Cruise jobs on offer for Filipinos

Filipinos who can't find employment after arriving on tourist visas will be given a chance to work on cruise ships.

DUBAI // A jobs fair will offer Filipinos who could not find employment after arriving on tourist visas a chance to work on cruise ships.

The event will advertise positions for qualified cooks, sushi chefs, bakers, pool attendants, welders and carpenters.

"A job fair introduces an applicant to the realities of a job search," said Sheryll Bacay, the president of the Filipino Human Resources Practitioners' Association, known as Fil-HR. "When you are in a sea of candidates, you become aware of the competition and you get a better idea of what it takes to get a job."

A similar fair in November attracted more than 3,000 jobseekers, with more than 20 companies from fields like oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, sales and retail.

Applicants must pre-register by sending their CVs. No recruitment fees will be charged.

"We know a lot of Filipinos who would like to build a career in the shipping industry," said Ella Melanie Bowe, the fleet manager of Philippine Transmarine Carriers's (PTC) crewing department. "For the first quarter of 2012 alone, we have 400 vacancies for Filipino cooks."

The PTC is the hiring partner of Royal Carribean Cruise Lines and is licensed by the Philippine overseas employment administration to recruit Filipinos for overseas jobs.

Successful applicants will have to return to the Philippines to complete recruitment formalities.

The job fair will be held from 8.30am to 4pm on March 30 at the Crowne Plaza Dubai-Deira hotel.

For more information, visit filhr.org or email [e-mail].