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Ship2Shore Employ helps former crew navigate professional life ashore

Ship2Shore Employ, a new company that matches former crew to virtual cruise line jobs, isn't just focused on staffing but aims to foster a successful transition to land life.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

April 19, 2023

5 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Barbara Cobas founded Ship2Shore Employ for those who've left their work at sea but have valuable skills cruise lines need. These skills can lead to such virtual jobs as consumer outreach, guest/concierge services, destination services (customizing private tours, for example) and special projects.

Cobas encourages former crew seeking professional development to 'come to us,' adding: 'We want to build careers for life.'

Judging by the feedback from Ship2Shore candidates, support for the ship-to-shore transition is sorely needed.

Transition challenges

'Adjusting to life on land can be a significant challenge for individuals who have spent a considerable amount of time on ships,' said Vero Dragomiresco of Romania, a former hotel director admin. 'The differences in daily routine, social interactions and work environment can be overwhelming.'

'The skills that made you successful at sea may not necessarily translate to success on land, and you may need to develop new skills or adapt existing ones to fit your new role,' according to Ale Avalos of Colombia, a former youth activities manager.

'The transition from a ship job to a land-based job can impact an individual's family life. This can include adjusting to a new schedule, geographic location and responsibilities,' said Benjamin Sanz of Spain, a former chief engineer.

Understanding the differences

Cobas — herself a former crew member who held a variety of jobs shipboard and shoreside at Royal Caribbean — coaches those seeking work ashore who want to stay in the cruise industry.

For example, when it comes to pacing, ship jobs are 24/7, a daily adrenaline rush of new people and places. Ashore, the pace is slower, which can take getting used to.

And it's an adjustment to go from the typical seafarer's contract of intense work for a monthslong stretch, punctuated by a couple months of vacation, to the land-based work routine.

Cobas said communication is different, too, with the fast, direct shipboard style ('Guest needs a towel!') requiring finesse in a land-based environment. The same goes for written communication, with business etiquette calling for more polished emails instead of staccato texts.

And professional boundaries are different. At sea, crew work and live together so there's a greater level of intimacy and personal interaction/conversation with colleagues. Ashore, there are more work-life boundaries.

Adapting to cultural nuances

Navigating cultural nuances can be a challenge, with some nationalities emphasizing agreeableness so employees may be not be used to voicing their true opinion in a work setting even if the employer wants them to speak out. Conversely, other cultures may be more direct, coming across as aggressive to some.

Awareness of these differences and what's expected in the employer's culture are areas where Ship2Shore Employ can provide coaching, and Cobas wants to be a resource for former crew when they face uncertainties or need help.

Cobas also assures those transitioning to virtual jobs that 'You have to start somewhere and trust that you'll have the opportunity to advance ... I'm here to guide how to transition your skills and adapt. Shoreside work is not bad; it's just different.'

Skills and strengths

Cobas said former crew bring many valued qualities to the workplace.

For example: resilience. They've faced long hours and demanding work environments, yet consistently rose to the challenge. This resilience translates into a strong work ethic, perfect for any fast-paced business environment.

Living and working together in tight quarters requires exceptional teamwork and communication skills, so former crew excel at collaborating with diverse teams and finding solutions to complex problems.

And, with their exposure to various cultures and backgrounds, crew are equipped with valuable cultural intelligence, a perspective that allows them to connect and build relationships with clients and colleagues from all walks of life.

Seatrade Cruise Global takeaways

Cobas recently attended Seatrade Cruise Global where she was buoyed by meetings with potential cruise line partners who 'understand and value what we're doing.' Ship2Shore Employ is close to formalizing partnerships with a couple lines.

The event also showed the wide scope of possible virtual jobs for crew who have expertise in different systems, products and services. And it raised Ship2 Shore Employ's profile; Cobas spoke on a 'Tomorrow's Talent Today' panel about seagoing careers.  

CRUISE Barbara Cobas SCG trio

At Seatrade Cruise Global, from leff, Barbara Cobas at the Professional Women in Cruising Brunch, speaking in a 'Tomorrow's Talent Today' session and networking

Weekly webinars for crew

At her company, professional development includes weekly webinar training on topics like how to effectively use LinkedIn, interview skills, writing skills, email etiquette and more.

Following Seatrade Cruise Global, Cobas devoted a webinar to briefing crew on some key themes of this year's event — sustainability and eco-friendly practices, health and safety protocols, digital transformation and technology, personalized guest experiences, new ships and itineraries, industry collaboration/partnerships, market growth/emerging regions and workforce development/diversity.

During her webinar, Cobas advised job candidates to highlight their skills in these timely areas during the job search.

Timely talk tracks for interviews

When it comes to sustainability, for example, crew are versed in waste management, recycling and other practices that are part of cruise life. Being able to discuss this provides a 'great talk track since this is such a hot topic for the industry,' Cobas said.

She told webinar attendees: 'As a former crew member, you have developed really valuable skills — customer service, communication skills, teamwork and problem-solving,' so it's important to prep for interviews by thinking of specific examples to showcase these areas.

For instance, when Cobas was at sea, she dealt with angry guests stranded on a ship due to a harbor pilots strike. How she coped with them was a good snippet to use for a job interview question about her experience dealing with conflict.

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About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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