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: www.iSnare.com
