With the modern job market being so competitive, it can be extremely daunting to find employment nowadays. In many cases, it’s never been harder for a graduate to find work in their relative field straight out of university. With no real-world experience while studying and companies reluctant to take on inexperienced staff, your potential prospects can be crossed off the list depressingly quickly as you trawl through various job sites. However, in many cases, it could simply be the case that you’re looking in the wrong place. If this sounds like you, have you thought about going to work on a cruise ship? The cruise industry is expanding at an astonishing rate while other industries fall into a state of austerity and cutbacks. As a result, the big cruise lines are always looking for new positions to fill, giving you a chance to learn and develop skills while getting paid to see the world. Here, as an example, is Mirella She worked aboard both Costa and Carnival cruise lines before going back to dry land with a folder full of new qualifications, a list of new contacts and an album full of memories. Now, Mirella works in London for Planet Cruise but without her experience onboard the ships, her career with the online travel agency would never have started. Here’s her take on her time working on a cruise ship.

What job(s) did you have onboard the cruise ship?

My title was Youth Counsellor. That may sound very serious but it was actually loads of fun!

What were your responsibilities and how did you go about them?

My responsibilities were organising activities for kids aged 2 to 15. There were different groups according to their age. This was mostly while their parents were having some alone time to relax on their family vacation. That’s one of the great things about a cruise holiday.

How did you get into the role?

I originally started on my first contract as a waitress but there was an opening aboard to work at the kids club. I had studied Tourism at the University of Lima before working for the cruise line so thought this would be a good way to apply my degree and have fun.

What qualifications did you need and how was the recruitment process?

When I first applied as a waitress they asked me if I had previous experience, but no qualifications were needed really. It was more about your personal skills and personality with training on the job. But when I moved to work with the kids one major benefit of them choosing me was that I can speak Italian, Spanish, German and English so could interact with all of the kids no problem. Before joining I had to have a visa to work internationally for the cruise line and a medical check as well. In total it was seven months before I got on the ship but once I was, literally, on board, changing roles was easier.

What did a typical day look like?

It sounds like a cliché but as I was working with different ages of kids from many different backgrounds all over the world, I can honestly say every day was unique. One cruise you would be in charge of 2-5 year-olds with the window frosted over in the Atlantic Ocean, and the next cruise you could have teenagers getting up to mischief in the Caribbean. It was so varied according to the kids’ ages. Sometimes I was working alone with the kids and other times with my colleagues, depending what the activities required. It was a great experience to develop my skills, that’s for sure. In total, I’d spend seven months on the ship and had one month off but without a full day off during the contract. Most of my colleagues were also young as the cruise line tried to employ people under 30 and train them up throughout their careers on board. Usually only the more senior staff were older and this meant we had a cool working atmosphere.

What were the best and worst parts of the job and your time aboard?

The best parts were playing with the little ones and talking to the much older children who were like 9 to 11 years old. The job was really rewarding and I was sad when my contract finished. The worst times were organising disco nights for teenagers or when I had to introduce myself in the theatre in front of all parents. I was very shy back then and it was a bit scary speaking, especially in my second language, to a large audience.

What’s your top memory from your days working on board?

Parties! There were super cheap prices in the crew bar so the atmosphere with your friends and colleagues was always great when we finally got a break- we really made the most of it! I also loved meeting and making friends with people from all over the world and the chance to travel, often rushing back to the ship from port.