michelleatsea-blog

[michelleatsea-blog]

The Medical $$$

Ok so I hate doctors...and the medical experience did not make it any better. First off the appointment is long there is a lot of waiting then you go into an exam room then back to the waiting room then back to the exam room and so on. Test after test. The X-Ray portion took place across the street. With my luck I have what the doctors called “deep veins” so they had a hard time drawing blood and sent me to a separate clinic to get the blood work done. My appointment was a t 8:15 and my day was done around 1:30...with no food because I had to fast for the blood work. I was however happy I was able to get all the tests done in the same day as the sooner the medical is done the sooner I get a ship date. The biggest bummer of the medical is the PRICE....oh man it is not cheap and the worst part (knock on wood) is that if for some reason you are deemed unfit for sea you do not get any of the money back... Like I said I hate doctors but not the doctors themselves but I hate the waiting as the uncertainty of results that are out of my control... I will wait patiently hopefully I will get a clean bill of health and bet set for my adventure at sea....could really use the cash flow after the medical...brutal thats all I can say...

~M

[michelleatsea-blog]

Medical booked!

First item after getting the job is the medical...its gonna cost me but it will all be worth it if I get on the ship. Medical is book for April 28th hoping for fast test results to get me on a ship ASAP...the true waiting game begins here. 

 It has been nothing but a fast process so far and I have zero complaints! Cast-A-Way recruiting has been great so far. Stay tuned for more updates on my journey. The excitement continues...

~M

[michelleatsea-blog]

Timeline update :)

Figured I would give you an idea as to how long the process takes! It is different for everyone :)

Applied to Cast-A-Way Cruise & Resort Hiring Agency online March 22nd, 2016

Contacted for interview from recruiter for a position as Media Manager with Carnival Cruise Line March 31st, 2016

~ At this point everything seems to be moving really fast and its really exciting!

Skype interview with recruiter April 1st, 2016

In person interview in Toronto April 15th, 2016

Notified I received the position April 15th, 2016 (2 hours after my interview)

This most likely is not normal practice but considering there is only 5 of us in the interview it probably took a lot less to make the decision!

I have been very lucky in the sense that my process has been moving insanely fast so far but again the process is different for everyone and every position.

~M

[michelleatsea-blog]

The Interview...

Hey all!

On April 15th, 2016 I had my interview. Overall the process was smooth sailing (pun intended) and a lot of fun! We were told to arrive roughly 15-30 minutes before the interview. Cast-A-Way booked a conference room at a hotel so you went in there and met with the rest of the candidates. I was surprised at the fact there was only 5 of us that showed up to the interview and it was supposed to be a total of 17. It made us all a lot more comfortable with each other and we all settled in nicely while waiting for the interview to start.

Outside of the candidates there were 5 other people in the room- a representative from Cast-A-Way, 2 representatives from the cruise line who were interviewing you as well 2 people who currently work for Carnival and were on vacation one was in Entertainment and the other was a Media Manager. This was great as you could ask them questions about life on board. The interview began in a group setting and we one by one told them about ourselves. They then in a group setting asked us what we knew about the company and what we liked about it. From there they did a presentation specific to the importance of the role of Media Manager on board Carnival Ships. The group interview process was a lot of fun and made you all the more eager to join the team as well the representatives from Carnival were great at outlining the realities  and challenges of working on board but also the rewards as well.

Following the group portion of the interview it was time time fore the one on one interview. We were told to leave the room and they called us in one by one. I think my one on one interview went very well they asked fairly straight forward questions as to why you would be a value to the company. In the end I left the interview knowing I gave it my all with a smile. The day was fun and it was great meeting people from multiple backgrounds. Following the interview they said they would let me know in a week or so as to if I received the position.

Little did I know that a week or so meant 2 hours after my interview! I received an email from the recruiter not knowing what it was about...opened it and was pleasantly  surprised to find out that I GOT THE POSITION! 

This has been a very fast and exciting process and I look forward to my life at sea.

~Michelle

[michelleatsea-blog]

The timeline so far....

Figured I would give you an idea as to how long the process takes! It is different for everyone :) 

Applied to Cast-A-Way Cruise & Resort Hiring Agency online March 22nd, 2016

Contacted for interview from recruiter for a position as Media Manager with Carnival Cruise Line March 31st, 2016

~ At this point everything seems to be moving really fast and its really exciting! 

Skype interview with recruiter April 1st, 2016

In person interview in Toronto April 15th, 2016

More updates as process continues

~M

[michelleatsea-blog]

And so the adventure begins...

The last couple of weeks have been beyond exciting. I feel like my life is moving in a new and positive direction. My time at Brock is coming to an end and even though I have already graduated I feel like this is my official goodbye as I soon will be leaving BrockTV.ca at the end of April. I was having a conversation with one of my friends and we were talking about how crazy life is in the sense that we felt our lives were like a series of chapters. There was high school, then university and now my next chapter is soon to begin.

Like many people graduating the biggest stress in landing a job...I always liked the idea of travelling so on a whim I applied to work on a cruise ship. Not that I wasn't confident but the industry is insanely competitive and I never thought I would actually get the interview! That being said a recruiter contacted me and asked me to interview for a Media Manager aboard Carnival Cruise Lines and I am beyond excited about it! I had my Skype interview and my in person interview is next week! It all seems to be moving really fast. This is an exciting time for me as I am realizing I am not confined to one particular career path...my options are endless and as long as I am confident I can and will succeed. I have grown and learned so much over my 4 years at Brock University whether in school or working for BrockTV.ca. I have no regrets and I look forward to what I hope to be the beginning of the biggest adventure of my life- working on a cruise ship.

 ~Michelle

P.S. I realize that if I do not get the job this post will seem pointless but hey I am rolling with it! Haha bye for now.