Anyone who loves travel and adventure but who has not yet landed a career that will enable them to indulge in extensive wanderlust might consider becoming a flight attendant.
Flight attendants are the front line service heroes of the airline industry. They greet passengers, help them stow luggage, inform them about the plane’s safety procedures and generally make them comfortable throughout flights.
While flight attendants perform myriad tasks, professionalism and sunny dispositions remain their most outstanding attributes. Some of the reasons for their unflagging commitment to these customer care ideals are the excellent benefits that they receive in connection with their positions. While some flight attendants modestly claim that they receive steeply discounted airline and hotel rates, others come right out and say that they and their families travel for next to nothing.
Here are some of the steps that most aspiring flight attendants take to get started at most major airlines in the United States (U.S.).
Get Physical
The flight attendant career field has evolved tremendously in the last few decades. Most U.S. based airlines no longer have strict weight and age requirements for their positions, but candidates must be able to demonstrate that they are fit enough to perform flawlessly even in tight spaces like those in a plane. Before applying, smart candidates obtain copies of the agility tests that flight attendants must pass and practice taking them to see if they are fit enough for the job. Additional physical training can help some candidates overcome weak areas. Also, many airline hiring managers conduct visual evaluations of flight attendants to ensure that their size will not interfere with the duties that they will have to perform like walking through narrow aisles, fitting into compact airline seats and fastening their seat belts across their midsections. Extra physical training will help ensure that serious candidates pass these visual inspections with ease.
Dress and Appearance
Most people know that person who always looks neat and pulled together no matter where they go, and that is exactly the type of person that airlines want their flight attendants to mimic when it comes to dress and appearance. Because so many people apply for flight attendant positions, the airlines can be highly selective about who they choose to hire to care for their customers. Subsequently, applicants can be subjected to numerous, lengthy interviews that give airlines important clues about flight attendants’ grooming standards. Candidates who can still appear neatly groomed and professionally dressed after arduous, highly interactive interviews demonstrate qualities that are valued by airlines.
The Flight Attendant Interview
Acing the flight attendant interview is one of the most important aspects of gaining employment with leading airlines. Besides the opportunity to assess flight attendants’ dress and appearance, flight attendant interviews allow airlines to evaluate candidates’ communication and interpersonal skills. These interviews are often conducted in group settings, and candidates must work together to overcome challenging scenarios that often take place during air travel. Most candidates must have some customer service experience and be able to demonstrate related skills during their interviews.
Conclusion
Since very few university degree programs can adequately prepare students for the intensely hands on work of flight attendants, many airlines have their own unique training programs, and they set the academic requirement for flight attendants at a high school diploma or its general equivalent. However, candidates who majored in communications or a foreign language often have distinct advantages over comparably qualified peers for these highly competitive positions. A person who is seriously thinking of becoming a flight attendant should obtain their passport, check the airlines’ job notices and prepare to let their personality sparkle during interviews.
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