Are you a business owner? Are you considering hiring a #virtualassistant?
The virtual assistant industry is nothing new but its growing population is getting bigger. In the Philippines, freelancing courses were offered to those who would like to upgrade their skills. The job seekers are updating their credentials to compete. They enroll in #freelancingcourses. Some of them do their own research and study to upgrade. The competition is getting stiffer, and the contenders display their unbending determination to penetrate this industry.
The recent pandemic led us all to pandemonium. It is undeniable that most industries were severely affected by this phenomenon. One of them is the cruise industry. According to the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs; Filipinos working in the cruise industry are comprised of 325,000 of the total 380,000 Filipino seafarers. Quite an enormous number of them were looking for an alternative job due to a halt in cruising. They are one of those individuals who are seeking their place in the #freelancingindustry.
What are some of their traits which made them a promising contender?
Time management
A former cruise ship employee does not just practice time management, it is a habit. They are working in a fast-phased environment where time is always of the essence, and when arriving on exact time means you are already late. You have to always be on top of the game as part of your performance. The cruise ship has a set schedule, a specific date when to start over another itinerary. All essential tasks must be completed in preparation for uninterrupted closing.
2. Working under pressure
The ship operates on a cruise basis. The shortest is 3 days and the normal duration is 7 days. Though they are champions in time management, sometimes they need to race against time. The constant change in operation most of the time leads them to this situation. Working under time constraints is part of the game. They can handle this gracefully and still finish all tasks.
3. Flexible
A former cruise ship employee lived in an environment of diverse culture, different demography, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs among other things. The itinerary is always subject to change due to weather conditions. Sometimes, needed supplies may not be readily available because ships never stay in port for a long time. They learned to respect and adjust to one another’s culture. A change of itinerary is just an ordinary day. They are used to change their schedule when needed. They are quick to improvise alternative ways without compromising the quality of the product or the job.
4. Well disciplined
A former cruise ship employee was groomed to take discipline as a way of life. From the time they first set foot on board, there are mandatory training and orientations to attend to. There are follow-ups on those training. The ship has mandatory rules and regulations which stress on safety of life at sea and environmental awareness. They also have departmental training weekly to ensure that they always meet the standard in performing their task.
5.Consistency
To follow a standard is to incorporate consistency in every job that they do. This is a very important part of every cruise company’s branding. The employees and the company go hand in hand to stand by their set mission.
6.Resilience
I could be wrong but the cruise ship operation could be the only business operation where there is no holiday for the crew. Cruise ship employees only got time off and not a day off. From the time they started their contract, they will work seven days a week for eight months. They have to deal with three sets of individuals; their fellow crew members, their guests, and their families back home. Each could have possible issues or challenges along the way. Of course, not to mention the work deadlines, the standards to maintain, and the performance to keep up. As The Joy Luck Club author quoted; “What makes people resilient is the ability to find humor and irony in situations that would otherwise overpower you”.
7.Customer Service
There is no question why they are very good at it. After all, they belong to the hotel and restaurant industry, where pleasing the customers is the utmost priority. They will go above and beyond to deliver the company standards as promised.
Hard skills are very important when choosing a candidate, however soft skills are intangible and comprise an individual's work ethic.
My name is Riza G Legaspi. I am a #freelancevirtualassistant from the Philippines and I am a product of the #CruiseIndustry. I got a Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You are welcome to see my website and my profiles from Upwork and Online jobs.
