Airlines in the Middle East are slowly recruiting flight attendants once again as the carriers are on their way towards recovery. Air travel demand is beginning to rise in other countries and global airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad have increased capacities. As such, it is time to get prepared for flight attendant recruitment events of different Middle East Airlines.
There are basically two types of flight attendant recruitment events. First is an assessment day where the airline will call only a few of those shortlisted and an open day where anyone could simply walk in and apply. An open day is indeed more challenging as you and a thousand others will be vying for a few cabin crew position slots. Hence, you are basically one out of a thousand. In this case, you definitely have to stand out throughout the process. You have to show you are different from the common ones.
As the commercial aviation industry gets more competitive, airlines have been putting up their standards and expectations on their cabin crew. They are indeed looking for the cream of the crop, and during open days, their radars are wide open searching for them. To be noticed, you have to stand out throughout the process, and here are ways on how to do it as suggested by flightattendantcentral.com.
1. Confidence
While two people can dress the same and have similar education and experience, what sets them apart is how they perceive themselves. The way you carry yourself, your attitude, and your drive to succeed, are some of the components of what makes a confident person. Confidence is dictated by many factors, such as childhood experiences, role models, success and failure perception as well as inner dialogue. There is no magical potion to take and become confident overnight. But confidence is a muscle and the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.
2. First impression
While the initial encounter with the recruiter lasts only 5 minutes, humans take under 30 seconds to form an opinion about a new person. We gather information from what we see and hear: posture, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice. We make up our minds even before somebody starts speaking. So here is how to achieve positive first impressions:
- a genuine, warm smile
- stand tall and proud with your back straight and shoulders
- move your body in a harmonious way
- be aware of how your voice sounds and adjust the volume and pitch
3. English Fluency
While this is one of the minimum requirements, there are many degrees of fluency. This may be the only negotiable part.
If English is not your first language, here is what you should consider being fluent:
- You can understand most of what is communicated to you at a reasonable speed by both native and non-native English speakers
- Can express your opinions, thoughts, and feelings in simple sentences
- You can answer questions in a correct way
- Most of the people listening to you can understand what you say
- You can read and understand most of this article
- Can summarize this article in 10 sentences
- You can write and read correctly (remember, perfect shouldn’t stand in your way of achieving good enough)
Here are the things you shouldn’t worry about:
- complicated grammar
- your native accent
- the speed of talking
4. Cabin Crew Personality
While many skills required to perform the cabin crew job can be learned, there are many personality traits you should ideally possess before the interview. These skills are:
- positive attitude
- helpfulness
- kindness
- empathy
- patience
- resourcefulness
- courteous
- Think about how you can practice these attributes in your life.
5. Dress for success
It’s no secret that a polished image is an essential aspect of this industry. The flight attendants don’t go to work in jeans and sandals. Especially when trying to impress the recruiters and hopefully influence their decision to invite you for an interview, your appearance must be spotless. But more important than having the standard business attire of suit, collared shirt, and polished shoes, you must wear something that makes you feel good about yourself.
It doesn’t always have to be a black suit. You can take a grey one if it fits you, or, can have a formal business dress and a blazer instead of a skirt suit. You can play with color, take comfortable, stylish shoes, add a dramatic element to your outfit (such as a colorful scarf). Be flexible, but focus on being elegant and confident in your skin.
6. Know the airline
If you want to be a stand-out, know about the airline you are entering. Try to wow your recruiters with your knowledge about their airline. So how do you do that? When asked “what do you know about our airline”, most would mention the following:
- Country of origin
- Number of destinations
- Fleet
- Destinations
- Brief history
- Slogan
Instead of just discussing those, you may want to add the following:
- Present aircraft orders if any
- Future fleet
- Vision, Mission, Core Values
- Subsidiaries
- Other major hubs
- Maintenance facilities of the fleet
- Future plans of the airline 5 to 10 years down the road
- Number of cabin crew
- Roles and duties of their cabin crew
- Their cabin crew’s role in the growth of the airline
Yes in number, you are simply one out of the thousand others vying for that position, but in the eyes of your recruiters during open days, show that you are 1 out of the 20 or 30 flight attendants who they need to take in.
Hope these tips help you during your flight attendant recruitment day!
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