Divetech receives a large number of resumes submitted weekly. So when applying to work at Divetech, how do you make yourself stand out? Frequently our applicants think the number of dives they have, or the number of certifications they have issued are the keys thought the door, but most often this isn't the case.
Divetech seeks to be the best dive center in the Cayman Islands. The biggest variable in that is the quality of our employees. As such, we believe in quality over quantity, and strive to make Divetech the best dive center to work for.
So how do we identify a quality applicant? Here's some of the criteria we use:
Your experience level
So as we said above, having lots of experience isn't really required. Divetech has a great on the job training program, and new instructors are encouraged to apply.
In our online application, in addition to your demographics, we ask some questions that are required by the Cayman Islands Department of Immigration. However we also ask you to rate yourself in your abilities, experience and interest in the following areas:
Driving a boat
Fixing marine and automobile engines
Using and working on air compressors
Regulator service
Freediving
Sidemount diving
Technical diving
Rebreather diving
I cannot stress this enough - answering that you are not experienced, or have no interest in a particular area does not disqualify you. Not every employee needs to fix regulators or dive a rebreather. One employee was very surprised when we called her back because in her own words "I said I was not interested in technical diving." That's perfectly fine!
Inversely, there's nothing worse than saying you have experience when you do not. When you start your 3 month probationary period, our training staff will figure out pretty quickly if you know what you are doing or not.
This is especially true when it comes to driving a boat. Our vessels are single screw inboard drive. These are completely different than other types of boats. So it doesn't matter if you have 3,000 hours driving outboard vessels, or twin screw. If you don't have experience with our types of boats, say so.
Dishonesty is grounds for immediate termination at Divetech, at any point in your career.
Don't let the name fool you
Despite the fact our name is Divetech, very little of our business is technical diving. We receive countless applications from technical instructors who think that all they will be doing with us is conducting guided rebreather dives, or teaching tech diving classes. Sorry, the reality is only a small percentage of our business involves technical diving and rebreathers. The bulk of our customers are new to moderately experienced scuba divers conducting recreational dives.
Another issue is we tend to attract many divers who wish to become technical divers, and want to work for Divetech only for the free technical training we offer to employees. During your interview, you'll likely be asked the question "Why do you want to work at Divetech?" there's no worse answer than to say "I want to take all your tech diving classes for free." While free instruction, and instructor development in tech diving / rebreathers is a benefit offered at Divetech, it's a reward for good performance as an employee.
Your attention to detail
To begin with Divetech does not accept applications through email, rather we use an online application. There are a number of reasons for this - it allows us to filter applicants easier to find someone who suits our needs best. This really depends on what our current needs are at the time. A database of all applicants also easily allows us to provide applicant statistics to the Cayman Islands Department of Immigration without time-consuming data correlation.
Sending your resume to our inbox shows you didn't take the time to read the instructions, or this article.
Your photograph
Many people ask why do we need a photograph of the applicant? Well it's not to determine if we think you are good looking or not. Your professional appearance is another key component in how you sell yourself. Long hair, beards and tattoos (except facial tattoos) are ok, but how well are you groomed? Is your shirt clean? Is your hair neatly combed? Do you look neat and tidy? These are essential attributes we look for. In today's day and age, having a good photograph of yourself is easy to do. Again, hundreds of free websites online give excellent tips and tricks on how to make a professional looking head shot. Read them, grab a friend and go.
What we like to see - clean, professional head shots of the candidate.
What we don't like to see - group shots, or selfies in mirrors. Most importantly, don't send us a photo of you in the bar.
Do research about where you are applying
Successful hires are those who, in addition to the above, have done research about Divetech and the Cayman Islands. There's plenty of information out there about living and working in the Cayman Islands. Here's a good resource to learn from: https://caymanresident.com/
What we like to see - applicants who have read our website, know about Divetech, what we do, and who we are.
What we don't like to see - applicants who don't know where the Cayman Islands are.
What Divetech seeks
Our employees are what makes our company's reputation. As such, Divetech strives to be the best company to work for, and offer the best working conditions and benefits we can, so we may recruit the best staff possible.
Our target applicants are:
Single, in their 30's-40's. (Sorry we do not accept applications from couples, and Cayman Immigration does not allow for dependents on work permits.)
Good with customers.
Employees who can work with minimal supervision and direction.
Candidates that are versatile and have skill sets outside of diving such as engine repair, graphic design, or professional writing and editing abilities. We would rather see an outside skill set over numbers of dives or certifications.
You do not need to be experienced in technical diving or freediving, but a willingness to learn about it helps.
If you have read this far, you are above our average applicant, and you'll have a good chance with us! Thanks for your interest!
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