A day in the life of a DJ
Let's dance and rock the house tonight !!
I know it's hard to talk here in the disco on-board this beautiful ship - but as you know a DJ needs to entertain and get people dancing and partying and having good time!
How did I get this job? I started off as a part-time DJ back home in Germany, then went full time to turn my hobby into my profession.
Of course I know I cannot be a DJ all my life, but for the time being I can do what I love to do, travel the world and get to meet lots of great people.
Since the disco is only open at night I get the days off. This gives me more chances to go ashore and experience all the wonderful, different places the ship visits.
Being a DJ means you do not have the kind of job which easily produces letters of reference. Therefore it is very important to have a strong presence on social media where you can gain likes, followers and friends to act as a reference.
When I applied for this job I supplied photos showing me working in a club, showing the crowd having a good time responding to my DJ'ing skills.
In addition, I provided my internet pages so the Entertainment Director could check what party-goers had to say about my skills.
My work hours are varied, depending on the ship and the itinerary. When there are a lot of sea days and a young clientele I work more hours. The discos on board do not have an official closing time – so it is an open ended shift.
Since I am the only DJ here in the bar, I have prepared compilation mixes that can be played when I need to use the bathroom, get food or have a little break.
My work 'day' starts around 11:00 pm – depending on the other entertainment activities on board and the type of crowd. Of course I prepare the music in advance, plan theme evenings and activities and get a good feel for what will get the people going.
While we want the people to have a good time dancing and moving, we also want them to consume beverages to generate revenue.
So the better the job I do, the more guests will come to the disco, the more they will dance and the higher the revenue will be in this bar. So my job performance is measured by the comments received from guests in the comment cards and by the revenue made in this venue.
If you are a DJ, you know that you need to provide the music. Over the years a good DJ will have collected loads of different genres of music in all kinds of formats. You should definitely bring your music with you, regardless that the cruise ship already has a selection of music on board.
At the same time, you need to limit the luggage you bring on board – so this is something important to discuss during the hiring process.
In order to get a position as a ships DJ it is essential you have a positive and proven track record of being a good DJ.
Fulfilling the music requests from guests is a big part of it, but of course this should fit naturally into what you were playing just a minute ago. But you know what I am talking about.
Now, let's have some fun and announce the next song to get this crowd moving.
Feel free to join them for a while on the dance floor and enjoy!
Jonas Weber, Germany