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Now that the current crop of employees is moving forward, the questions about what to expect are going to change. Post them here and we’ll try to keep them together.
MikeWhat about me E-Mailing my Resume to you this afternoon and seeing if you think I am out of line in thinking I am being jerk around
Percy A SimmonsThank Mike
I will E-Mail you this afternoon I have to go down to the VA this morning .Thanks very much .
Percy A Simmonshey mike, (thanks for the thread:)
You said in the last post “You’ll have little problem getting through orientation“, what did you mean by that?
is there anything crazy i should be expecting for the physicals….or is it pretty standard, like an overseas physical?
i was reading about the packing limit being 75lbs. but then sending things ahead of time that i won’t need right away, that 75lbs. includes EWC?,
what if you are over the weight after that before the flight to the ice, do you sent stuff from NZ or send it before you even leave home from the start?
the info was a little confusing in the particpant guide on the process on traveling….the orange bags???
I’m assuming that for weight purposes i am going to want to pack my stuff in a light duffle bag or sea bag….or is that what the orange bags are for?
also, is there any insight you(or anyone) can give me on the galley staff ,particulary the bakers…. what they wear/uniforms, are the menus preset or do we get to contribute any suggestions,new recipes or ideas(especially being a newbie)?
does everyone feel this crazy with questions the first time….
thanks,
kristina
I’ll try and address the confusion on checked bags weight…and it is indeed confusing – lots and lots of information out there on the matter – most of it is conflicted in one way or another…here’s how it works. CDC in Christchurch will issue you two orange bags full of job appropriate (in someone’s eyes) ECW. The TOTAL weight of your CHECKED luggage (that’s checked on the flight from CHC to MCM) is not supposed to exceed 75lbs (140lbs if you have a winter-over contract) this includes any ECW that you check. In addition to that weight limit, you are also allowed one carry-on.
There are mandatory items that you must have on your person or in your carry-on. Once upon a time, the rule was one carry-on plus a laptop, but that was abused, so the rule has changed to one carry-on including laptop (but this doesn’t seem to be a hard-fast rule). There is a size limit on the carry on that is usually only loosely enforced. Most people use one of the orange bags as a carry-on and check the other.
There is no restriction on the number of bags that you can check.
Most people choose to wear the big red parka on the flight. This thing has a lot of pocket space, so you can put some heavier items in your pockets. Also, you can put heavy items in your carry-on. I’ve even known people to wear a backpack under the big red…
Theoretically you are supposed to be able to guard mail stuff from the CDC to MCM (guard mail is the same thing as military postal system – free mail from APO to APO) so…if you are overweight at CDC you can guard mail stuff to yourself
Don’t over think the luggage thing. Almost anything you need is available at Mactown.
Some people bring camping/hiking gear with then to NZ – stuff that they plan on using after the ice. These items can be stored at CDC while you are on the ice.
I can’t say for sure about cooks/bakers uniforms, but I always see them wearing whites which I believe are issued at CDC.
I’ve no idea about the galley specifically asking for input, but I’d be surprised if input on recipes etc weren’t encouraged and welcomed but I think you’ll be expected to make a lot of baked goods with pumpkin – pumpkin bread, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin – though maybe food storage is about out of pumpkin because I don’t think we saw as much last season as in years before…
I hope this rambling response doesn’t add to the confusion.
You said in the last post “You’ll have little problem getting through orientation“, what did you mean by that?
For many people, This will be the first time they have traveled in their lives. They will have to get on plane, fly, change planes, arrive in Denver, find a shuttle to airport, get a room, get a shuttle to RPSC, complete paperwork, get IT security clearance, get shoes, do it all again the next day, get to the airport, fly to LA domestic terminal, go to the international terminal, turn in your American ticktet for a Quantas ticket, fly to Aukland International, get your luggage, change to aukland domestic, fly to Cheech, get your hotel, go to clothing issue, fly to antarctica.
All of this can be extremely intimidating for somebody who has never traveled.
i was reading about the packing limit being 75lbs. but then sending things ahead of time that i won’t need right away, that 75lbs. includes EWC?,
what if you are over the weight after that before the flight to the ice, do you sent stuff from NZ or send it before you even leave home from the start?
the info was a little confusing in the particpant guide on the process on traveling….the orange bags???
Anything you wear or hand carry is not included in the 75lb weight limit. So hand carry everything you can. The kicker is your hand carry has to fit in this little tiny box. The 75 pounds includes any ECW that you do not wear on the plane as well as the clothing you wore down from the states, but are now packing. Best to go as light as possible. Weigh before you leave. If you are over in NZ, you can send to ice in GuardMail for free from the APO office in Chc to the ice.Like the rest of the mail it may be while before you see it.
Best to send anything you can get away with from home. Keep in mind it might be November or later before you get it, so don’t send anything you will need right away. There’s plenty of shampoo, toiletries at the store, so send down all the nice lotions and things in the mail and use the stuff in the store to get you by until your good stuff comes in. Go to Trader Joes and send down a bunch of really nice goodies to share with friends. For the girls. You’ll want girly things. Send a little black dress if you like such things. There are opportunities to dress up and you’ll enjoy having something other than the Antarctic Garb everyone else is wearing. If you like coffee, send down some nice starbucks or something.
For first timers, you will want a Halloween costume. Send it down first, hopefully you’ll get it before halloween. This is the first of the really nice big fun get togethers. I hate it myself, but I’m a 50 something year old and a bah humbug. You however will love it your first year.
You will get 2 orange bags of ECW gear. Your first year you might as well keep everything they give you. Your second year, you will know what you use and what you don’t. You have to wear some of it on the plane, but the weight of the rest will get added to the weight of your luggage and applied to the 75 pounds.
I’m assuming that for weight purposes i am going to want to pack my stuff in a light duffle bag or sea bag….or is that what the orange bags are for?
See above, the orange bags are what the ECW gear comes in. If you wear enough you can empty one of them. The lighter the luggae the more you can carry. Most first timers bring way too much gear for the cold, They also bring way too much stuff for spare time, which you will have little of.
also, is there any insight you(or anyone) can give me on the galley staff ,particulary the bakers…. what they wear/uniforms, are the menus preset or do we get to contribute any suggestions,new recipes or ideas(especially being a newbie)?
The menus rotate, but are not set in stone as you can’t always get the food you need. Most of the bakers seem to offer a wide variety of baked goods and breads. They do tend to be production chefs, putting out large volumes. Still the bakers are gods.
You’ll be issued standard cooks clothing. Probably very similar to what you wore on the boat.
does everyone feel this crazy with questions the first time….
Yes, thats why we keep this message board going. Every one of us has been where you are now , and any good experiences we’ve had our first year, mostly came from people like us, helping us through the hurdles.
MikeWhat your E-Mail address Mike .
Sorry I did not get back with You Yesterday .Had to make a trip from Dallas to Oklahoma City and back .
Percy A SimmonsMy own little bit of advice…
Scan, or copy, every single piece of paper, and all receipts, regarding your PQ process. Having scans on my computer have come in handy on more than one occasion (like when Medical loses some part of it, or Finance loses your receipts, and you don’t get reimbursed).
Another benefit comes into play if you become a multi-season person: the ability to COPY the info from the previous year onto your new PQ paperwork.
Basically, scanning or copying your documents provides excellent insurance. My favorite saying, other than ‘Semper Gumby’, is, of course, ‘CYA’.
Other than actually making it through the interview/hiring process, the PQ ordeal will be your greatest hurdle. Be patient, but persistent. If you get through all your exams, mail everything off to Denver, and don’t hear anything for a month – CALL MEDICAL. They may have lost your paperwork, or neglected to tell you that more tests are required. I’ve seen it happen.
Good luck, and welcome!
atlasWOW! I see what you guys mean about the PQ process, i just got the packet this morning and it seems like it’s not so much passing the physicals than it is to get the paperwork in order…..
well….the journey continues!
I know what you mean Coasty! This morning I started printing out my packet and am already amazed by the stack of paperwork I now have on my desk! The only saving grace is that both my dentist and doctor will be able to see me within a week, which is quite unusual for them.
Good luck with the PQ. I know my process has been a royal pain in the butt. So far I’ve found out that my EKG shows borderline abnormal heart activity and that i’m partially deaf in my left ear. Apparently both of those conditions aren’t too bad because I finally got PQed this morning!!!!
As far as losing the paperwork, I faxed in just about everything I could instead of mailing it. Seemed saferAlso, can anybody who wear’s prescription sunglasses tell me if now is a good time to buy a pair? Is there some later step I should wait for?
[font=Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif:wq89f6us]Congrats, Afrosemite! You’re well on your way to becoming a vehicle transportation specialist![/font:wq89f6us]
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