In the tourism sector, transportation is not just about getting people from point A to point B; the goal is to make the journey as efficient and enjoyable as possible for clients, providing excellent customer service. Whether you’re working as an airline attendant for a mainline flight carrier, or you’re a crew member on a private yacht, or you sign up to work for an Alaskan cruise liner, there are plenty of entry-level opportunities available for the aspiring globetrotter. Find work with airlines, cruise ships, ferries, private yachts, and rental car companies. In this section, we’ll explore career opportunities—and what you need to do to break into the field—for three popular areas of the sector, including: airlines, cruise ships, and the private yachting industry.
Airlines
If you have a love for customer service, travel, and working in collaborative teams, consider a career as an airline, or flight attendant. While airlines and airports offer a range of other jobs, this is the most accessible one that offers guarantees travel. Many airlines require that you’re at least 21 years of age (so you can legally serve alcohol). The minimum education requirement is a high school diploma, but given that it’s a competitive application process, consider getting a two-year diploma, or degree under your belt. Gain professional experience in the area of customer service, as potential employers want to hire applicants who have experience dealing with people, problem solving, and managing stressful situations. Learning a second, or third language, as this will also help you stand out from the crowd.
The perks of the job include travelling to international locations. Depending on the airline, you might get free, or highly discounted flights. But, there are elements that make this job difficult, including the long-working hours, the unpredictable schedule, and no guarantees of where you’ll end up at the end of the day. When you’re just getting started, you’ll have to be “on call”, or work “reserve” which means you’ll be glued to your phone, potentially waiting for a call to work. Several experienced flight attendants recommend starting your career with a smaller airline, as you’ll be able to move up the ranks faster, and find yourself working less “reserve” shifts.
Cruise Ships
Working on a cruise ship is a unique way to earn a living and travel the world. Today’s biggest cruise ships offer a wide range of services and amenities to their passengers. As a result, there are many, many career opportunities on board. According to Maxine Gundermann, Market Sales Manager for Celebrity Cruises, cruise ships are essentially small cities: with a variety of restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, hair salons and spas, fitness centres, yoga and dance studios, and swimming pools. You’ll find entry-level opportunities working in hospitality, food and beverage, and adventure and recreation tourism. Similarly, there are many behind the scenes professions—anything from management and director positions, to administration, ticketing, customer service, to social media and marketing jobs. Learn more about the variety of jobs and responsibilities on cruise ships.
The largest cruise ships hire people from all over the world, so you’ll be competing for jobs with thousands of other applicants. How do you stand out from the crowd? Like any job, consider what kind of specialized education or certification you’ll need to impress employers. If you’re interested in working as a bartender, or server on a cruise ship, for example, first look to gain professional experience – on land, that is. Build up your CV and resume with relevant professional experiences, and focus on cultivating your customer service skills. The name of the game is providing top-notch service to passengers, and to make their experience cruising the oceans of the world an unforgettable one.
How to apply? Most cruise liners only hire employees through recruitment agencies. As a rule, visit the websites of potential employers to read about their hiring practices. Many cruise lines make it clear on their website’s employment to only trust the agencies they list. They’ll include a list of trusted agencies, country by country. Look for the agency that’s closest to your physical address/location. Job seekers in Canada will use a different agency than applicants, for example, in New Zealand.
In the Who’s Hiring? section below, you’ll find a list of potential recruitment agencies.
Yachting
The yachting industry is also referred to as super yachting. There are privately owned yachts, also called luxury yachts, all over the world. Luxury yachts can be typically 75 feet long and have 3 to 4 floors, above deck, and 2 floors below deck where the crew are stationed. Just like the cruise ship industry, private companies hire employees of all kinds to work on yachts—chefs, captains and crew members, servers, guest relations managers, and housekeeping staff. Those who work directly to serve the needs of clients are called stewards, or for short, stews. Stews may assume additional roles, including stew-chef, or stew-bartender, etc.Read more about specific job descriptions of stewards in the super yachting industry.
The super yachting industry caters, generally speaking, to a very affluent clientele. Service is typically white-glove, fine dining; with 5-star standard of accommodations. “Guests are treated like royalty,” explains Kevin Pattee, a Canadian who works abroad a 40-foot private yacht as a stew. “Perfection is the absolute standard.”
If you’re interested in working aboard a yacht, regardless of what you’ll be doing, you’ll need to take – at minimum – the Superyacht Crew Course, or STCW 95, which includes training in first aid, personal survival, safety and social responsibility, fire prevention and firefighting, and maritime security awareness. Check out International Yacht Training (IYI) for more information. In addition, you can also take your Master of Yachts training. Although it’s very pricey, this certification will definitely give you the competitive edge.
How to apply? “It’s a very competitive field,” says Pattee. While you can scout out opportunities and apply online, if you don’t yet have yachting experience that some employers require, you’ll have to get your hands dirty and do something called “day yachting”. Pattee wanted to break into the industry, so he packed a bag and traveled to southern France. He downloaded an app called the Marine Traffic App, which listed hotspots for private yachts. Pattee then went to Genoa, or Nice, and literally walked up and down the docks, where yachts were docked, and try to find day work. “I’d scrub down the yacht, or basically do anything the crew didn’t want to do. Usually you’re paid 20 euros a day,” explains Pattee. “That’s how I built up my yachting resume. After three months, I found full-time work aboard a yacht.”
Who is working in the area of transportation services?
If you love working with people, providing customer service, and experiencing the thrill of movement – whether up in the air, on land, or across oceans – then a career in transportation services might give you exactly the kind of lifestyle you’re looking for. Those who work in the industry are able to travel to locations all over the world; visiting some places that they’d never have the opportunity to experience otherwise. It’s also an exciting environment in which to meet other people – both colleagues and guests – and work in uniquely collaborative, and cross-cultural settings. Some cruise liners hire employees from over 100 countries, for example, so working in transportation services might truly be a global, multicultural experience.
That said, working as an airline attendant, or as a professional musician on a cruise ship, is definitely not for everyone. Particularly when you first start out, expect to work long hours, earn minimal pay, and have a very unpredictable schedule. On board, or up in the air, you’re certain to encounter different personalities. You’ll have to be able to keep your cool, and de-escalate conflicts between passengers, and/or other colleagues. “You have to be patient, listen, and don’t get involved in drama,” advises Kevin Pattee. “You’ll also need to accept that you don’t have down time. When you’re at sea, there’s never a moment you’re not off. You’re full-time, all the time.” Pattee also points out that the living quarters on a yacht are very, very tight. If you absolutely need personal space, and can’t cope with long periods living in tight quarters with your colleagues, working on a yacht isn’t likely to be the best pathway for you.
What skills and experiences help people succeed?
Regardless of what area of transportation tourism you want to break into, ensure that you have the minimum training and accreditation required, whether it’s first aid, survival at sea, a high school diploma, or college/university education. Apart from education, make sure your resume reflects a number of different professional experiences, whether that’s paid, or unpaid work. Consider doing an international internship, or volunteering abroad to gain experience traveling, getting to know other cultures, and learning new languages. Those who can communicate in multiple languages will be an asset – in any area of this field. While up in the air, on land, or at seas, you’re sure to be interacting with guests from all over the world.
Aside from building up your educational and professional career portfolio, so much of what it takes to succeed in this field is about personality. “You need the resume to get yourself in the room. But once you’re in the room, it’s about your ability to connect,” explains Pattee. “You need to be personable and make eye contact. It’s about how you sell yourself. Employers will be double checking to see if you’ll be good with the guests, and you’ll be easy for the crew to get along with. When you’re living in tight quarters, that’s essential.”
Who is hiring?
Airlines
Canada
WestJet - https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/about-us/jobs/roles/flight-attendants
Air Canada - https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/about/careers/career-opportunities.html
U.S.
Delta - http://www.deltajobs.net/flight_attendants.htm
American Airlines - https://jobs.aa.com/go/Flight-Attendants/2537300/
Hawaiian Airlines – https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/careers
Alaska Airlines – http://alaskaair.jobs
International
British Airways – https://jobs.ba.com/jobs
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – https://www.klm.com/jobs/en/index.html
Qatar Airways – http://careers.qatarairways.com/qatarairways/vacancysearch.aspx
Emirates Airways – http://emiratesgroupcareers.com/english/careers_overview/cabin_crew/default.aspx
Check out an online airline directory for a complete list of global airlines.
Cruise Ships
Most cruise ships hire employees through specific recruiting agencies. Visit the websites of different cruise liners to check out their guidelines for applicants – many will list specific agencies, based on which country you’re applying from. Read their guidelines carefully. Some of the largest cruise ships, include:
Recruitment agencies, include:
- Cast-a-Way – Recruiting applicants from Canada, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Australia. Cast-a-Way hires employees for Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, Starboard Cruise Services and Steiner Leisure.
- V. Hospitality (V-Ships) – Recruiting applicants, worldwide. They find employees for Disney Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea Cruises, and Starboard Cruise Services.
Private Yachts
There are luxury yachts, charter yachts, and captain-owned private yachts that travel the world, depending on the season (and weather conditions). If you want to find work on a yacht, considering traveling to popular yachting destinations, including:
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida (considered the “Mecca” of all yachting communities)
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- South Hampton, England
- Antibes, France
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Phuket, Thailand
- English Harbour, Antigua
According to experts, the best time to find work on a yacht is in the spring and fall. This is the time of year when captains are scouting out for crew members, and making hiring arrangements. In order to find work, you’ll have to impress captains with your resume and with your social skills. You’ll need to be charismatic, and very personable.
Resources
- What’s it like to be an international flight attendant? Check out The Flight Attendant Life, a blog written by several experienced flight attendants whose work takes the around the world. Stories capture the highs and lows of working in the business, while offering practical tips to breaking into the trade, questions to ask about employers, and how to find the right job.
- Learn about the A to Z’s of how to become a Yachtie, or Stew. The blog Work on a Yacht provides a step-by-step guide as to how to break into the industry. It also provides self-assessment tools and a candid look at the realities of living and working aboard a yacht.
- Do your research. Learn about other people’s experiences working abroad cruise ships. Read A firsthand experience from an ex-cruise ship’s crew member on Travel Droppings. Don’t be naïve about the industry. Your days certainly won’t be spent lazing on white-sand beaches. Check out 5 Reasons Working on a Cruise Ship Isn’t as Glamorous As It Appears, published on Thought Catalogue.
Job Boards
- International Flight Attendants - https://www.indeed.com/q-International-Flight-Attendant-jobs.html
- Disney Cruise Lines - http://dcl.disneycareers.com/en/default/
- Princess Cruise Lines - http://www.princess.com/careers/
- Regent Seven Seas - https://www.rssc.com/employment/
- yaCrew – Jobs on Yachts – https://www.yacrew.com
- Super Yacht Jobs – http://www.superyachtjobs.com
Conclusion
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the transportation tourism sector, whether you’re interested in working sky-high, on the ground, or across oceans and seas. In a nutshell, if you want to crack into the industry: do your homework, get certified, gain relevant customer service-based work experiences, and charm employers with your highly personable, and best professional self.
Add to Favorites
