want to work in antarctica!

[Marshak2]

Hi all!

I've e-mailed my resume & cover letter to RPS applying for an
administrative assistant job at McMurdo. Does anyone have any idea of
the competition for these jobs??? I have over 15 years clerical
experience working with scientists at the University of Texas. I may
be overqualified for the job I applied for but am hoping that's ok. I
don't want to bug them about when they will be calling people to
interview, but I want this more than anything!

Should I just sit on my hands & hope for the best, or is there
something more I can do to show them what a terrific employee I would
make!?

thanks so much,

Marsha from Austin Texas

[thepooles98]

Hi Marsha.
I sure hope you get the job. It sounds like you really would enjoy going down to the ice. If at all possible don’t sit on your hands and wait. If at all possible go to the Denver Job Fair that Rpsc puts on. Once there get names of people who you can keep in touch with. As far as I know that is the only way to get names. Once you get the ok to call then keep in touch and let them know you can drop your life at an instant and head to the ice. Take an alternate position and hope the  primary person doesn’t pass the physical. Often times jobs go wanting  at the last minute and if the recruiters know you it may give you an in. If you get the alternate position  get your physical done as soon as possible. It let’s everyone know that you are on top of things. The secret is to keep in touch.
good luck
mike

[Marshak2]

hi mike,

thanks SO much for the info. Actually, right when I was about to purchase my ticket for the hiring fair, the recruiter wrote to me & said my interest was noted & that coming to the hiring fair may or many not make a difference. I still may go, or wait to see where the other two hiring fairs may be scheduled, as they said they will have some more later in the spring. Anyway, I’ll let the list know if I hear any good news! thanks, marsha

[Big V]

Hi Marsha
It took me 5 years to get a job as a Dining Attendant–I got it because I finally attended the job fair.  I would highly recommend the job fair–go both days, bring lots of specific resumes for many different jobs and talk to everyone.  You may have to start out as a GA, DA or Janitor to get here though.  I’m still here this winter in a different position and it was definately worth doing a summer as a DA to be here.
Good luck
V

[Marshak2]

thanks Big V! I just bought my ticket to Denver for the job fair. I intend to dazzle them into hiring me…I’ll let ya’ll know how it goes-thanks for the incredibly helpful advice & support!

marshak2, a texan who loves cold weather!

[Anonymous]

along those lines….anyone know how hard it is to get a firefighting job down there for the summer?  i know they only take about 30 people or so, so i was wondeing if anyone knew what the competition for that was.  unfortunately, i doubt i will be able to attend any of rps’s job fairs, due to my current job and lack of leave time, but any information will be appreciated.
 
thanks
 
 

[will]

Good luck, Marsha.  I’ve been told they receive over 30,000 apps for about 500 positions!  Almost everyone is over qualified for the work they do on the Ice!  To get to the Ice, I took a DA, dining attendant position, although I have an MS in nursing.  There are PhD.’s, pharmacists, attorneys, judges, CPA’s all accepting menial jobs just to get there. 
 
When I worked in the galley on Midrat shift, 6 of the 10 of us had Masters degrees!
 
I’m heading back for my 4th season in the job I really wanted from the beginning.
 
Keep after them!
 
Ice Friend

[Marshak2]

ooh thanks for that info Sharon…I’ll be sure to take enough resumes to apply for anything they have! I had no idea they got that many resumes. Food could be fun-I’ve never done it before!

thanks,
marsha

[Big V]

Hi Marsha
Food (i.e. D.A.), is not fun–brutal would be a better word for it.  Although I’d have to admit there were a few fun moments–I was lucky enough to have great coworkers.  If you’ve never worked food service before, it may be hard to get a position.   There are also Janitor positions, which are sort of nice because you generally work the same hours and get the same day off as everyone else–unlike the D.A.’s.  You may just get lucky and get yourself an Admin. position though.  Check out this website, a girl that worked as a D.A. with me this summer, it’s kind of fun–  http://www.sandwichgirl.com  there are alot of pictures to look at. 
 
Big V

[bobbydigits2004]

Getting to work in Antarctica is not exactly a crap shoot.  When I went to the South Pole as Communications Operator, the qualifications involved familiarity with a lot of equipment that one could have learned only with the US military.  As I understand it, a lot of guys were interviewed for the job, and it was months before Holmes & Narver the contractor at that time tracked me down, since I had moved from the address on my resume.
 
It’s true that the application process begins early and some of the hires are last-minute decisions.  Sometimes this happens because either the person the headhunters thought was best qualified was no longer available, had second thoughts, failed the physical or psych evals, etc.  Anyway, applying now has you up front on the decision list, though it’s very possible you may not hear a word from RPC until August, or even September.  There’s always time allotted for the necessary process of getting passports, physicals, and personal stuff in order.  Also, there will be a pre-deployment conference of all involved personnel, including military, civilian, and NSF staffers.
 
BTW, I doubt that there is such a thing as “over-qualified” for a position on the ice.  Any position will be a challenge for whoever accepts it and is deployed.  In this vein, as well, you might consider applying for positions where you think you might be only marginally qualified.  You may be more qualified (all things considered) ultimately than an applicant with twice you experience.
 
Be patient.  Good luck.  If you don’t make it this time, try again. 

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