Fun at the embassy!

Well, my trip to london has been successful and in 3-5 working days I will officially be the proud owner of a C1/D visa for America! The trip down to London was far less painful than expected with minimal hiccups and decent weather!

The hotel we booked claimed itself as a ‘one room suite’ which was overstatement to stay the least! It was barely a box with a shower, loo and sink in a 4ftx2ft space – for £70 a night for two people overlooking hyde park however…it’s a pretty good deal!

On the first day in London mum and I decided to walk from the room to the embassy building to see if it would be feasible in the morning or whether the tube would be our best option and, though it was a lovely walk through the park, it was quite long winded and a bit twisty/turny so the underground was opted for, preventing me from getting lost!

So, the main point of this entry is to go through my embassy experience and let you guys know what to expect.  My embassy appointment was scheduled for 8:30am and we arrived outside to start queueing at about that time, if not a little before, along with what looked to be about 50 other people.  The system was well organized and ran fluidly; left queue first to give your name in and sort out any electronics and metal items, then the right queue to wait to be called forward to the security queue which comes next, where they check your passport, then finally you are called through 4 at a time to the security room to be checked through to the embassy proper.

From the security desk you then walk round the side of the embassy building and through a door into the foyer area where you hand over your ds-160 paperwork to be scanned in so you can be allocated your ticket number.  Once you have your number you then are directed through into a large hall to wait to be called up.  If you, like me, are a big fan of american sodas and crisps then I highly recommend you take some money in with you as there is mountain dew and welchs soda and root beer galore, amongst other things!  Once in the hall you will be called twice, the first time to a booth number between 1 and 11 for your fingerprints to be taken and your documents to be checked and retained, and then a second time after that to a booth numbered between 12 and around 24 for you “interview”.

As a british citizen the only paperwork I was asked to show was the ds-160 form I had printed off and the visa letter steiner had provided me with.  I was asked what job rolei intended to fulfill on the ships and whether I had already trained in that profession.  After that I was told my visa application had been granted and I should expect it in 2-5days.  Easy as that! The whole process took about 2 hours and was pretty painless, all things considered.

And I met Ricky Gervais in the security check area…planning another idiot abroad series maybe?

Online training

Yesterday I got my password for the academy online training website and, being the little geek I am, I had to log on and start my training immediately!  I had been worried that, as it states we have 2 weeks to complete the training, it would be a very long and involved process and that working the hours I am I wouldn’t have the time to dedicate to it.  I needn’t have been worried though as I managed to complete my training in one day.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that time frame unless you have done extensive pre-learning and are willing to dedicate time to continue your learning afterwards.

The set up is much like that of any further learning academy that uses online learning tools; a personalised log in page with courses and modules that you enroll on yourself by activating them, which then gives you access to the online seminars.  The content itself is laid out in a powerpoint type presentation format that has a few interactive click-through buttons to lead you through the content.  I was initially a little worried that I was missing content as the slide numbers do skip around somewhat but just trust steiner and you will see every slide by the end of module exam!

The first course I completed as a masseuse was on board health and safety, a course which I would expect everyone will have, no matter what their profession, which was relatively straight forward. My only gripe with this is that one of the questions on the test appears to mark the correct answer as wrong, and I did double check against the information given within the presentation as I have meticulously screen printed each one in order to make a full set of learning flashcards (told you I was a geek!) to ensure my knowledge is sound. It didn’t matter a great deal in the long run as you only need a certain % to pass which I achieved,  but it irks me none the less.

The second course I enrolled on was the elemis products course, of which I had the face and body modules. This course was much more information heavy and I would recommend looking through the material a few times before taking the tests as you do only have two attempts to pass each one.  This course took me a good few hours to complete and I did find that some of the questions asked in the tests were for products not given within the study material.  There is always the chance I missed some slides but I did go onto the slide menu and look through that way so I don’t think that’s the case.  I am going to email the training coordinator and put these questions to her so I’ll get back to you with her response when I receive it.

All in all I think the online training facility is wonderful and really helps with getting yourself in the mindset to join the ships in your last few weeks before London. For me I have timed my training purposely to coincide with the time I would normally return to university, had I not just graduated, as my mind will automatically be geared towards learning and ready to settle back into a fairly punishing routine, however some will not have been in an academic setting for a while and for them this online learning stage will be very useful – settling them back into learning gently.

Now, onward to the embassy!

Final Preparations!

This blog was actually written on Friday last (23rd) and so it’s a little out of sync with where I’m at now, but I’ve had no wifi and so you get it late…sorry!

 

So we’re getting close to go time now…monday coming is my 4 weeks left date and the day that I *should* be able to start my online training with the steiner training website, however they have been having a few problems with the system so that might hold me up a little bit. I’ve been focusing on my pre-learning anyway so with or without the online bit I should have a good grounding in the product knowledge needed for the academy.

After sending a few messages out to girls I found on the steiner Facebook page that were going into training at the same time as I am it looks like I have found a kindred spirit in Australia by the name of Corinne.  We’ve been talking via message and swapping study tips, tattoo cover advice and other such fun, which has been nice; having someone to talk to who is at the same point as you is very reassuring.

I’m actually writing this entry from the train into Bangor using my shiny new tablet – I figured it might be a good idea to test run the blogging function before I actually leave so that I can iron out any kinks whilst I still have access to a proper computer! So far so good though and I am totally in love with the little thing; the only problem I have found is that it’s so similar to my phone that I keep thinking I can make calls and send texts…it’ll take me a while to get my head round that I think!

I didn’t think I’d be returning to York apart from the day of my graduation but it seems that fate has had a hand in that and it will now be cheapercfor me to get a room in the city for a week than it would for me to be going back and too on the trains like a yo-yo!  I’m excited to be going back for a while and it means I get to spend some extra time with my friends before heading off which will always be something I’d try to do.

I’ve got my embassy interview on Wednesday so I’ll be travelling to London for that on the Tuesday and I’ll try to get a blog on that up as soon as possible afterwards.  I’m attempting to make a full breakdown of the process of joining steiner a part of this blog so that others know a little more about what to expect for those who, like me, prefer to have as much knowledge and information as physically possible!

I’m going to call and chase up on my crb check this week too as it’s been 6 weeks now and I’ve yet to hear back from them. After I’ve got that sorted and been to London that will only leave me with shopping and packing to do!  That thought more than anything else makes this new adventure seem to be approaching at a terrifying pace.

So … Blogging!

I feel the need to blog but I don’t really have anything solid to fill you guys in on!  I’ve been plodding along, paying for those bits that need paying for, organizing those bits that need organizing and studying those bits that need studying for!

I have yet to receive my online log in and password for the learning bit of my pre-academy prep (I should get this by Monday) but I am still trying to make the most of any free time I have by attempting to memorize all of the Elemis products, their benefits and ingredients!  It’s a lot of work and my memorizing skills aren’t that wonderful but, after 6 years of studying, my revision skills are top notch so I’ve put together a bunch of flashcards to help me with the study.

I’m actually getting a little antsy about being so in limbo – it feels like there is so much still to be done but nothing I can now do about it!  I’ve sent everything off and now I’m just left waiting on hearing back from the CRB check people and then I have my Embassy interview coming up on the 28^th of this month.  The constant stream of emails from Steiner head office isn’t really helping my anxiety either…every time I get a new one I check it through about 5 times just to make 100% sure that there’s nothing that I still have outstanding.

I’ve also spent a little time trying to make contact with a few other people who will be landing in London for training around the same time so that I don’t annoy everyone else in my life with my incessant Steiner-talk, which is looking like a real possibility at the minute!  I found a few girls on the Steiner recruitment Facebook page and sent them messages just to say hi so hopefully something will come of that.  I’m not exactly a shy girl but I tend to find I’m a little different to your standard ‘stereotypical’ beauty student so I’m a little nervous that I won’t find many that I can immediately connect with.  I’m hoping that I can push my ‘major geek’ aspect forward and my study skills from my degree will be able to help others with all the exams and study we have coming to us – I like being able to be helpful!

If anyone else has any awesome study tools for learning the Elemis products please, please, PLEASE feel free to forward them in my direction!

Equally, if anyone is heading into training in London in September then feel free to message me to say hi as well.

B x

The preparation begins…

The preparations begin…

The level of preparation that has to go into starting a contract with Steiner is impressive to say the least.  Organizing a visa application interview; applying for a criminal records check; printing off, signing and returning all contract bits and bobs; researching insurance; learning and reviewing all products…the list seems endless, not to mention I’m moving house and sorting graduation ceremony details!  My biggest piece of advice to anyone would be to start as soon as is feasibly possible because it *will* get on top of you.  I’m lucky as I have nearly a full 6 months between my interview date and when I start in September which gives me plenty of time in theory, but even now I feel like I’m letting it run away with me and it’s making me a little stressed.

In order to make it seem more palatable I will break it down into its component steps and explain each one individually;

Applying for a criminal record check

When applying for a CRB check the most important thing is that everything you put on the form be completely and totally accurate.  Even the smallest mistake can lead to it being returned and needing to be filed again, which can create a major delay.  Ensure, before beginning to fill out the paperwork, that you have addresses for the last 5 years catalogued and to hand, in order to reduce the chances of making mistakes.

As you should have taken photocopies of your passport along to your Steiner interview you shouldn’t be required to send your passport along with the application, and a photocopy will do, thus it should only be necessary to pay the £60 fee, however do double check this as it will differ for some people.  The paperwork distributed with the application form will explain it all.

Visa application process

Unbeknownst to me you can actually apply for the C/D1 visa online, which seems to be by far the best idea considering the phoneline costs  £1.23 per minute and seems to be permanently on hold!  The questions are occasionally ridiculous and frequently confusing but the guidance down the side bar is very helpful.  The only area that I found myself perplexed in was the question that asked for a national identification number – in this I gave my national insurance number, but I’m still unsure as to whether this is what they were asking for.

At the point at which I applied the visa fee was set at £120 which was to be paid in full up front but would be refunded upon the ship.

Signing contracts

This part at least is relatively straightforward; print off the paperwork (the starter pack needs signing as well, the contract should arrive in the post), sign it, scan it in and email back to Steiner.  I would also strongly recommend photocopying the whole lot and keeping the photocopies safe somewhere else, just in case the need for them comes up.

 

Insurance

The company recommended to me by Steiner was STA travel, though no guidance was given as to which insurance option was the best.  From my research into this I would say you should expect to pay between the £450-£600 mark, depending on your age and level of cover.

 

Learning the product range

Having just come out of a degree this should be the simplest thing for me as my mind is still in learning mode, but for others it could be the most difficult by far.  I recommend using the tried and tested method of remembering something – repetition!  Print out the workbook, make a list of all the products and the facts you have to learn (2 ingredients and 2 benefits per product), separate these into ranges, make flash cards with the product on one side and the information on the other and practice the hell out of it!  Seriously, this is vital, as there will be a test on this pre-learning on the first day at the academy and if you don’t pass with 85% or more you risk being asked to leave the training and forfeit your chance on the ships.

In case there are people who, like me, would like to get a jump start on this product knowledge I shall pop the links to the training manual below:

http://www.onespaworldtraining.com/pdf/Steiner_Training_Guide.pdf

Next time … what I learned about working on the ships, from the Steiner recruiter!