How to Work on Cruise Ships With Little or No Experience!

If you have a strong desire to work on cruise ships, then it's a good idea to think carefully about which positions on board you would be ideal for. There are certain types of jobs that do require specific qualifications and skills, namely those in the entertainment, beauty and youth staff departments.

Other jobs, however, require little or no qualifications or even experience, so don't be put off applying for cruise line employment if you're certain this is the career for you. Although many people believe it's impossible to break into the industry without prior experience, this just isn't true.

There are thousands of crewmembers who landed jobs with any particular skills or experience. There are many jobs that can easily be carried out using non-vocational skills and full training will be provided onboard.

Most people fail to land work on cruise ships not because of their lack of experience but because of their lack of know-how. Make sure you are applying for the position best suited to your abilities and skills and most importantly of all, is learning the knack of selling yourself. Understanding how to do this properly can quickly get you the job you want!

If you do not have strong experience or any particular qualifications to speak of, then here's some jobs on board that you should think about applying for:

* Cruise Staff - general people skills
* Casino Cashier - some customer service & cash handling experience
* Social Host - public speaking & people skills
* Gift Shop Associate - some retail or customer service experience
* Shore Excursion Staff - organizational & communication skills
* Bar Waiting Staff - full training provided
* Receptionist - organizational & admin skills
* Internet Manager - some internet experience
* Photographer - full training provided but you must show a genuine interest in photography.
* Cocktail Server - full training provided
* Tour Guide - communication & people skills
* Videographer - full training provided
* Guest Speaker - speaking skills with the ability to talk on a specific subject for an hour.

The list above isn't exhaustive but it gives you a good overview of the types of cruise ship jobs you can get with any particular qualifications.

All jobs onboard require a high level of customer service skills, so if you have this use any experience you have in other areas to get started in the industry. No matter how limited this experience is, if it is marketed in the right way you can get your foot on the cruise line employment ladder.

Many crew members have started their careers in this way and have gone on to enjoy great success. It's important to get your foot in the door and take the job you're offered first in order to get that valuable experience. You can then use this to move into another area that you're particularly interested in working in.

If you possibly can, you might consider gaining a few simple certificates that will greatly enhance your chances of success. Water safety instruction, CPR, or anything related to this area will give you the edge over other applicants when applying for cruise ship vacancies and ensure your resume looks even more impressive!

Classes are easy to find in most locations and there should be ones near you. Usually all that is required is one or two day's attendance at each course.

For more information, contact the Red Cross for details of water safety courses or CPR training. Alternatively have a look at these websites: americanheart.org or redcross.org.

After reading this article, you'll realize you already have some of the skills necessary to obtain work on cruise ships, even if you didn't think so before!