Here at Elite Cabin Crew, we pride ourselves in giving you the knowledge you need in order to land your dream job as a flight attendant. Here we sit down with our very own recruitment specialist for a catch up, to get to know her and why we are sharing our knowledge with you!
ECC: First of all, thank you for taking the time to sit with us, we have lots of questions for you today!
HR: It’s a pleasure to be here, hopefully I can get all of your questions answered!
ECC: Thanks, first of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
HR: Of course, I am a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist with over 12 years of experience in the aviation sector. I spent 5 of those years flying as a flight attendant for Emirates before I moved onto a HR position within the company. I have been responsible for hiring hundreds and assessing thousands of Cabin Crew hopefuls so I know a thing or two about the job, what it takes to do it and what companies look for when hiring!
ECC: It sounds like you know what you’re talking about then, so what made you become a flight attendant?
HR: This almost never happened, I always dreamt of seeing the world and becoming a flight attendant but never really thought I had what it takes to become a flight attendant so I focused on my studies. One day one of my friends told me she was going to an Open day and talked me into going with her. After speaking to several people there who told me I passed the requisites to join I decided to apply and the rest is history as they say!
ECC: So you you’ve been in aviation for a while, why have you chosen to partner up with Elite Cabin Crew?
HR: I’ve known Monika professionally for years and when she mentioned her idea of starting up a community to share her knowledge and help others who want to take the amazing journey to becoming a flight attendant, I jumped at the chance. I have been in the same situation as everyone else here, an outsider looking in and I would have appreciated having someone there to guide me. I have been there, with the nerves, the excitement and the same questions which are still asked today.
ECC: So what do you look for in a flight attendant, what is the criteria?
HR: The criteria regarding the minimum age, height and holding of a High School Diploma are essential and non flexible, you MUST meet these standards, no excuses. Automation has grown in the industry so you must make sure that you have a professional CV that highlights your skills, attributes and best qualities. In assessment days and interviews we will look for other qualities. Your professional appearance is the most essential quality, you need to be well groomed in professional attire, this makes an excellent first impression. We will also be looking for people with a positive attitude, that smile and open body language. If you sit in the corner without interacting with the others, you will not make a good impression.
ECC: So what are things that would automatically get you rejected?
HR: Bad grooming, serious expressions and negative attitude in general will get noticed quickly and this is the quickest way to getting rejected.
ECC: Having met so many people, do you have any memorable incidents that you can share with us?
HR: Of course, one of my memorable moments in recruiting has to be when interviewing an extremely nervous applicant. I asked her if she was ok and she replied that she was nervous, I explained to her that it was going to be ok and tried to get her to relax by asking her what her hobbies were. She mentioned that she liked to sing and so I asked her to sing for me….
ECC: Singing?!
HR: Yes! I wanted the candidate to relax and be comfortable and it worked, remember that I have been in her shoes, I wanted her to be comfortable, we are all human at the end of the day, it ended well and we carried on with the interview. After I had finished with the candidate I asked the next one to come in, assuming that singing was part of the interview, she broke into song! That was very funny and very memorable for me.
ECC:It sounds like you had a lot of fun! What were the things you enjoyed the most about working in aviation?
HR: The travelling, I got paid to travel, I was visiting new places every month and i got to meet so many like minded people who worked hard but loved to have fun too!
ECC: What about the negatives, are there any?
HR: The job is more physically demanding than you expect, you travel a lot which is good but it also means that you are away from your family and friends a lot, specially as you tend to work during the holidays as that is when aviation is at its busiest. But I wouldn’t change my experience for anything and I made great friends and memories.
ECC: Is there any advice you wish to give our candidates?
HR: This job is as amazing as it sounds but you need to make sure you work hard and that you don’t take it for granted. You also need to remember that everyone in the job started like you and me, a person with the dream of travelling the world, we have been in the same shoes and that is why we are here to help.
ECC: Thanks for your time!
HR: My pleasure!
So a big thank you to our recruitment specialist for taking the time to sit down with us and let us get to know a bit about her.
Do you have more questions? Join our webinars where we meet and discuss topics regarding the recruitment process, interview techniques, how to write your CV and more. Check out our services, all tailor made to help you succeed. Until then, stay safe and remember we are all in this together.