Getting paid to travel the world is a dream for some. A former student from the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication gets to do just that as his career for eight months a year.
Anthony Palagi (BA Electronic Media and Communications, 2011) has served as stage and broadcast manager for The World, Residences at Sea since 2012. He said The World is a private residential community aboard a ship that travels the globe.
Palagi said he originally found out about the position on LinkedIn, which he said is proof that social media can work as part of the job search. He said he was looking for an international or travel-related position and saw the job listing for a company called The World.
“I thought, you can’t get any more international than ‘The World,’” Palagi said. “They needed a production manager onboard the ship. I researched a little further and my mind was blown that there was a ship like this out there that was hiring a position like this. It seemed like a dream job.”
Jerod Foster, professor of practice in the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media, met Palagi when both were involved with the Tech Association of Student Electronic Media, a student organization within the College of Media & Communication. Foster said he also taught Palagi in a photography class.
“Anthony automatically stood out in class,” Foster said. “He stood out not only for the quality of work he was producing, but also for his level of attention and participation. He was truly interested in every facet of visual media production and knew that being versed in all of those aspects would help him in his career in the future.”
Rob Peaslee, associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Journalism and Electronic Media, met Palagi while Palagi was a student at Texas Tech University. Peaslee taught Visual Communication and Writing for Feature Film to Palagi.
“Anthony was always bright and inquisitive,” Peaslee said. “He was also a hard worker. Those are the things that we as faculty remember. He always struck me as someone who was going to be OK.”
Palagi said the position’s job description required a minimum of three years of experience as a production manager for a five-star cruise line or hotel, which Palagi did not have. However, he said he read further and realized that he could do all of the other aspects that the position required. He said he went ahead and submitted his cover letter and resume and heard back from the company’s recruiter the next morning.
“The recruiter said she was intrigued by the way I designed and produced my resume and cover letter,” Palagi said. “It was great to see my hard work and just trying to get myself out there paid off. Five interviews and two weeks later, I was onboard the ship. It was a whirlwind hiring process but an amazing story, as well.”
Peaslee said, “Anthony is a strong example of how to hustle and get yourself into a position you might not have the exact qualifications for. But, he is also an example of leveraging all the benefits of a four-year university education.”
Palagi said he works for four months at a time and then has time off for two months. During this time, Palagi occasionally comes back to campus. Peaslee and Foster both have had Palagi speak in their classes when he is in town. Peaslee said Palagi has spoken in his Writing for Media and Communication class, which was insightful for the students.
“Anthony spent a lot of time thinking how he could angle his experience in the direction of writing,” Peaslee said. “He talked about how he got his job and the kind of professional communication he had to do to get it. He talked about how he was successful in the job search. It was interesting and helpful to the students. To hear that from someone who is just a few years out of school is really effective.”
Palagi said as stage and broadcast manager for The World he produces all of the events and live entertainment on the ship. He said he also handles all media for the ship by producing all of the film and photography for The World.
“We also make a video journal of where we’ve been,” Palagi said. “I’ve been on helicopters taking aerial photos and video of the ship as it traveled through a Norwegian fjord. We also like to get some aerial shots of where we travel and we have even made a time-lapse when the ship traveled through the Panama Canal.”
Since Palagi took the position, Foster said he can tell how much Palagi has learned from his position with The World.
“He has definitely grown in the technical sense,” Foster said. “His video and photographic work have improved. You always want to be improving and it is nice to see that Anthony is taking that to heart and making sure his work is the highest caliber that it can be. But just as someone who has a passion for the industry, I can see where he is growing there as well.”
Palagi said working for The World is prestigious and the employees are held to a high standard. But, he said he is not afraid of the hard work that the job entails. He said he also enjoys being able to wake up in a place like Beijing, visit the Great Wall of China, and then visit Shanghai the next week, and then Hong Kong right after. One of his favorite memories so far was when the ship traveled into the Arctic Circle.
“We sailed to the top of Norway into the Arctic Circle,” Palagi said. “We then sailed into the White Sea towards Russia. We were one of the first foreign flagged vessels to visit some of these places this far north in Russia. We then went to Franz Josef Land and had to break ice for three days to get there. We anchored there and it was just the coolest thing to walk around past midnight with the sun still shining. And we had the opportunity to jump in the water and do a polar plunge, too.”
Once Palagi eventually finishes his time with The World, Peaslee said he could see Palagi in a media management position due to Palagi’s variety of experiences aboard The World.
“I can see Anthony managing a major media environment,” Peaslee said. “If he can do this job successfully, I would feel comfortable putting him in any situation. I think he is going into management and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is very successful in that. There are very few people who have the life experience and exposure to high-level people that Anthony has.” mc
(Preston Redden graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications and in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.)