Ideas to find a good job on Cruise ship, Merchant fleet or Offshore drilling.
No bullshit- based on real experience.
Check how your email address is looks like
Imagine that you’r a HR manager and in one of shiny mornings you open your mailbox and see the message from honeybun1993@gmail.com
HONEYBUN… Are you serious? Who will open such letter to see what is inside?
Make sure that your box address is looking official. Put your name, surname and if already taken you may refill it with your position, year of born etc.
Don’t use your lovely puppy name or the nickname given by your girlfriend/boyfriend.
If you don’t want your email to be flagged by scam filters use mail providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or the best way you can create with your own domain (ссылка how to create email with own domain).
Fill up all fields in mail service settings with your data. Use the Greetings default field to make it more personalized and official.
Strong CV and Cover Letter
What is better quality or quantity? Some people are thinking that as much they bombing recruiters with CV’s as more chances they have to grab a job.
Fail.
Finally such emails are getting the end in scam folder and you even doesn’t get known about it.
Make your Cover Letter and CV working for you, not against you. Don’t do it yourself, hire a professional profile writer to do that job.
No need to pay a ridiculous prices. For 10$ you can get a professional CV writer on fiverr.com or other similar services.
This service is allowed to make an internal conversation with performer so you can discuss what you think is most important to be highlighted in your CV and Cover Letter.
Don’t send more than one attached document with your email
Really… Nobody gonna read and research all your vaccination certificates, appraisals and recommendations in advance. This is annoying. Read next how to perform better with your “first touch” with potential employer.
Make a schedule for emails sendings and strictly follow it
Nothing is works better than consistency. Schedule to send 10 emails to employers per day and follow it till result or end of list.
Don’t send emails on weekend or holidays.
Usually through days off collecting a big amount of correspondence so your email most probably will just get lost.
Apply online
As we know not all recruiters are accepting free forms of CV. Usually a big company’s have own crewing departments with functional websites where you can apply only. Don’t ignore this option. Keep the temper, fill up that forms properly and it’s always a chance to get response or phone call from respectful company.
Search for contacts
Most of recruiters are interested to broad their candidates search and may accept your free CV and review it.
To have always a good list of employers I’ll recommend to maintain a own list of emails. First take a closer look in your email box. You can find a lot of interesting in old correspondences. Emails, telephones from offers and conversation already forgotten. Keep them in the Excel list and refill with new contacts because one day it will pay back.
Google it
Write a relevant keywords in browser to make your search more exact. For example: “Captain with 4 point mooring North Sea experience vacancy”.
Google might index such requests in some very unexpected forums or services where you can get a good contacts.
Don’t attach you CV in first letter
Have you ever heard about “sales funnel”?
Online e-commerce marketers are using this option to convert visitors to customers. I recommend to do in the same way. Don’t ask HR manager to review your CV in first email. Instead try to build a short but productive conversation.
Your target is to get reply!
Why?
70% of people are feeling themself due if they promise something or just saying “YES”. Off course it doesn’t mean that recruiter will not sleep well just thinking to offer you a good job but this can defenatly to select you from mass row. Read next how to get response.
First send email with Cover Letter
The HR managers are getting tones of emails daily so most of them already got a “application blindness”. To catch their attention and to make first impression is not easy so you have to be creative and little bit sly.
The theme of letter is your first and the last chance. There are only few words to be displayed in the mail box so don’t waste it. I’d recommend to switch interest what is inside by using such themes as “I’d like to remind you…” or “This is why I am writing you…” Make it like a quotation from your text to generate a sense like intrigue.
Don’t use “Re:” in theme – doesn’t work any more, no fools.
Don’t use in beginning of your letter:
“Good day”
“Dear Sirs”
“To whom it may concern”
Instead make you Cover Letter more personal but professional.
Start it with personal greetings like “Dear John” or simple “ Hello”
It shouldn’t be a longread but make it clear. Mention your main characteristics, experience, shortly describe what you looking for but mainly highlight your most relevant qualifications for the job.
Leave the space between paragraphs so that your letter is easy to read.
Remember that HR managers are office clerks. The paperwork is boring so any human oriented inserts could be a big plus. For example: “ How you like a Champion Leagues Final? Big upset for me” if your responder is a man. You can make your letter a little funny (only little, only funny and funny doesn’t mean offend the people). Also any congratulations are very welcomed (especially on birthday, how to know this read next).
In the end of the your Cover Letter ask your responder: “Do you think I can send you my CV for your review?”
Curriculum Vitae
Latin for “the course of your life”.
Now, when you get reply from recruiter the chances for your application to be reviewed are much higher.
First of all it will be attached in mail response marked “Re:” so it’s almost a guarantee the your message will be opened.
Your CV have to be very clear, filled only with data. I also recommend to attach a photo. Personal information, certificates, licenses and experience to be properly filled.
Don’t hesitate to put your minimum acceptable salary to avoid a waisting of time.
Don’t forget to write your contacts, telephone numbers. WhatsApp and Skype are highly preferable in nowadays.
Use LinkedIn
Not using?- this is a great lost.
LinkedIn.com giving a most convenient way for free to build a great networking with almost anyone in any industry.
There are dozen of recruiters are posting job offers in LinkedIn timeline where you can get all necessary contacts and information.
Build a strong profile but put more attention on experience.
Use the photos of your projects or any other specific things which could be interesting for potential employer.
Describe the projects and tasks you’ve been involved.
How to connect with people?
However LinkedIn is asking that you have to know the person you’d like to add but let’s brake some rules. In browser you can search for “HR Managers”, “Recruiters”, even “ Fleet Managers” etc. and most of them will accept your connection.
Be polite when you sending an invitation to connect and write a honest reason why you want to be in touch with that person.
The best feature (at least was in time when this post was written) is LinkedIn allowed you to download the contacts of your connections. This is actually a Klondike. Use it!
LinkedIn is sending alerts about birthdays and career changes- use this information to get in touch in your mails.
Don’t comment a job posts in timeline “Interested”- this is just stupid, pardon my French. Nobody will review your profile because of such comment. Better try to connect with person who advertise the job you interested or use a one of LinkedIn features when you can ask someone to recommend you for connection.
All ten above tips might increase you chances to get just a job, a good job, a better job or the best job in your life.
So take it and Full Ahead!