Article by:
Rita Henry
"Hi! I've just been invited to attend an 'informational session'
at XYZ Airlines that's being held next Saturday. I sent them my
resume a couple of weeks ago. Is this an interview? Is there
anything I should know?"
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.
About
the Author:
Rita Henry is a contributing editor for
Flight Attendant Jobs, the leading job site for the Avaition
Industry. Interested in receiving only the hottest Flight Attendant
jobs weekly for free? To learn more visit Flight Attendant
Jobs.
Article Source:
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