The Importance Of A Cruise Job Cover Letter

The cover letter is one of the first impressions you can make to a potential employer when applying for cruise ship jobs. If you don't send a covering letter then you are giving off the thought that you are lazy, which as you can imagine, is not the best start to a job application! The cover letter is important as it helps hiring managers connect the dots by putting your resume into context and adding focus.

Your cover letter needs to be more than simply a presell to your main application. A cover letter should always be looked at as a valuable tool that markets your resume effectively. It's important not to make the recruiter have to figure out the critical details about you. Bring awareness to your main achievements and skills that make you different from other job seekers for this particular position.

What's more, while your CV discusses you, your covering letter should discuss the potential employer who is reading it. How can the cruise line benefit from the assets you have to offer? This is another reason why you should not ever produce a covering letter in volume. Is your letter of application making the reader feel important? Have you referred to the person responsible by name and mentioned details of the company?

So what about an online application? Is it still essential to include a covering letter? Absolutely! Even if you fill out a job application over the internet, by sending a personalized letter and resume it will make certain that you are different to all of the other applicants. A good cover letter will make the recruitment staff keen to view your resume, which means it won't just be entered directly into a database.

The cover letter can explain why you are the best person for cruise line employment in a way that the resume can't. Ask yourself…does your cover letter motivate the hiring manager to take action and contact you for a job interview?

The goal of your resume and covering letter is to ensure that you land an interview, however what other ways can you also ensure that your application stands out from the thousands of other job seekers? What other creative ways might you present your attributes such as work experience and qualifications?

First of all, you might be asking, what is an online resume? An online resume is one that you post on websites like LinkedIn, Facebook or your own personal website or blog.

Resumes published on the internet are effective in referring a recruiter who may be interested in finding out more that what is normally found in a traditional resume. Consider the fact that your application displays the impression you want potential employers to see.

Having a positive online presence can give an applicant an edge whereas a negative online presence can sabotage your chances. What would a prospective employer find out about you when they insert your name into a search engine? Will they find photos of you partying on your Facebook page? Keep in mind that unprofessional images or comments will enlighten prospective recruiters that you lack professionalism. Cruise applicants can increase their positive online presence with relevant links to your work.

For example someone wanting to get hired as a ship's photographer can use sites like Flickr to display their work. Alternatively, those looking to get hired as a Port and Shopping Guide or Cruise Consultant can make a short video on YouTube that showcases their public speaking skills.

The online resume does not replace the traditional method of applying for cruise ship employment. You still need to apply for each cruise job with a cover letter and resume sent to a specific hiring manager. The resumes you post on the internet should be in addition to the resume that you sent to a certain recruiter by email or through snail mail.


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Neil Maxwell-Keys is an ex-crewmember, hiring expert and best-selling author of "Get a Cruise Ship Job!" Claim Neil's popular free book TODAY which shows you how to get cruise ship jobs, quickly & easily. Available at: =>
http://www.workoncruiseships.com/free