13 Tips on How To Become a Flight Attendant

Is becoming a flight attendant your lifelong dream job?

As a flight attendant, you will become the airlines’ frontliners. Your actions reflect the perceived values of the company you represent.

Sometimes this job isn’t just about how much you want it, but if you are suitable for it. There are many individuals who wanted a life filled with endless travel and becoming a cabin crew or flight attendant is one way to achieve this dream.

But how do you stay ahead of the competition? How can you manage to rise above the rest? To ace that interview and get your flight attendant dream job, careful planning is needed. You need to prepare.

Experts in the airline industry agree on the following steps on how to become a flight attendant, including a few things to think about before you send in your resume.

13 Tips on How to Become a Flight Attendant

If you feel you have the qualities of a cabin crew, it’s good to also be prepared for your application. Please check out these tips to reach your dream job:

1. Get the Requirements

Work experience and a pleasant disposition are important, but not enough. You’ll need to exceed the minimum required height and reach to improve your chances of getting the job. If your height is above the minimum, your weight must be proportionate to it.

You need to be fluent in English. The language commonly used by the airline company is just as important, but not required. For example, Cathay Pacific prefers to hire Hong Kong-based cabin crews who are fluent in English and one of the following languages – Bahasa Malaysia, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Thai. Mandarin as a third language is also preferred.

2. Wait till Your 21st Birthday

Working as a flight attendant can be a demanding job. You have to maintain a pleasant demeanor throughout, maybe deal with unruly people or sometimes irrational requests.

Applying as a cabin crew when you reach 21 gives you more experience and hopefully more mature as well. Although some airline companies set the minimum age at 18 years old, for airline companies with long-haul flights, they require applicants to be at least 21 years old as they would serve alcohol to passengers.

3. Finish High School

A career as a flight attendant doesn’t require special certification or a degree from a college or university. The school you came from wouldn’t matter either. All you need is at least a high school diploma. However, some cabin crew requirements ask for at least two years of university or an aviation certificate. Be sure to research about the airline company’s educational background requirements before applying to make sure.

4. Experience in Customer Service

One of your responsibilities as cabin crew is to deal with passengers on a regular basis. Airline companies will put you atop their hiring list if you have worked in hotels, cruise ships, restaurants and other customer-service-oriented workplaces before. This leaves the recruiters a positive impression that you have experience in dealing with people regularly. Experts cite that those with a customer service background tend to last longer in the job compared to those that do not.

5. Maintain a Good and Fit Physique

Although some airline companies specify that they are equal opportunity employers, looks do matter if you are looking to find a career as a cabin crew as you will be a representative of the airline. The way you look and carry yourself reflect the training and values of the company that hired you. Be presentable and clean at all times not because you want to just look good, but also because you will handle food and communicate with passengers regularly.

Passengers who can not reach the overhead luggage compartments will be relying on you so you need to be tall enough to assist them.  You must have the strength and presence of mind to help a passenger having a difficult time putting their bags in the overhead compartment or when the need arises, open the emergency exit and carry out emergency exit procedures. You must also be slender enough to walk down the aisles without sidestepping. Stay in shape and monitor your weight to meet the physical requirements.

6. Prepare a Winning Resume

Like many job applications, your resume can make a difference between an acceptance and a rejection. Create a professional, concise and easy-to-read resume that tells a screener who, what and why they should choose you. Keep it short and straight to the point; two pages is enough, but keeping it to one is better.

7. You’ll Need Good Pictures

You’ll need to make a good impression when you apply, one of the ways to do so is to send good photos of yourself when you submit your cabin crew applications online. You will be asked to submit a full-body shot and a 2×2 passport sized photo.

No matter how swanky and brand new your friend’s camera gears are, avoid asking them to take a picture of you. Seek out a professional photographer who will take your photo. If you are serious about getting hired for this job, you need to invest in a good photo. Professional photographers are trained to know how to make your photo look great and appealing. Remember, recruiters will immediately know a DIY photo from one that’s professionally done. Also, buy or borrow business attire for the shoot to look the part. Show confidence and friendliness when you pose for the camera to improve your chances of getting selected.

8. Get to Know the Airline Company

You should know the airline you want to get into before sending a resume. Get all the information you can find about their history, hiring process and read current news about them. If you want to impress the recruiters, it is wise to know a few things about the company you are trying to get in. Remember, there are more applicants waiting for their turn to be interviewed. You need to stand out and stay ahead of the competition.

When you get lucky and reach the interview stage, be ready to answer questions like “Why should we hire you?” If you did your research well, you can provide a response that resonates with the core values of the airline company you are applying.

9. Know the Job

The last thing you want to happen is start a job you know little or nothing about. Working as a cabin crew is not all about flying and going to all these amazing destinations. The job is more than that. A bigger responsibility awaits you when you get hired. It helps to know all the information about the job, the lifestyle of the cabin crews and work schedules. Doing so allows you to determine whether you are fit to be a flight attendant or not.

Follow the airline company’s Careers pages for announcements about their recruitment campaigns and assessment days. Know what steps you need to go through before you get hired as a cabin crew. If you frequently fly, observe how cabin crews work and pay attention to what they do throughout the flight. You can also pick their brains and ask them or friends who work in the travel industry about the job nature of cabin crews.

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10. Practice Answering Possible Interview Questions

Delta Airlines reportedly receives 22,000 applications for 300 open flight attendant positions. Getting a call for a scheduled interview is already one step closer to your dreams. But how do you seal your place in the interviews? Practice. Recruiters oftentimes have set questions to ask you. All you need to do is to practice answering scenario questions.

The more you practice, the more you will be confident when the real thing happens. You can ask a friend to practice with you so that they can also coach you and screen you on the best response possible. Create scenarios that recruiters will ask. Don’t limit yourself to cheat questions you will find online as companies might change the questions from time to time.

11. Work Away from Home

Depending on the size of the airline company, they will have bases and hubs in different cities and countries. Before you get hired as a flight attendant, you will be asked if you are willing to be relocated to another city or another country. You will have to move, leaving behind a familiar environment of friends and family. Prepare for independence and life on the move constantly.

12. Be Prepared for Training

Once you land a job as a flight attendant, you need to be ready for training. Depending on the carrier, training as a cabin crew could take three to eight weeks. Getting hired as a cabin crew doesn’t guarantee you the job. You need to pass the training process to be officially welcomed by the airline company. So you need to stay on top of your game and ace the tests given. Some tests require that you keep a minimum GPA. If you fall below that, that means goodbye to your dream job.

13. Never Lose Hope!

The worst a company can do is say no and hire someone else. If that happens, keep your head up and keep applying.

Be sure to complete all the requirements before sending your cabin crew application online. If you don’t hear from them, don’t fret. Most likely, these cabin crew recruiters hold open days in a city near you. You can go there for a walk-in-interview.

If you still don’t get the job, you can always reapply a few months after. If you fail training, re-apply again. Just remember to never lose hope. Very few are lucky enough to land the job on their first try. Don’t be disheartened if that’s not you. There’s an airline out there that wants you.

Summary

While the job of a flight attendant may seem glamorous, it is also important to remember that it is a demanding and challenging role. Flight attendants are responsible for the safety and well-being of passengers during flights, and they must be able to think on their feet and handle difficult situations.

These are some of the tips on how to become a flight attendant. Follow these and you’ll be a step closer to landing your dream job. Don’t hesitate to take risks. The most important thing is to stay confident no matter what the outcome is.