How did I get the job?
I get lots of questions, like:
"How did you hear about a job like that?"
My answer is, how do you ever hear about a job like that? Through word of mouth.
Five years ago, I was working at a large production bakery for 5 months. It was probably the most boring and lowest-paid 5 months of my life. As I was getting to know one of my coworkers, we somehow began talking about how a former manager had worked down in Antarctica. I had no idea that there were people that lived down there. I mentally filed the idea for when the time would be right.
When it comes down to actually applying for a job in Antarctica, the process is actually very user-friendly. There are also tons of jobs to be had! Mechanics, yoga instructors, firefighters, and recycling technicians are all needed down there! Service-industry related jobs are contracted through GSC. Other jobs are contracted through various other companies. More info here. GSC makes the process very streamlined. I actually applied for several jobs last spring during a bout of disillusionment with my graduate program (Soo glad I didn't get accepted then!), so when I applied for jobs this year I was very familiar with the process, and had also learned that new positions for upcoming seasons are posted on January 1. I literally applied for 5 positions as soon as they appeared on the site January 1. Applications are considered in the order received, so I wanted to be one of the first ones in line.
A few days after that, I got an automated response letting me know that I had met minimum requirements for the positions I applied for (no big surprise to me). At this point, I was given an extensive participant handbook to review. If the handbook didn't scare me out of a job, I was to reply to the email to indicate continued interest.
After that, I just had to wait and hope the hiring manager liked what she saw on my application. The downside of the highly automated GSC process is there is no way to post a cover letter, so I had to rely completely on how I come across in my resume.
I waited for literally a month. Having heard nothing, I was continuing on as if I was going to be in Portland with a master's degree in music in the fall of 2018. Then, while checking my email one morning, I got the last email I was expecting: a request for a phone interview with the hiring manager in Antarctica. I responded as fast as I could, and within a few days, I got to talk with Adie, who was actually at McMurdo at the time we spoke.
Having been treated like a number in a pile by so many GSC-generated automatic emails, I was relieved to talk to a laid-back, professional, and down-to-earth person on the phone. We talked for about an hour about my work experience, working in remote locations, details about the production cook position, and why I wanted to be in Antarctica. I tried to be as candid as I could, especially about my experience working in remote southwest Alaska. I knew this was an experience that possibly made me more qualified than other applicants. I am in a good place in my life right now and not only want to go to Antarctica for the adventure, but also for pragmatic reasons (paying off school loans). People generally want to hire people to work in Antarctica that are not trying to run away from things in their lives.
I had read as much as I could about getting a job in Antarctica, and from reading Jeffery Donenfeld's blog especially, I was under the impression that getting a job in Antarctica is highly competitive, and many people apply for years before they finally land a job. I was expecting multiple rounds of interviews, and probably a "not this time." I about dropped my teeth when Adie offered me a job right on the spot, as we were wrapping up our phone interview. I had just landed a job I'd dreamed of for five years!
From reading other blogs, it seems like the USAP tries to hire as close to a 50/50 mix of men to women on their Antarctic teams, but consistently low numbers of females apply. I'm sure my job experience and candor contributed greatly to my odds, but the fact I'm a woman stacked odds greatly in my favor. All that to say: Ladies!!! What's holding you back??? Come join me at the bottom of the world!
"How did you hear about a job like that?"
My answer is, how do you ever hear about a job like that? Through word of mouth.
Five years ago, I was working at a large production bakery for 5 months. It was probably the most boring and lowest-paid 5 months of my life. As I was getting to know one of my coworkers, we somehow began talking about how a former manager had worked down in Antarctica. I had no idea that there were people that lived down there. I mentally filed the idea for when the time would be right.
When it comes down to actually applying for a job in Antarctica, the process is actually very user-friendly. There are also tons of jobs to be had! Mechanics, yoga instructors, firefighters, and recycling technicians are all needed down there! Service-industry related jobs are contracted through GSC. Other jobs are contracted through various other companies. More info here. GSC makes the process very streamlined. I actually applied for several jobs last spring during a bout of disillusionment with my graduate program (Soo glad I didn't get accepted then!), so when I applied for jobs this year I was very familiar with the process, and had also learned that new positions for upcoming seasons are posted on January 1. I literally applied for 5 positions as soon as they appeared on the site January 1. Applications are considered in the order received, so I wanted to be one of the first ones in line.
A few days after that, I got an automated response letting me know that I had met minimum requirements for the positions I applied for (no big surprise to me). At this point, I was given an extensive participant handbook to review. If the handbook didn't scare me out of a job, I was to reply to the email to indicate continued interest.
After that, I just had to wait and hope the hiring manager liked what she saw on my application. The downside of the highly automated GSC process is there is no way to post a cover letter, so I had to rely completely on how I come across in my resume.
I waited for literally a month. Having heard nothing, I was continuing on as if I was going to be in Portland with a master's degree in music in the fall of 2018. Then, while checking my email one morning, I got the last email I was expecting: a request for a phone interview with the hiring manager in Antarctica. I responded as fast as I could, and within a few days, I got to talk with Adie, who was actually at McMurdo at the time we spoke.
Having been treated like a number in a pile by so many GSC-generated automatic emails, I was relieved to talk to a laid-back, professional, and down-to-earth person on the phone. We talked for about an hour about my work experience, working in remote locations, details about the production cook position, and why I wanted to be in Antarctica. I tried to be as candid as I could, especially about my experience working in remote southwest Alaska. I knew this was an experience that possibly made me more qualified than other applicants. I am in a good place in my life right now and not only want to go to Antarctica for the adventure, but also for pragmatic reasons (paying off school loans). People generally want to hire people to work in Antarctica that are not trying to run away from things in their lives.
I had read as much as I could about getting a job in Antarctica, and from reading Jeffery Donenfeld's blog especially, I was under the impression that getting a job in Antarctica is highly competitive, and many people apply for years before they finally land a job. I was expecting multiple rounds of interviews, and probably a "not this time." I about dropped my teeth when Adie offered me a job right on the spot, as we were wrapping up our phone interview. I had just landed a job I'd dreamed of for five years!
From reading other blogs, it seems like the USAP tries to hire as close to a 50/50 mix of men to women on their Antarctic teams, but consistently low numbers of females apply. I'm sure my job experience and candor contributed greatly to my odds, but the fact I'm a woman stacked odds greatly in my favor. All that to say: Ladies!!! What's holding you back??? Come join me at the bottom of the world!
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