Friday, May 9, 2014

Cabin Crew Interview: Life of a flight attendant



 




Is it a glamorous job or not?

The flying part isn’t glamorous in the slightest – it’s hard work and you have permanent jet-lag.  However, on the flip-side, when you get to spend your layovers in five star hotels in interesting and exciting places all over the world, then yes, it certainly had its moments.


But you get lots of time off don’t you?

For safety reasons, there are strict regulations as to how many hours you can work, so I was probably flying for two weeks out of every month.

 
You mention safety – I assume this is a key aspect of your training?

Very much so.  As well as the passenger comfort and promoting the airline’s reputation, our key role was keeping our passengers safe.


So cabin crew will remain cool, calm and collected in an emergency then?

I’d like to think I would have done, but you can never tell till it happens.  I certainly know of some of my colleagues who between them were scared of going down the emergency slides, got claustrophobia in the smoke hoods and some could barely swim.  

On my first flight, I was sitting next to the over-wing emergency exits with a similarly inexperienced crew-member on the other side of the plane, and we both realised more or less simultaneously, that neither of us had the first clue how to the open the doors.  Our training planes had been rather different but fortunately, our ignorance wasn’t tested.

Did you often encounter troublesome passengers?

Very infrequently.  In my experience, it is alcohol which causes the most problems on planes.  I did have to restrain a drunk passenger once, employing the highly technical martial art technique of sitting on him and shouting for help.  

Any tricks for placating the enthusiastic boozer?

Putting mixers in first and floating a splash of alcohol on top so the first mouthful feels like a deceptively strong drink.  To be honest, it wasn’t often an issue since the people that drink heavily tend to fall asleep after a while.


Any hairy moments when flying?

Not as cabin crew, no.  All the oxygen masks fell out during one flight after the First Officer made a mistake, and the ground crew in Lusaka couldn’t get them back in so we had to fly for hours with these things dangling around.  The only other nervy moments were when Captains forgot how many “dings” on the intercom meant what.  We used to get some who would inadvertently signal that there was a major incident onboard the plane, and that would always get the heart-rate going a little.


Do you get to choose which part of the plane you work in?

This usually comes down to seniority – the more senior you are, the first pick you get.  


I assume First Class with the supermodels and A-listers is where everyone wants to be and not with us plebs at the back?

Yes and no.  First Class passengers were sometimes extremely demanding since they (or more likely their company) had paid a lot of money for the ticket, and they were determined to get their money’s worth.  Economy class passengers on long haul flights were generally quite a cheerful bunch since they were resigned to their fate.


Do cabin crew do any of the cooking onboard or is it all pre-prepared food which is reheated?

Mostly it was the latter but we did make the odd thing.  Scrambled eggs in First Class were made to order and I can recommend adding champagne to make them light and fluffy.  It never occurred to me that some people do not drink alcohol for health or religious reason.


Are there any good perks to being cabin crew?

We sometimes got presents from First Class passengers – a member of the Saudi Royal Family gave us all Rolexes for example.  I was provided with a chauffeur to show me around by a super-rich Ghanaian chap whilst he was busy in two days of meetings. 



http://www.skyscanner.net/news/cabin-crew-interview-life-flight-attendant

19 comments:

  1. Hi there, when you apply with EY do you think they called up those referees? I was thinking to use one from my recent employer and one from my university (used to be peer mentor there anyw) do you think this is acceptable? Btw hows life in Abu dhabi & in terms of salary how does EK and EY compare. Thanks so much for this blog btw. very insightful ! How are you now!

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    1. hi dear
      its 50% if etihad will call those references u wrote down....for me they never called them....so expect them to call ur references but u never know if they will or not...in my batch i remember not many had gotten a call
      yes thats totally ok to use ur recent employer + ur peer mentor at uni....
      my monthly salary in etihad was around 1400euros to 2200 euros/ month
      its all depends on the roster and where we fly ect....
      and i heard in emirates its similar but in etihad its just a little bit more....the salary i mean
      life is wonderful in abu dhabi to be honest, i enjoyed it a lot...its a charming city and whenever ur bored of abu dhabi u just go to dubai which is 1h away...as crew u have a lot of discounts in the city, and there is few activities to do here and there....the lifestyle is very comfy for crew with etihad/ek...
      you can read more here:

      http://cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.se/2013/04/summery-for-newbie-cabin-crews.html

      some informative links ect...

      have a lovely day dear
      xx

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    2. Really appreciate the detailed response, you sound so lovely!! Glad to know live in Abu dhabi is great, I was so exclusively eyeing for EK previously,did eyeing for EYE but did not think I will get invited to AD within just 3 hours of submitting my application. The process seems to be really similar with EK, btw just curious what do you think of the new EY #TheResidence concept? How are you now , keep blogging, you and your site are my source of inspiration <3 . Thanks so much for putting this blog up. You are sucha wonderful person :")!

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    3. awww vivien thank u for ur kind words, ur soooo sweet, 1000 hugs for u
      so cool u got invited for a ad with etihad, good luck,,,,hope it goes as u wish...
      yeah the process is pretty much similar to ek....both companies are great.
      its just a blessing to score either one of them anyway.........
      i have seen the ´´THE RESIDENCE´´ and i think its pretty cool that etihad will start this on the new A380, which is exciting...etihad is growing and building new things and being a part of that is totally exciting and huge...<3
      and i hope soon u get the chance to join the etihad team
      good luck dear and thank u for ur kindness
      god bless u
      xxx

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    4. Hi, I just have some few questions I hope you don't mind ><

      What is the career path like in EY, are there many crews from asia/europe etc? How long is the AD process take? I'm travelling to another city as it doesnt have AD in mine, just wondering is 4 days okay? Color contacts is prohibited, yeah? Oh and Reputation wise is EK really heaps better than them?

      In EK they have a turn to choose the flight they desire, how about in EY?

      Do you resign because of the environment in EY/AbuDhabi ( Do you think you will be able to stay on if you were with EK).

      Im so so sorry bombarding you with the many question. I'd seen many EK bloggers but not many EY bloggers. Your answer is like truly helpful, I hope you could reply. Many thanks before, really kind of you to take the time responding to us hopefuls !!

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    5. dear vivien
      no worries whatever questions u have ask them and i hope i can answer them :-)
      the career paths in etihad are TONS, etihad is a amazing company where u have the freedom to develop and get promotions very fast....ex once u worked in economy as crew, after approx 2 years u can get promotion to work in business/first class....than with good performance u can work as cabin senior than cabin manager, than work in the office ect ect...there is tons of opportunities that is so easy for people to get ect....
      and yes there is tonssssss of asian crew/European crew in etihad...u can find every nationality in etihad....which is amazing
      the assessment usually take 1 full day...
      when i had my assessment i flew in one friday, the Saturday i had the assessment than i flew back home on sunday night.....
      4 days would be perfect than....in case of flight delays ect....
      yeah better to not use color contacts....
      both companies are really great to be honest...i have tons of friends working for emirates and when we discussed the good/bad with etihad / emirates i didnt see much difference...
      of course every company have bad/good sides too but both are great....
      every airline have a request/bidding system....where crew can bid/request flights...this goes to etihad too :-)
      i have no idea to be honest if i would stayed longer if i worked with emirates and not etihad...who knows...
      but the mainly reason why i left etihad wasnt 100% work related...it was more personal reasons...yeah sure the job was stressful/ a lot of pressure as crew ect...but this is the same in emirates too....
      but working for etihad was seriously THE BEST year of my life...and i loved abu dhabi......

      i do recommend highly for people to work with etihad...or emirates both are great companies and will give so much to its crew :-)

      i hope these questions helps u get a picture of how things is ect :-)
      take care vivien :-)
      xxxx

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    6. Thank you so much for the detailed response. You are one of the loveliest people I know on the internet, I swear!! I'm sure wherever you go now, positive things will follow you. You are sucha wonderful being :") May be a small things, but to me your reply really make my day (gives me that much needed "push/pull" and confidence). AD in a month+, so nervous & excited, my BMI is 20 but I still think I should shred off more weight T_T Thanks again btw, I truly appreciate your response. Looking forward on your future post. Take care over there *hugs* <3

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    7. dear vivien,
      ur welcome dear whenever ur curious about something and want to ask,,,ask whatever u want...im just happy to help or come with whatever tips i have...
      im doing what i wish someone did for me when i needed help during my pre.- etihad journey
      .......and THANK U for being so sweet and kind....appreciate ur kindness
      also as or ur weight, dont worry much about that, i have had co workers in etihad of all shapes, etihad are far more open and kind to all shapes and form with its crew than emirates is :-)
      have a great day today
      be safe
      hugsssssssssssssss

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  2. Hi cabincrewdreamer ( Can I call U that?), I am going to attend an open day with Ek. Any advice for me? Ek and Ey interviews are the same? Thanks so much for your help and hope you a beautiful day!

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    1. hi dear...call me whatever u like :-)
      hope ur good
      the ek and ey assessment/interview is pretty much similar...not a big difference
      i have done both of them and its not a big difference...

      the advice i give u is to check these links below to get more answers...or a idea of how things will be

      http://cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.se/2014/02/i-answered-your-questions-related-to.html

      +

      http://cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.se/2012/03/etihad-airways-recruitment-process.html

      ´+

      http://cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.se/2013/07/tipsinfo-before-you-attend-your-ekey.html

      +

      http://cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.se/2013/04/summery-for-newbie-cabin-crews.html

      than i have few e-books and documents which would help for interviews and more..if ur interested i can email them to u
      either u send me ur email address here in the comment section or u write to me using the CONTACT ME FORM to ur right

      have a great day dear
      and good luck
      xxxxxxxxxx

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    2. Hi, Im interested in the ebook! my email: vivieeny@gmail.com

      Btw do you think EK have higher salary than EY? I saw the basic/hourly pay rates and it seems that way. I'm curious on whats your opinion on that.

      Thanks again for being so kind. You're suchan angel :")

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    3. vivien i just emailed u the stuff,,,check ur inbox when u have time.......the salary i got in etihad was around 1400euros to 2200 euros/ month depending on roster and where we flew...and what i heard is etihad pay a little bit higher salary than emirates...not much higher but just little bit...thats what i heard.....i think this might be the case because etihad have longer layover hours than emirates have at the moment...........
      take care
      hugsssssssssss

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  3. First of all, a big big thanks for your help and kindness. I had read and saved a lots useful information in your old post. However, I still feel nervous so much. This is the first time I join an interview with an airline. How did you do to keep your confidence and good mood in interview day?
    Many people attended an interview with Ek/Ey said that PREPARATION is THE KEY TO SUCCESS. In your opinion, is it right? Do I need prepare potential questions and answer by myself at home?
    And, Do you think making friend with as much as people in interview room is good? ( of course I think we shouldn't talk so much and behave like a boss ^-^)
    Lastly, as a friend talked above, you are one of the loveliest people I know on the internet, too xxxxxx
    My email address is juliele.mv@gmail.com (thanks again for your great kindness ^-^)
    Good day wonderful girl! xxxxxxxxx

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    1. Sorry for a lots spelling mistakes in my comment :">

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    2. hi dear hope ur well....and thank u for ur kindness....
      let me see if i can answer these questions...as best as i can :-)
      and all of these are my personal views and what i gathers through the years and what i seen ect...
      i fully understand that we can prepare and read tons of info and still its not enough and we still dont feel prepared enough....
      u mention this is the first time ur doing a airline interview..
      and let me tell u these recruiters in etihad/emirates love FRESH candidates who done these for the first time.....i have heard a lot of people scoring these jobs on the 1st try....dont know why its like this but something i noticed from the people who told me they scored the job....
      about keeping out confidence and good mood on that day
      well i think we just need to play a part...we need to pretend we are confident and happy...while deep inside we might be nervous and dont want to do this :-)
      u can be the most shyest person ever but it wont show if u just put up a act....and just feel UR CONFIDENT
      if u feel confident than just glow and shine and imagine U ALREADY got the job...this is a competition and everyone is fighting for the same price....everyone have equal chances
      so just smile and force urself that UR THE BEST and u will get this!!!!!
      its just mental...its all mental.....and in our heads.....
      U WILL SUCCEED AND U WILL WIN
      this is stuff u need to practice and have it in u :-)
      and eat a good breakfast :-)
      when u walk into the hotel WALK AS IF U ALREADY GOT THE JOB..AND FEEL PROUD OF DOING WHAT UR DOING...
      this is my tips heheheehe and what i tried to do when i did my etihad ad...and done in all my open days and assessment days + interviews....
      yes preparation is important, but it wont secure u the job 100%
      unfortunately....





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    3. u can have the best resume, the best look, the best educational background, the best working background, the best talk walk and manners and whatever....still its not 100% u will score the job...
      i have noticed this through the years i done all the open days, assessment days and interviews....
      i believe at the end of the day even if u do every single thing perfect
      WE NEED TO HAVE A BIT OF luck too :-)
      destiny plays a part too
      if its meant to be ect.....
      after i resigned etihad i attend 2 emirates open days....we all would think i would of course score the job....with all the experience and all the stuff i gained through the years but still i didnt even get a call to do a assessment...
      than what does this tell us?
      that we never know.....what i believe is if its meant to be we will get it....
      of course being prepared and do all the stuff correct give us a plus but thats not all....
      i have seen the best candidates lose the job...and the worse candidates score these jobs....thinking what the hell did the recruiters think?
      so i dont really know what the mystery is...or what the secret is
      i believe though that the recruiters have some kind of ratio...some kind of % they look for....in each city they go to...this goes to both ek/ey....
      there is this % they look for i guess and if we dont fall into that calculation or whatever it is...we might not fit .....in that exact recruitment event.....ect
      this is my personal opinion and what i observed :-)
      making friends in the interview room or not...thats not important i think
      it doesnt matter really...i dont think this part counts.....for anything
      we can be social if we want though :-)
      whenever i gone to these recruitment days....i always thought i dont want to talk to anyone inside the conference room cause sometimes certain candidates can ruin ur chances...like ex if u sit next to a girl who chit chat too much....the recruiter might think we both talk too much ect ect
      and arnt paying attention to them while they talk
      lol it has happened to me and im thinking GIRL STOP TALKING DONT U SEE THE RECRUITERS IS WATCHING US hehehehe
      funny
      like i felt its best to remain alone and have ur own energy around urself.....
      but sometimes its impossible because there is always someone who comes up to u and want to talk heheehehe
      outside the conference room is ok...but not inside the conference room
      but its up to each and one of us to feel how it is and act during whatever situation comes....
      anyhow i sent u the e-books and the documents....check ur inbox...
      i hope these stuff i wrote can give u a picture of how it might be
      and yes do prepare the interview questions always good to know what might come and what we might say
      wish u all the best on ur coming ad/interview ect....
      we will see what life has in store for all of us :-)
      take care dear and thank u for being so sweet
      have a great friday
      xxxx

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    4. Thank you very much. I feel as if my sister is making careful recommendations to me before important events.
      You are so kind not only to what details you share but also how enthusiastic and devoted you gave into your sharing comments.
      So sad when know that sometimes we need a bit of luck.
      But your share helped me confidents a lots.
      You're right, we just need to play a part...we need to pretend we are confident and happy...while deep inside we might be nervous and dont want to do this ^^
      I WILL WALK AS IF I ALREADY GOT THE JOB and GLOW and SHINE haha
      I don't know how to express my deep gratitude to you - the loveliest girl in the world! xxxxxxx
      A nice new week to you and your family!
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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    5. ♥♥
      awww dear, ur beyond sweet, now i have a tear in my eye, totally we all are sisters and brother all of us :-)
      hopefully helping each other, giving each other kindness and light :-)
      im just giving back...this is all i know to give back :-)
      u know a lot of people say BE URSELF when doing these assessment and interviews ect....yes we should be ourselves but we should ACT too...be someone we arnt...because recruiters have a list of stuff they want U TO BE....they want to find someone who fit this list ect...thats why we need to act, dress the part, and talk -walk ect as if we already are WHAT THEY WANT.....
      if they cant see it, thats their losss...and we try again...
      if they can see it than yayyy for us :-)
      good luck dear and yes WALK TALL AND PROUD
      SHINE BRIGHT DEAR DIAMOND
      cause u have equal right and opportunity to score this as the next girl....
      good luck dear and wish u all the best from the bottom of my heart
      have a lovely sunday
      hugsssssssss dear sister
      xxxxx
      ♥♥

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    6. Dear sister!
      A big hug to you. I am moved to tear, too.
      Although we have never met, I still feel so close. I will try my best and keep in mind your great advices. I will also share what you shared me to other people. Helping them with enthusiasm and kindness as U did.
      Until I finish this journey of dream, I will inform you right away. I promise <3
      Hope you always happy and optimistic like that! Lovely sister! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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