• May Lee successfully applied for a role at McMurdo Station in Antarctica at age 60.
• Jobs at McMurdo require an extensive background and health check, and are very competitive.
• She told Business Insider about the nearly seven-month job process, from application to deployment.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with May Lee, a 60-year-old broadcast engineer with GreyHawk Global at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. She previously worked there as a supply technician for Amentum after spending decades at HP, most recently as a marketing and communications manager. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I was laid off from HP after 30 years, so I decided to look beyond tech jobs and pursue something different at 60.

I had visited Antarctica twice for vacation and fell in love with it. At the time, I didn't know that you could work there. When I looked into it, I knew I had to apply.

It's so hard to describe how amazing it is to work at McMurdo Station. If you ever get a chance to experience it, I highly recommend it.

Here's what the job application process was like.

I applied for 3 roles, but didn't realize how competitive it is

The US National Science Foundation manages the US Antarctic Program. The body contracts out operational support to several companies, each with a specific focus. For example, Gana A'Yoo is responsible for areas like food services and waste management.

In mid-April, I applied for three roles: rooms coordinator at Gana A'Yoo, service desk support technician at Grey Hawk Global, and a supply assistant supervisor at Amentum.

I applied using my HP résumé, which lists my various roles at the company.

I was turned down for the rooms coordinator role within a week or two, with an email stating that I did "not meet the minimum requirements."

This came as a surprise to me. So, I started researching more about working in Antarctica — something I should have done beforehand — and learned that it's very competitive to get a job there. I read on blogs that if you don't make your résumé match the job description exactly, you get weeded out. So, I think that's what happened.

A recruiter reached out to me anyway

I then kind of wrote off my pursuit of a job in Antarctica. I thought maybe this just wasn't meant to be.

Then, in May, a recruiter from Amentum, which offers roles in logistics and skilled trades, reached out to me, saying that my résumé appeared to be a match for what they were looking for. The job I got was a supply technician at Amentum.

When asked to send my résumé by email, I updated it to make sure it matched the job description.

I also received a pre-screening questionnaire about my availability, credentials, and whether I could work in the US without sponsorship.

I got hired as an alternate

A week later, I had a 30-minute video call with the recruiter about what the hiring process entails and more details about the job environment.

This was followed a few days later by an 80-minute phone call with the hiring manager, during which they asked behavioral, situational, and competency-based questions.

I received an offer contract for an alternate position. An alternate is the backup for a primary who can't go for whatever reason. I was told that the quicker I get through the background and physical qualification (PQ) checks, the quicker I could get to the top of the alternate list.

The health check is extensive

Because Antarctica is so remote, they want to make sure that you're healthy. Because if you go down there and something happens, there are no medical facilities that can take care of you.

In June, I received a 17-page PQ form that requested comprehensive medical and dental information.

There were eight required blood tests, a physical exam, vision screening, and a dental exam, among others. Depending on your age, sex, and deployment location and term, there may be additional tests. The costs of these were reimbursable by the company.

There is also a very comprehensive background check

In addition to the PQ, I underwent a comprehensive government background check.

I was cleared to onboard in June and was notified that I was changed to a primary in July.

Often, this is because a primary has dropped out; they might've failed the PQ, even if they passed it the year before, or something in their life might've happened that requires them to stay home.

There was some back-and-forth with my PQ, which I had to resubmit after getting an updated Tdap vaccine.

In September, I received the current-season influenza vaccine, and my PQ was approved.

I made it to Antarctica in October

I flew from San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand, and then to Christchurch. There were a couple of days of training, and I also got outfitted with extreme-cold-weather gear.

Then, after seven months of preparation, I was finally deployed to McMurdo on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.