The hot sand beneath your feet, the smell of palm trees and tropical plants in the air, the warm breeze floating around you, the sound of the waves roaring towards you…

I never thought it would be possible, but in about three months, I will be sailing the seas of Hawaii, taking pictures of passengers on a Norwegian cruise ship. About 5 months ago, I was a AmeriCorps member living in Florida, helping to teach literacy to people in the Palm Beach area of Florida. My parents came down to visit me from Wisconsin, and we took a three night cruise to the Bahamas. I loved it! Exploring the boat was AMAZING, and everyone seemed so happy and relaxed! My dad loved the food, and my mom loved the shows at night-we all had a great time. My mom casually mentioned that maybe I should look into being a photographer on a cruise ship, since I love taking pictures and had been looking into becoming a professional. She was joking, but I took her serious and started looking into the idea.

I graduated college a year ago, from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. I majored in Advertising, and my minor was in Multi-media. While in school, I took pictures for the Royal Purple (student newspaper) and for the sports teams to put on their website. I took two photography classes, and learned how to use a studio. I have also done a couple weddings, some engagement photos, and many portraits for my friends. However, I wasn't sure if that was ENOUGH experience to get a job on a cruise ship, but I decided to try anyway.

The first thing I did was to explore the Internet, hoping to find out HOW to apply. I discovered many websites that talked about the pros and cons of working on a cruise ship. Many asked if you loved to travel-which of course I do. Others asked if you could live in a confined area for 5-9 months without coming home. I lived in the dorms as an RA for three years, and I worked at camps for about 6 years total. I also lived in a barn for a whole summer (yes, my room was an actual "stall" for horses). Yes, I decided, I could defiantly live on a cruise ship.

After learning about the many reasons you should or shouldn't get a job on a cruise ship, I still hadn't discovered HOW to apply. Finally, at about midnight, I landed on a Yahoo Answers page. Many people feel that Yahoo Answers isn't "legit" but I find that it can be very helpful! The user who answered the question said that some companies outsource from "Ocean Images" or "Image" but a few cruise ships hire directly, and you can just apply from their website under "Careers".

The next day, I enlisted my friend Tiffany to help me with my resume. She agreed to help me with the wording of my resume, but I needed to figure out what jobs I wanted on my resume, and what to write. That, I will admit, was my biggest struggle. I mapped out what I wanted my resume to look like (since I'm a designer, that was my favorite part) and spent lots of time on that. After a while, I realized I was going to have to finally put some words on the resume. Promoting myself? I just wasn't sure how to go about doing that-we are taught not to brag about ourselves, and that is just what you are supposed to do on a resume! It took about three weeks, but with the help of two Tiffanys, a couple friends back home, and my roommates, I finally finished my resume. Tiffany took my picture (if you are applying for a job on a cruise ship, always include your picture, so they can see your smiling, "professional" self) and I included a special page, which had my photography and quotes from my references.

Let me say one thing: It's hard enough to create a resume, but figuring out what to say in a cover letter is tough! Do you butter the person up (oh, your company is so great, etc.) or just brag about yourself? (I'm really great, you need me!) I learned that you should do both-make them feel great about themselves (after all, if they weren't awesome, why would you want to work for them?) and then explain why, since they are so great, they need you? (you are so great, but I will help you become even better!) Make sure to promote what you have to offer, not just what YOU will get out of the job. (if you give me this job, I'll get to travel the world!)

I guess I did a good job on my resume, because while sitting in an airport waiting to go home to Wisconsin for my best friend's wedding, I got an e-mail offering me an interview from Norwegian. I had just applied to them only a week or so before, so I was extremely surprised. We set up a meeting via Skype for the next week, and I went home super excited. A couple days later, "Ocean Images" also asked me to set up an interview. Flash forward to the Norwegian interview: imagine someone freaking out and that was me. I had never done a Skype interview before, and I had no idea what to expect. The interview went great-I loved the people who interviewed me and hoped I would soon get to work with them. I was a little worried I might have smiled too much during the interview, and my friend commented that she had heard a couple "ums" when she walked past my office, but I still had a good feeling about the interview. The next week, I got the offer! When I let "Ocean Images" know that I would not be interviewing with them, they were super nice and wished me well. Therefore, I highly recommend working for them as well if you are looking for a job.

I must say, I really love the people at Norwegian. They are so nice-very friendly and I can't wait to work for them! This year is going to be AMAZING and I can't wait to share with you my adventures, thoughts and of course, PICTURES! So stay tuned for more exciting news as I prepare for my adventure at sea!

Click here for a sample of my photography.