Would-be employees in the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction are being asked to show the “T factor” in order to land a job.
The operators of the Titanic Belfast complex, which will open later this spring ahead of the 100th anniversary of the doomed liner’s sinking, have come up with a novel way of recruiting some of its 250-strong workforce.
Applicants have been invited to audition for the posts by giving a three-minute performance on one part of the Titanic story.
The owners hope the exercise will demonstrate who has the passion and communication skills to become a guide in the new centre, which is located in the same east Belfast shipyard that the Titanic was built in.
Candidates, who must pre-register to secure a slot, will be given a script in relation to one of the nine galleries in the visitor attraction, and required to give an interpretative presentation.
Successful participants will be asked back for a formal interview for one of 70 “frontline” jobs in the centre.
Tim Husbands, chief executive of Titanic Belfast, said almost 1,500 people attended a drop-in day at Belfast City Hall last year with more than 850 expressing a definite interest in working at Titanic Belfast.
“We’re conscious that everyone working at Titanic Belfast will be an ambassador, not just for ourselves, but for Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole,” he said.
“This is a unique project with unique potential to promote Belfast to the world, so we need people with that special Titanic ‘T factor’.
“The audition day will give prospective employees a chance to let their true personalities shine through.
“Titanic Belfast provides a great employment opportunity and we will continue to work hard with Belfast City Council and DEL (Department for Employment and Learning) to ensure that as many people as possible have access to the positions.”
When it opens in March, Titanic Belfast will be one of the largest employers in the Northern Ireland tourism industry. It is also expected to be one of the largest recruiters in the region during 2012. Belfast City Council and the city’s partnership boards have already held a series of information days and a drop-in day at City Hall.
In addition, as part of Belfast City Council’s community access campaign, two employment programmes, specifically tailored to Titanic Belfast, will provide 36 candidates with a recognised qualification and a guaranteed interview.
Belfast Mayor Niall O Donnghaile said the level of interest from people keen to work for Titanic Belfast had been “staggering”.
“Belfast City Council and the department for employment and learning have been working very closely with local training organisations, jobs and benefit offices and job assist centres to ensure information about these jobs reaches right across our local communities,” he said.
The audition day for prospective front-of-house employees will be held on Saturday January 14th at Grafton Recruitment’s Belfast headquarters in The Boat, Custom House Square.
Among those Titanic Belfast has already recruited include a marine biologist to manage the attraction’s Ocean Exploration Centre, which will include live footage of underwater explorations by Dr Robert Ballard, the oceanographer who discovered Titanic.
Titanic Belfast will also recruit maintenance, ticketing, retail, finance, catering and event staff.
Those wishing to attend must pre-register by visiting Grafton Recruitment between January 3rd and 13th or at www.graftonrecruitment.com, which also provides full details of the positions available.