Impact Cover Letter Writing for cruise ship employment

The Crucial Importance of Your Mental Attitude

The 95% losers keep on doing the same old things. They all send a standard cover letter and resume thinking that this is enough someone to call them. Experience proves that such attitude in 95% of the cases results in waiting, and waiting. Do you think that the cruise lines are interested in hiring ordinary people? One manager describes very well the other kind of mentality: "I have my degree; I am sharp; What can you do for me?" The moment a screener or a hiring manager notices such arrogant and self-centered application, he tosses it directly into the trash. Yes, directly. They don't need "great" people. What they really need are applicants who place the employer's interests and needs beyond theirs. Period. They like applicants who keep on writing you instead of I. Thousands of people coming from poor countries around the world with no experience and basic English get cruise ship employment. Why? They are genuinely willing to work hard, dedicatedly and loyally for up to three contracts. Compare this with the majority of applicants who have great demands written right in their initial application and never come back for a second contract if hired.

You will be trained what and how exactly to do onboard. However nobody can change your mental attitude and understanding. That is why mentality rules and is the single most important criteria for screening out people right away. Even a simple cover letter and resume, which have average design will attract the attention of the cruise line IF it is heavily loaded with benefits for the employer.

For example you can make more money save time cut costs improve efficiency solve problems increase competitiveness retain the existing and attract new guests build valuable relationships or expand their business.

If you can do such things then you will get a cruise ship employment. Why? The cruise lines need exactly such people who will have a strong impact on their top or bottom line and will make them more competitive within the severely competitive cruise industry.

For land-based jobs a very active and proactive approach may be pushy. However the requirements and expectations from the candidates for cruise ship employment are very different. You will work many hours without days off for several months. Not everyone can and want to face such challenge. That is why if a candidate makes it very clear that they really want a job and pursue it till the very end, usually get it. Such applicants prove with actions their determination, commitment, and energy. All these qualities are in great demand in the cruise industry.

How to Write an Impact Cover Letter

Most hiring managers will read first the cover letter and then, if they are impressed, will continue with the resume. Why? It shows them in few paragraphs your intelligence, professionalism, communication skills and personality. That is why approach its writing carefully and thoughtfully because a badly written cover letter will immediately put an end to your chances for cruise ship employment!

Key point is to focus on the employer's needs and concerns. This single thing will determine 99% of the final result of your application.

If they read yet another self-centered canned letter, which contains nothing red-hot relevant, your application package will hit the trash.

That is why your whole preparatory work should be thorough, accurate and well-researched. Start at the web site of the cruise line of your choice and learn everything about their products, services and culture. I mean really everything. In this way you will show genuine interest in becoming part of their team. Also, later you will avoid asking questions, which are answered on their site.

Find specific keywords, especially in their mission statement, which best describe their most important principles and values. Then use them in your cover letter and resume. Accumulate as much as possible information from this directory and the cruise line's site. Then show in your cover letter and resume how those requirements, responsibilities, expectations, values, and goals exist in your own professional and personal history.

How to Create Personal Uniqueness

You MUST stand out when hundreds are applying for the same job by creating personal uniqueness. Your skills and experience are a product and your cover letter and resume should market and sell them to the hiring manager who is your ultimate customer.

The super sales people completely customize any sales literature to the customer's needs and wishes. In this way they create interest and affirm the value and benefits of the product for the customer.

To end up with a winning cover letter, you have to write, rewrite, edit, and after some time edit again. Whenever you come back to it put yourself in the employer's shoes and read it from this point of view. Then, when you are already in a strong position you will have a chance to state what you want and need.

Here are several questions to ask yourself every time you come back to your cover letter:

- Does it attract your attention within a few seconds?

- Does it quickly summarize how your qualifications match the requirements and why you want the job?

- Is it really intriguing enough to read it all?

- Does it answer quickly and clearly the question: Why are you the best candidate for the position?

- Does it present your key accomplishments, experience, professionalism, and confidence?

How to Market and Sell Your Skills to the Hiring Manager

The main point in writing a cover letter and resume is to sell yourself to the prospective employer. This is what the 5% winners are doing their best to do. The only proven strategy to achieve this is to "translate" all your skills, experience, and talents into direct and indirect benefits for your boss-to-be. How? If some of your skills are able to solve a specific problem facing the employer, say so. If you have measurable achievements, which can prove that you will be of great help, present them.

The hiring manager should have the feeling that your cover letter addresses their main needs and concerns. This will be evidence that your whole application package is custom-tailored for this particular cruise line. To strengthen this impression use several times you. Avoid using as much as you can "I", "my" and "me". However, if it is absolutely necessary incorporate them in phrases, which focus on the employer's needs. Keep on tightening this impression by selling yourself using benefits instead of writing baseless claims and demands.

Let your typical style and way of expression to flow through the text. A more conversational tone may be helpful for you and will be fine with the hiring managers. After all, one of the most important things they want to see in the cover letter is your personality. However, keep in mind that this is a formal type of correspondence. That is why cute, funny, dry or self-serving type of cover letter will be enough reason your application to be ignored.

To summarize, use formal, yet conversational style, which allows your unique personality to find its reflection on the paper. Wrap all this with systematical selling through turning every significant feature and fact from your history into benefit for the company. Then you will definitely have an impact cover letter and resume.

How to Project a Winning Image

Carefully think what image your cover letter will form in the mind of the hiring manager. Although the details will come from the resume, here focus on presenting yourself as an educated/experienced professional who is knowledgeable of the cruise line's products, services and needs.

Then sell yourself as a perfect fit for the company's culture as well as a solution to some specific problem or concern the hiring manager may have. Then you will position yourself as an outstanding candidate because you have done your homework on the company and have anticipated in advance their main needs, concerns and questions.

Whether you are a perfect fit for a specific job will depend on your hard skills like proficiency in MS Word and Excel. On the contrary, your soft skills and work habits like team player, work well under pressure, etc. will determine how you will fit in the company.

For detailed information on this read the cruise ship employment profiles as well as the complete job descriptions on the site. When it comes to revealing tidbits from your personality, character, or even philosophy please use your common sense and the position you are applying for.

The rule of thumb is if it supports your candidature and is relevant to the cruise ship job itself, include it. For example if you are applying for Sports Director and like to jog 2 days per week say so. If you love your job and can't imagine your life without it, make it clear. However, if you are applying for Accountant and mention your passion for budge jumps it will probably be counterproductive.

Use the AIDA Formula: Attention-Interest-Desire-Action

The whole cover letter must be based on the AIDA formula, which stands for Attention-Interest-Desire-Action. It is crucial to grab the attention of the hiring manager within 2-3 seconds. Achieve this through opening sentence, which is original quote, interesting fact, some intrigue or confident appeal.

The goal is to grab the reader's attention and to generate enough interest to continue reading the body. The opening sentence is the equivalent of the "first impression". If it stands out than you have set the stage for a cover letter, which will stand out from the others.

Effective initial technique is to mention the name of a common friend, colleague or relative who is already working at the cruise line you are applying for. Very often this is enough to quickly go ahead of the other candidates. If you have a close enough acquaintance definitely ask for permission to use their name in your application.

The next step in the AIDA formula is to create desire. How? Prove to the hiring manager that you are exactly what they are looking for. The body of the cover letter is the best place to present highlights from your most significant accomplishments and additional advantages, which will strengthen your image.

The Professional Association of Resume Writers recommends doing this with a bulleted list and measurable strong points. Regarding your soft skills if you simply state that you are a team player it will be perceived as self-serving. However, if you have some written recognition for being an "example of a team player" then include it because you can prove it.

The rule is that only measurable and proven accomplishments, skills, knowledge, etc. should go in the cover letter. Anything else, which only states something, will weaken the overall impression.

Avoid taking something from your resume and using it as it is in the cover letter. 4-5 highlights, which are reworded from your resume, will do the job. It is important to use every opportunity to present your key accomplishments and skills from various angles. In this way the hiring manager will form a vivid 3-dimentional picture of yourself as a professional and person who can really fit perfectly and do the job. Use clear and direct way of presentation without any company terminology or lofty words, which an average person will find it difficult to understand.

How to Close the Sale

When it comes to closing the sale do it in a way which will determinately and immediately separate you from the rest. How? Offer a follow-up telephone call. Note that this is a get-it or lose-it factor.

If you are concerned for the cost, calm down. The cruise lines always want the call for the interview to be on their expense. The chances are that you will NOT have to call. The whole thing is entirely for the purpose of separating yourself. That is it.

Just think for a second how many candidates will offer to call for scheduling a mutually agreeable time for an interview? Very few and because of this the hiring managers remember them. For example:

Perhaps a good next step is to learn more about your specific needs, Mr. Hartford. May I call on Friday, 26th to see if we can arrange a mutually agreeable time for an interview? If you would like to contact me, I can be reached on my home phone number at (555) 555-555 in the evenings or on my cell phone, anytime, at (888) 555-555.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

The Anatomy of a Cover Letter

There are three main parts:

Introduction- make it attention-grabbing, fresh and relevant.

Body- present your most significant accomplishments, range of qualifications or relevant titles and number of years experience. Also show genuine understanding of the employer's needs, and concerns.

Closing- use the confident and proactive finish, which you can find below, to immediately separate yourself from the crowd.

The 9 Parts of a Cover Letter

Contact information: list your name, address, city, state, zip, home/cell telephone and personal e-mail exactly as they are on the resume. Use a state name as abbreviation but spell it out in the body. The department name of the hiring manager should be capitalized. Make sure that the name is a bigger size, so that it would be easy to find your resume in a pile.

Date: preferably use the date when you will send the whole application. The best days of the week to arrive on the manager's desk are Tuesday, maximum Wednesday.

Manager's address: include name, title, full cruise line name, its street address, city and zip.

Subject Line: Each hiring manager wants to know right away what position you are applying for. That is why this is the best place to state it. A chance to separate yourself once again is also to mention where you have learnt about the open position. Examples:

Subject: Pastry Chef, Aug. 12 issue of Overseas Jobs Express Re: Open position for Engineer on Carnival's web site

Salutation: For example: Dear Mr. Peterson: You can find the telephone numbers of the cruise lines in their profiles in the book. Definitely use them to learn the name of the person in charge of the hiring decision for your desired position. If the name is not traditional ask for the spelling because misspelling the name will result in negative first impression. In case that you do everything possible and Human Resources refuse to give you any name use "Dear Hiring Manager".

Body: The purpose of the opening sentence is to grab the attention of the reader and create enough interest to keep reading. Then the body has to generate desire to find out more details about you in the resume. Highlight in a bulleted list maximum 5 key points, which make you a really valuable and unique applicant. Continue offering a follow up phone call.

Polite closing: Keep to the standard and use "Sincerely".

Signature: Leave three lines after Sincerely for your signature. The standard is to use black ink but if you cannot find such use blue ink.

Your Name: Once again it is very important throughout your application package to have consistency. That is why write your name in the same way anywhere on your cover letter and resume. If your name is William Clinton but everyone known you as Bill Clinton then use this form of your name.

Enclosure: Two lines below your name type Enclosure, so the reader will know there is another thing to review. During the initial application send only your cover letter and resume. If there is a request for additional information like references, certificates, etc. then again include your resume, the additional information and on the cover letter write- Enclosures (1x)

Post Script (P.S.) Use such only if you have really original afterthought or closing idea, which must add additional value for the employer.

How to Handle Tough Issues

Keep the content and tone of everything you write in your whole application package 100% positive. Even if you are fired at your previous job keep it for a direct type of communication as an interview. Then you have greater chances to handle it better and put a positive spin on it.

Of course you should prepare in advance for anything negative in your personal and professional history. If one of the first things, which a hiring manager reads about you is "termination" your application will go directly to the trash.

Remember that during the initial screening process the aim is to reject as many applications as possible. Even a single typo, a grammar mistake, a negative word, or a fact will be more than enough reason to screen you out. That is why keep everything 100% positive and error-free if you want to make it through the first cut.

How to Handle Request for Salary Expectations

Some of the companies like Norwegian Cruise Line want to see your salary expectation within your initial application. Again the reason is to reject people based on this criteria. If you want more than they agree to give you the rejection is immediate. On the contrary, if you make the mistake to state a fixed salary and it is lower than they are willing to give you then you will make yourself a bad favour.

That is why the best approach towards such requirement is to give a salary range in your cover letter. Include maximum one or two sentences. For example:

My compensation has ranged from $500-$700 depending on performance bonuses/tips. I have a flexible position on this topic and my expectations are in line with the cruise industry standards.

What If You Have No Qualifications

Hiring managers and recruitment specialists make it clear in all surveys that they want to know from your cover letter why you think you are qualified for certain cruise ship employment. That is why this topic can be quite difficult for people with little or no professional experience. There are several things, which can help you to make a favorable impression.

The first one is to focus on your Educational background and if you have some internship or part time job experience. Then show how they can be of value to the employer.

Also, it is fine to present your strongest soft skills. Do your best to support them with facts. For example, if you are a great team player and you were selected for leader of the volleyball team in your college then it is a lot more convincing.

When you have little or no experience it is essential that you show a very positive, upbeat and enthusiastic image. Since the applicants' personality is of great importance in the cruise industry make sure that you will form a positive picture of yourself without exaggerating anything.

Your cover letter must show in-depth research of the cruise line. It is OK to write: "I want to work for Carnival because it is the industry leader". However if you back it up with their 40% market share and more than 8 million vacationers per year then it is a lot more serious and impressive. Why? You have spent time researching their web site, corporate site www.carnivalcorp.com and brochures to know this. This will immediately position you as a really serious and valuable candidate despite your lack of experience.

It is important to show professionalism through your cover letter and resume. Expressing willingness to learn as well as positive and enthusiastic attitude have value and are some of the qualities, which are in great demand in the cruise industry. In addition, follow all pieces of advice for employer's focus and proactive attitude towards the phone call for an interview and you will definitely stand out.

Cover Letter Check List

The following checklist consists of 20 questions, which perfectly summarize the most important dos and donts of cover letter writing and design. Use it after you finish and even before this.

- You have a cover letter.

- It is 1 page long.

- Answers: How your qualifications match the requirements for certain cruise ship employment?

- Answers: Where you learnt about the open position if applicable?

- Immediately obvious that you are a good fit for the company.

- 100% focused on the employers needs and concerns.

- 100% spelling and grammar free.

- Demonstrates good writing ability.

- Contains all your contact information: name, address, home/cell phone, and personal email.

- Addressed to the hiring person.

- Contains current date, full cruise line's address, personalized salutation, impact body, sincerely, your signature in black ink, your name and enclosure.

- 100% accurate and hype-free.

- Highlights accomplishments in short bulleted list.

- You are applying for specific position.

- Doesn't contain specific salary.

- Contains only relevant to the job information.

- Formal, yet conversational tone, which reflects your personality.

- Excellent symmetry and visual balance throughout the whole letter.

- Will arrive on Tuesday.

- Offers a follow up phone call on Friday.

Next is my latest article on getting cruise ship employment faster with in-depth details on the L.A.S.E.R strategy Why It's a Cut-throat Industry for the Staff