Well, why else would you go on an interview in the first place? To be entertained?

Unfortunately, job candidates will sometimes do their best to sabotage their job search including some things which are clearly wrong and others that aren’t so obvious. Before you go on your next interview, you just may want to rethink how you will present yourself to a potential employer.

How To Ensure That You Won’t Get Hired

Arrive Late — Oh, this is a real killer! If you have an interview scheduled, you should arrive about fifteen minutes ahead of time, but plan on being a full half hour early if traffic is a concern. Sure, cars can break down and your daycare plans could fall through, but the burden is on you to call ASAP to let the interviewer know that your plans have fallen through. Ask for a different interview time, but please note: some people simply do not tolerate excuses!

Dress Inappropriately — Tattoos are acceptable if you work at a bar, a pawn shop or other position frequented by working class folks, but lots of white collar and service-oriented employers will balk at your display. Cover it up, all of the way up or risk being passed up in the job selection process. Oh, by the way, pierced eyebrows, tongues and anything other than pierced ears is a real turn off. Please, your shocking pink hair has got to go!

Talk About Yourself — Sure, interviewing your potential employer is important but don’t get carried away. You are at the interview to answer their questions and pitch what you bring to the table. The interview is less about you, but more about what you can do for the company.

Appear Disorganized — Besides being dressed inappropriately, you can come across as being disorganized in a number of ways. Did you forget to bring a copy of your resume? Are your references out of date? Did you forget to bring a pen for the job application? Is your cell phone ringing in the middle of the interview (worse still: did you answer it?) Anything that you do which gives an appearance that you cannot comport yoursef in a professional manner is a red flag human resources personnel will look for.

Drift or Not Pay Attention — You should never come to an interview hungry or thirsty and you should use the bathroom before meeting with your interviewer. If you are tired, you’ll find yourself drifting and missing important parts of the conversation. Guess what? You need to be as sharp as a tack in order to be considered for any position.

There are other ways to ensure you won’t get hired including: lying on your resume, providing incorrect contact information, being unqualified for the job, not looking the interviewer in the eye, interrupting the conversation, blabbing about your personal life, and more.

Cruise lines are looking for solid job candidates, particularly those who can work well with the public, which is their customer base. Don’t rule yourself out of the job market by committing these and other interviewing errors — too many people do, but what about you?

With 2007 now in the history books, you’ve probably have been taking stock of your career and wondering if what you are doing now is what you want to do with yourself for the rest of your life. Granted, it can be difficult to look that far in advance, but if you are unhappy with your current job, then considering other possibilities right now is the way to go.

Cruise Line Employment Is Booming

The cruise line industry continues to grow at a record-setting pace, as leisure travelers realize that they can vacation in style without busting their budgets. This is good news for someone like you who may be looking for a change in 2008. However, one question remains: how can you find work? That’s easy — please keep reading for some great tips on finding the cruise ship opportunity that is right for you.

TravelDuties — Without shame, I must say that this website has been a good source of information for people who want to work on a cruise ship or yacht. We have links to all of the major cruise lines and tips crafting a resume, writing a cover letter, getting your references together and interviewing. We may not be the biggest site on the internet, but we hold our own.

Cruise Lines –  One of the best resources are the cruise lines themselves. In fact, we highly recommend you visit the various websites of the major cruise lines. Learn if they are hiring, what jobs are available, when open houses will be held, and find out about all of their procedures for obtaining employment. When in doubt, go to directly to the source.

Job Sites — The major job sites feature some very good opportunities. I like Indeed, Monster, Career Builder and HotJobs to name a few. Sometimes the cruise lines will only share current openings on the job sites as that is where most job seekers can be found.

Internet Search — Using Google, type in the words “cruise ship jobs” and you’ll get a bunch of results. However, I must recommend extreme caution as a lot of sites are junk and some are scams.  Buyer beware — never pay someone to find work for you.

Ultimately, finding work in the cruise industry will depend upon you. Your knowledge, personal energy and zeal will go a long way toward helping you make a career switch. Why not make 2008 the year you took to the seas? Your cruise line career awaits you — seize the opportunities and you’ll be ocean bound before you know it!

With winter’s winds beginning to press in, now is the time when many people start to think about taking a cruise to warmer climates, perhaps touring the Greek Isles, visiting the white sandy beaches of Martinique, or voyaging across the Pacific with stops in Hawai’i, Tahiti and on to Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. Although cruise traffic seems to pick up during the winter months, cruises are popular year ’round.

For the person seeking cruise line employment, now is as good a time as any to pursue work in this exciting field.

Cruise Lines Are Looking For People Just Like You

Yes, cruise lines are hiring as they are always on the look out for capable men and women who enjoy working with people, are comfortable sailing on the seas, and have an adventuresome heart. Hiring slows down just before Christmas, but by early January cruise lines are actively seeking new personnel once again.

Passenger Traffic Is Up Again This Year

Increased customer demand, employee turn over in the form of retirements, resignations and promotions, and a desire to always seek fresh faces are the reasons behind the near constant hiring by most cruise lines.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, an organization dedicated with promoting and growing the cruise industry, passenger traffic has been rising at an average rate of 7.6% annually from 1980 to 2005, which is the last year statistics are available. Thus, the need for new personnel to staff cruise ships is constant.

How about you? Will this be the time that you start looking at the cruise lines as a possible career choice? If you like to travel, enjoy helping people, and want to further your career ambitions, a career in the cruise line industry could be right for you.

Please check out the links on the sidebar and apply directly to the cruise operator of your choice for employment information. Happy sailing!

Photo Credit: CLIA and NCL; All Rights Reserved

Welcome to TravelDuties, your one-stop resource center for the cruise line industry.

This site was launched in November 2007 with the express purpose of informing you, the reader, of all of the top current employment opportunities on cruise ships. You’ve probably come to this site wondering if a position on a luxury liner was right for you and if that is the case we think you’ll find everything you need here to make an informed decision.

We’re not here to endorse one cruise line over another one, but we can tell you this: we believe that the opportunities featured on TravelDuties are among the best in the industry. Please apply directly to the cruise line that is of interest to you.

In the coming weeks and months we’ll be expanding this site to bring to you cutting edge information on hiring, share interview tips, cover resume building and cover letters, and share news relevant to cruise ships.

Thank you for stopping by TravelDuties – want to be your cruise line resource center!