Yes, Virginia, airlines are hiring flight attendants again – and the so-called ‘informational session’ is often the first step in the flight attendant job interview process. Start off by congratulating yourself – obviously, your resume and cover letter did their job, and now the company wants to meet you in person. That’s the good news. The bad news is that they probably also liked a few dozen other people’s resumes enough to also invite them to this cozy little tea party. Much like acting, where there are dozens of people who want that one job, those who fill positions for flight attendants at major airlines have their interview process down to an art. If you’ve been invited in for a flight attendant job interview, here are some things that you should know.

The “cattle call”

The first stage of the interview process is often called a ‘cattle call’, after the same practice in the acting profession. The airline will invite as many as several hundred applicants to a conference center or hotel where you’ll get to fill out an application, then stand up and introduce yourself. You’ll have two to three minutes to wow the interviewers with your personal statement, and if you do, you may get an invitation to a personal or small group interview later in the day.

This kind of flight attendant job interview is great for the airline, especially if they’re hiring a lot of people in a short time – for instance, when they’re opening a new base in a new city. It’s far less expensive for them to rent conference centers in several cities and weed through several hundred people in a day than it would be for them to fly everyone to the home base for personal interviews. Unfortunately, it’s not so great for you – you need to make a good impression in a very short time. Basically, it’s a ‘stress interview’ – you may be asked, “Tell me a little about yourself,” or be hit with a tougher interview question. Your best strategy for this kind of flight attendant job interview is to practice responding spontaneously to many different questions. They’re looking for unruffled poise – and that comes with practice.

Small group interviews

If you wow them in the cattle call, or if your resume is really impressive, you’ll move on to the second round of interviews, usually a small group flight attendant job interview. You’ll be seated in a room with 8-10 other applicants while the interviewer asks questions of the group at large. It’ll be up to the applicants to answer in their own order – and how you answer questions will be as important as what you say in response to the questions. The recruiters will be watching you as much for your demeanor as for your knowledge – remember, they’ll be training you after they hire you, so knowing the job isn’t the most important thing here.

The best strategy is answer first on some questions, last on some questions and somewhere in the middle on most questions. When you answer, be polite and pleasant, never ever belittle another person or their answer, and answer briefly and concisely. The types of questions you might be asked will range from ‘How do you handle a conflict in this situation?’ to ‘What’s the most important thing to remember on an international flight?’

The interviewers are looking for people who are poised, confident and sensitive to other people. Remember, their job in a flight attendant job interview is to find people who will represent the company and make them look good to the customers. As a flight attendant, you are the person that people will associate with the airline. Make sure you project a confident, competent attitude.

One-on-one interviews

So you made it to a one-on-one interview. That’s quite an accomplishment in itself. At this point, the advice isn’t much different than it is in interviewing for any other job. Listen to the questions asked; respond to them briefly and concisely. Take the time to draw out your interviewer a little – knowing whether she or he was a flight attendant, and what his or her experience is in the industry can help you frame your answers effectively. Most importantly, remember that the airlines hire as much for attitude and image as they do for skills – as noted before, they’ll train you in the knowledge that you need. Instead, you should be working to present an outgoing, resourceful and friendly personality – just the kind of person you’d want in the aisles on your flight home.

Being a flight attendant is perfect for people who love a consistent job but still need adventure. One of the greatest perks about being a flight attendant is that you get the best of both the familiar and the unknown. What could be better than getting to work with great people, getting to serve great customers, and getting to see parts of the country or even of the world in the meantime? Many jobs that pride themselves in being adventurous are inconsistent or sporadic at best. Working as a flight attendant allows you the freedom to fly to new places but gives you many hours of work to do each week.

Another great thing about working as a flight attendant is that you get to work with a variety of people. Not only will you get to interact with other flight attendants, pilots, and other airline personnel, but you will daily get to spend time with customers on your flights. Flight attendants will meet young children and senior citizens all within the course of a normal day. As a flight attendant you will learn to interact with people from a variety of cultures as well. What a great way to learn about the world and about people different than yourself.

Many flight attendants love the job because of the time they spend in between flights in new cities all over the country and the world. Can you think of another job that allows you to work for ten hours on a flight to London and then gives you three days to rest and enjoy the sites of London before you return home? The longer you are a flight attendant for most airlines, the further you can travel and the more exotic places you can visit.

If you are looking for a new job or to change to a more exciting career, check out the opportunities that exist to train to be a flight attendant. Most flight attendant positions only require a few weeks of training and then you can start working right away! So consider whether or not being a flight attendant might be the perfect job for you!

Times have changed, and so has the recruitment process for jobs as a flight attendant. These days, the quickest and easiest way to apply for a job as a flight attendant is on the Internet. Your first stop in your job hunt for that perfect flight attendant job is a search engine or directory to find the web sites of as many airlines as possible. Don’t forget to include the charter services and fractional owner airlines that are among the highest paying of all jobs as a flight attendant. With that list in hand, fire up your web browser again and start hitting the airline company web sites.

Be sure that you have your entire resume details gathered together. Many of the airline web sites now do their preliminary screening of applicants for flight attendant jobs over the Internet. You may be able to simply upload your current resume along with a cover letter, or you may have to enter your details into a web form. Many job experts recommend that if you’re given a choice, opt to use the provided form rather than uploading your resume. Often, the form feeds names and details directly into a database that the company will use when sending out invitations to applicants to attend group interviews and informational sessions scheduled around the country.

Telephone Interviews for Flight Attendant Jobs

Some airlines have recorded telephone interviews to screen out people applying for jobs as a flight attendant. You may find the telephone number in a recruitment ad in your newspaper, or get it through the reservations line for the airline you want to apply to. When you call, you’ll hear a short description of the jobs that are available, and then you’ll be asked to submit your name, address and contact information over the telephone and to answer several questions about situations that you might run up against in the job. Those recorded interviews will be reviewed by hiring managers, and those that do well on the questions will be invited for face-to-face interviews for jobs as a flight attendant.

Airline Open House Interviews (and on Campus Recruitment)

The most common way to begin the process when you’re considering a job as a flight attendant is through an open house/interview held by an airline. Airlines often hold these when they’re planning to start a new training class, or to open a home base in a new city. Usually, they’re advertised in the job sections of the local newspaper a few days before the open house. On the day of the event, the recruiters will give a short presentation about what it’s like to work as a flight attendant for their airline. When the presentation is finished, interested applicants will be invited to step up on stage and introduce themselves with a short explanation of their job history and qualifications. Those who seem best suited for the job will be discreetly asked to remain for one on one or small group interviews.

Because the airlines hire far fewer people in jobs as flight attendants than the number who apply, they can afford to be choosy and hire only those that really catch the eye of the recruiter. That means, though, that you need to be persistent. Don’t stop with one airline or one try. Apply to several different companies, and follow up on your resumes. There are far more jobs as flight attendants than you’d expect – you just have to keep looking for them.

1. The major airlines are only 10% of the field for your flight attendant job search.

There are over 60 small and mid-size airlines in the United States – over 80 if you add Canadian based airlines as well. While the major airlines have cut back on hiring and have even furloughed flight attendants since 2001, the small airlines are thriving. If you’re looking to work with fractional operators and charter services, the flight attendant job search possibilities are even broader. The jobs are out there – you just need to expand the scope of your job search beyond the Big Six.

2. Don’t overlook traditional job hunt methods in your flight attendant job search.

Yes, they do advertise in the local paper’s help wanted sections. You’ll also find recruitment ads for the airlines in industry publications, so if you’re serious about finding a job as a flight attendant, get yourself subscribed to aviation newsletters and magazines.

3. Harness the power of the Internet to get your flight attendant job search into high gear.

Do check the usual suspects. You’ll find listings for flight attendant open houses and job openings on Monster, HotJobs! and other Internet job sites. You’ll also find listings for flight attendant job opportunities on some of the major newspaper’s want ad pages.

But don’t stop with the job listings on the job search engines. Because aviation is so industry specific, you’ll find the biggest concentrations of job openings and listings on aviation industry specific sites. A simple search for ‘flight attendant jobs’ will pull up several job search sites specifically for those in aviation. Check them out carefully and join one or two. Even better, find a discussion forum for flight attendants and join that. You can post questions, read information from working flight attendants and keep your eyes peeled for announcements of open houses.

4. Apply on the company web site.

Many airlines now have a link for you to upload your resume when you’re doing a flight attendant job search. While they may not be hiring when you check, enter your information anyway so that they can send you an invitation when they do mass job interviews and informational meetings in your area.

5. Networking is still the number one way to find a job.

Like any other job, it’s often who you know that gets your foot in the door in a flight attendant job search. Let people know you’re looking – let everyone know you’re looking. You might never know that your great Aunt Lucy’s next door neighbor’s daughter is a flight attendant if you don’t mention that you’re looking for a job working for an airline – but it just might be your ticket into the industry.

Whatever you do, do treat your flight attendant job search seriously. Look at the ads daily, and be sure to have a professional resume and cover letter ready to send out to any job openings that you find.

But you knew that – that’s part of the reason that you want to be a flight attendant. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s not quite as hard to find a flight attendant job opening as many believe. Besides the major airlines – many of whom are not hiring – there are over 75 airlines operating in the United States and Canada, and you’ll find a flight attendant job opening at most of them. The fastest growing segment of the aviation industry is in private airlines – charters, fractional operators and company-owned airlines. There are also many mid-size and smaller airlines that run commuter flights and flights within the continental United States and Canada. Because they don’t have the glamour and cachet of the Big Boys – United Airlines, American Airlines and the others – they get far less applicants for every flight attendant job opening. And the fact is, because flight attendants bid on the flights they work based on seniority with the plum jobs going to those with the most flight hours, the flight attendants working for the major airlines are just as likely to be working the short hop flights as those working smaller airlines who specialize in them.

Finding a flight attendant job opening is no different than finding a job opening in any other industry. It takes diligence, persistence, luck and some insider knowledge. You’ll find listings for job openings for flight attendants in your local newspaper, on the job boards like Monster, and by applying directly to the airlines. Once you’ve found a flight attendant job opening, you can apply online at the airline’s web site, or send a resume by mail or over the telephone. If you’ve done a good job of presenting yourself in your cover letter and resume, you may receive an invitation to an interview, or other instructions on your next step.

Preparing yourself for your interview is just as important when the interview is a ‘cattle call’ – industry slang for open houses where recruiters prescreen applicants for a flight attendant job opening – as it is for a face to face interview. Impeccable personal grooming is important in any job interview, but it’s vital when you’re applying for a flight attendant job opening. Trim and manicure your nails, be certain that your hair coloring is not in need of touching up – be certain that every detail of your appearance is just right. After all, your competition will be dong the same thing.

Salaries vary for corporate flight attendant jobs, but are generally better than commercial flight attendant jobs.

First, the nitty-gritty. Expect that those hiring for corporate flight attendant jobs will be looking for experienced flight attendants – two or more years in flight experience is the norm. You may need to relocate to be where the corporate flight attendant jobs are – the big jobs in corporate flying are in Los Angeles and New York. That said, the salaries for corporate flight attendants tend to run between $33,000 and $100,000 depending on the type of company for which you fly. There are several types of players in the corporate flight arena:

Fractional Operators are airlines that service several corporations, giving each business partial ownership of the airline. They’ll generally pay the least of all the corporate operators, though there are exceptions. Starting salaries are in the $30,000 range, depending on flight miles logged. Many fractional operators don’t require any previous corporate flight attendant training, and will train you to their own specifications. Each company has its own requirements, to which you’ll have to adapt. One other advantage to working for a fractional operator is that where you live may not be as important, as they’ll often allow you to airline to meet up with a plane.

Charter Operators pay a bit more as a general rule. Corporate flight attendant jobs with charter operators often offer a starting salary of $40,000. Charters let their aircrafts and crews for individual runs rather than having them on standby for part owners or full owners, therefore you’re likely to log more in air hours than with either other model. The actual salary that you’re offered will depend on your experience and the location of the hiring company, but the average salary for corporate flight attendants working for charter operators is $53,000.

Owner Operators are companies that own their own aircraft and staff them with their own employees. The salaries vary widely from company to company, as do the expected duties. Corporate flight attendants working for an owner operated corporate airline may make as little as $25,000 – and be expected to do everything from take dictation to serve coffee – or as much as $100,000 if they supervise other flight attendants.

One other thing that deserves mention is the possibly of flying ‘contract’. Much like working long-term temp nursing or other assignments, a contract corporate flight attendant is available to work on a contract basis through an assignment agency. Pay is often $350 and up per diem when you’re on assignment, and may include transportation to and from the flight’s originating city and a meals allowance.

Corporate flight attendant jobs are often considered to be the elite jobs in the flight crew world. If you’re interested in corporate flight attendant jobs, you’ll find more information by joining a discussion forum devoted to flight attendants and crew.

Life as a Flight Attendant

As a flight attendant, your role is primarily to ensure the safety of the passengers. There have been many stories where flight attendants have acted heroically and saved many lives when aircraft find themselves in difficultly. The most notable recent story was of a flight attendant who found herself in the co-pilots’ seat after a pilot became ill!

Training

With safety being the priority, flight attendants spend many hours learning the drills and procedures that will be used in the event of an incident. The training is serious but can be fun. You will learn how to detect and fight a fire, how to use the special equipment, how to give first aid and how to evacuate an aircraft on the land and water. There are many airlines that offer some extra enrichment and introduce some principles of flight and aerodynamics.

The side of the flight attendants job we see most of is the service. This training varies massively from airline to airline. You will be introduced to the correct etiquette and the style of service expected by the airline.

Language

If employed as expat cabin crew there is often some language training and some cultural instruction so you don’t inadvertently cause offence to the passengers. There are some really good schools out there that tailor thier courses to the Aviation Industry such as our partner Aviation English. If you need to imporve your English its worth checking them out.

How do you get a job as a flight attendant?

Research is the key, check out the online resources and keep up date with the news online. Keep up to date with sites like Flight Crew Finder that do the reseach for you. Currently both British AIrways and Emirates are recruiting.

Network

Develop as many contacts as you can by using online tools and get in touch with friends of friends who may work for the airline. You never know who may hear about a recruitment process first. Stay in touch and exchange experiences. Ask them to let you know when they may be recruiting.
Engage on bulletin boards and ask questions. Experienced Flight Attendants frequent these places and are always willing to offer advice to new recruits. If you are an experienced Flight Attendant then help others follow their dreams.

Once all your research has been colmpeted, draw up a shortlist of the companies you want to work for. Find out who is responsible for the recruiting of cabin crew and send them a personal letter.

Look into companies such as Swan Heights who specialise in providing premium Flight Attendant training. As a complimentary service they also offer a placement solution such as the jobs listed on Flight Crew Finder.

The life of a cabin crew can be exciting, interesting and it will give you the opportunity to travel the world. Like most jobs, getting on the first step of the ladder can be hard but with some research and determination you can find yourself in the fastest moving industry in the world.