How to Answer: How Do You Handle Stress or Pressure?

If you are applying to be a flight attendant, you may be asked the question, “How do you handle stress or pressure?” during your interview. This is a job interview question that airlines commonly ask because the role of a flight attendant can be stressful and demanding. When answering this question, it is important to demonstrate that you have the skills and attitude necessary to face challenging situations with composure and resilience.

Also read: How to Answer: Tell Me about a Past Disagreement or Conflict with a Coworker

The best way to answer this question is to give specific examples of times when you successfully managed stress or conflict in the workplace. This could include instances when you provided excellent customer service in a high-pressure environment, or when you managed to remain calm and collected despite challenging circumstances. Focus on how your actions enabled you to succeed in these situations and demonstrate that you are able to remain composed under pressure.

Stress and pressure are inevitable in the airline industry, and a successful flight attendant must be able to handle both effectively. It’s also important to highlight any stress management techniques that you practice in order to reduce your stress levels.

Why Is the Interviewer Asking This Question?

As a flight attendant, you will frequently encounter stressful situations, such as dealing with difficult passengers, turbulent weather, and unexpected changes in the schedule. Airlines want to hire individuals who can remain calm under pressure and handle stress in a healthy and productive way.

By asking this question, the interviewer wants to gauge your ability to cope with stress and determine if you can handle the responsibilities of the job.

By showing that you are able to stay calm and professional in difficult situations, you will demonstrate to the interviewer that you have the skills and attitude necessary to be a successful part of the cabin crew.

Similar Variations of the Question

The interviewer may phrase the question differently, but the gist of the question remains the same. Some variations include:

• How do you manage stress?
• How do you stay calm under pressure?
• How do you cope with a high-pressure work environment?
• Can you provide an example of a time when you dealt with a stressful situation and how you handled it?

Also Read: How to Answer: Have You Worked with Someone You Didn’t Like?

Quickest Way to Answer this Question

The quickest way to answer this job interview question is to simply keep it short and simple. Just say “I handle stress and pressure very well. I have no problems with it.” or say “Stress, whatever form it is, is unavoidable. But I’ve never had any problem handling stress or pressure in the past.”

This is a quick way to answer the question and it will give the interviewer some insight into your attitude toward stress. Basically, they just want to simply know if you can handle stress or not.

Step-by-Step Procedure to Answer Effectively

Alternatively, if the interviewer may want you to elaborate more on your answer, you should focus on the techniques and strategies that you use in order to stay composed and professional under pressure.

1. Understand what the interviewer is looking for. The interviewer wants to see if you can handle stress in a healthy and productive way. They are not looking for a flawless answer but want to see how you approach the question.
2. Reflect on your previous experiences. Make a mental or written list of situations that required you to handle stress effectively. If you have no former experiences, come up with hypothetical scenarios.
3. Prepare an answer in advance. Using the information you gathered in step 2, prepare an answer that shows how you handle stress in a productive way.
4. Make sure your answer is concise and to the point. Most interviewers expect answers to be between one and two minutes.
5. Practice your answer out loud. Speaking your answer out loud will help you sound confident and organized.

Sample Answers to the Question “How do You Handle Stress?”

Here are some possible answers to the question, “How do you handle stress?” as it relates to a flight attendant role:

• “I handle stress by taking a few deep breaths and finding a quiet space to gather my thoughts. When I’m calmer, I tackle the issue at hand with a clear head.”
• “Dealing with stress is definitely part of the job as a flight attendant. I prioritize staying physically active, which has helped me handle stress better in the past.”
• “I utilize a journal or diary when I’m in stress, which allows me to vent my emotions and get my thoughts organized.”
• “During stressful situations, I remind myself of our training and the safety procedures that we have been given, which helped me focus on the priority needs and how to address them.”
• “Stress is a motivator for me. It pushes me to perform at my best and stay focused on problem-solving with a clear mind.”
• “I seek support, whether it be from seeking advice from a supervisor or confiding in a fellow flight attendant. Talking to someone supportive helps me to decompress and think more clearly.”
• “I use my humor as a coping mechanism when I am in a stressful situation. It brings a light-heartedness to the situation and helps keep my spirits up. Of course, I only do this in certain appropriate situations. I still perform situations on a professional level”

Also Read: 5 Common Answers to “Why Do You Want to Be a Cabin Crew?”

Terrible Answers: Don’t Use These Answers!

Please don’t give any of the following answers when asked about how you handle stress.

• “I just try to ignore it.”
• “I find that drinking helps me to de-stress.”
• “I don’t really have strategies for dealing with stress.”
• “Stress doesn’t really bother me.”
• “Sometimes I just have to walk away and take a break.”
• “I get really angry when I’m feeling stressed out.”
• “I usually just zone out or take a nap until the stress passes.”
• “I don’t do well with stressful situations so I try to avoid them as much as possible.”

The above examples are bad answers to this question and can give the employer a negative impression of you. Instead, focus on the strategies you use to effectively handle stressful situations. Show that you are able to stay calm under pressure and handle difficult tasks with grace. By doing this, you will make a positive impression on your interviewer and demonstrate that you can be trusted in times of stress. Good luck!

Tips on How to Answer This Question

• Provide specific examples from your experiences, if possible.
• Focus on how you handle stress rather than only what stresses you.
• Emphasize that you stay calm under pressure and can adapt to unexpected situations.
• Avoid answers that suggest you ignore or bottle up your emotions.
• Don’t be afraid to show some personality in your answer.
• Be honest and authentic in your response.

Also Read: How to Answer: What Kind of Person Do You Refuse to Work With?

Questions to Ask Yourself Before the Interview

It’s good to be prepared should you come across this question. Here are some self-reflection points to ask yourself before the interview for this particular topic:

• What have been some of the most stressful experiences I’ve had in my previous job or life?
• What techniques or coping mechanisms have helped me manage stress effectively in the past?
• Have I ever made a mistake due to stress and how have I learned or overcome it?
• What stress management techniques, if any, have I learned that can be applied in the context of a flight attendant job?
• How can I demonstrate that I am able to handle stressful situations in a professional manner?
• What experiences have helped me develop my ability to manage stress productively?
• Are there any times when I faced a particularly challenging situation and had to remain composed despite pressure or chaos?
• Do I have any techniques for staying calm during unexpected events or crises?

Video: Top-Score Answer to the Interview Question about Stress

CareerVidz is a helpful resource for different job interview questions and answers. In the video below, they feature a great example of how to answer the question about how you handle stress:

In this video, a mock interviewee gives an excellent example of how they could handle stress by explaining their personal strategies and experiences in dealing with difficult situations. They demonstrate that despite feeling pressure or chaos, they were able to remain composed and focus on what needed to be done in order to get through the situation. This is an ideal response to the question about how you handle stress as it shows the interviewer that you are capable of managing stressful events productively and professionally.

Video: Best Answer to the Question about Stress/Pressure at Work?

Check out this video guide on YouTube by The Companies Expert on how to answer the question about stress/pressure at work:

In this video, the speaker explains what employers are looking for when asking this type of question and provides tips for crafting an effective answer. He also highlights good examples of answers that demonstrate handling stress in a professional manner. He emphasizes the importance of being honest in your response and conveying your ability to cope with stressful situations without becoming overwhelmed or losing control. This is a great resource if you need some help answering this common interview question!

Summary

When you’re asked how you handle stress as a flight attendant, emphasize your ability to stay composed in difficult situations. Provide specific examples from past experiences and mention the techniques or coping mechanisms that have helped you manage stress effectively. Avoid answers that suggest ignoring or bottling up your emotions, and don’t forget to show some personality in your answer! Most importantly, be honest and authentic when responding to this question. Good luck!