I teach Business Communication in the Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT which includes writing cover letters, resumes and analyzing job opportunities, but it’s quite a different experience when I’m doing it for myself. I applied for an Impact Guide position with fathom.org and Carnival Cruise Lines to work on the 710 passenger ship, the Adonia, taking passengers on volunteer missions to aide local charities in the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The first step was to submit a cover letter responding to the question, “Why do I want to be an Impact Guide?” along with my tweaked resume highlighting my skills and experiences most beneficial to their needs. Next, I participated in a telephone interview. After passing that, I received a note, “You have been selected to complete a video interview as part of our interview process. We created a few questions for you to answer on your own time via webcam or mobile device.” A link led me to the download for a one-way interview. I found it fun and challenging. There were six questions and the one that bewildered me was “Show us your magic.” I called and asked three different friends what they thought that meant and all three responded, “Perform.” I went to the library to find Cuban folk tales, poems and stories. When I discovered the children’s book rendition of the Cuban Folktale Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, retold by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Michael Austin, I knew I’d found the perfect vehicle to share my magic. Watch the video to see a little Cuban magic through storytelling.
[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/VV6kRGafQO8″ width=”780″]
Follow Sheryl On: