Working abroad was a huge step, working at sea was an even bigger one. I had moments at the start, where I thought I would never pass my STCW course (sea safety, fire fighting etc, a course that is required to work at sea) I ended up having to do the course 3 times throughout my career as it has to be renewed every 5 years. I never thought at the start of my career at sea that I would become an actual uniform wearing officer. What I mean by this is an officer in a white uniform with gold stripes (Epaulettes) on my shoulders - but I did when I became the Front Office manager onboard Thomson Spirit, what a massive learning curve I did it!

I would like to think the key thing to remember is that we are individuals, and as individuals, we share a common passion for travel. My best advice to any potential candidate is BE YOURSELF! I have always brought my personality to work and always made friends all over the world in each destination I've worked in, to date. One other piece of advice I'd give, is use your nerves to your advantage; the reason we get nervous is because we are doing something far outside of our comfort zones. Starting a career with us means you'll eventually overcome those nerves the minute you step foot on the plane when you're travelling to your new destination. Keep an open mind, learn new languages, cultures, experience different things and you'll see just how big the world really is!

Be YOU!