Updated August 8, 2024
HOW TO SHINE IN THE INTERVIEW
The interviewing process for flight attendants is like no other interview you have ever experienced. Instead of a sedate review of your past work history conducted at the human resources office of a corporation, you may find yourself singing and dancing in front of a crowd of people! Because of this, the savvy applicant practices for interviews with his airlines of choice by attending interviews with airlines at which he does not intend to work. This practice will better prepare you for any question or situation an interviewer might throw at you. You can also gain valuable information by using the resources listed in the “Additional References” section in the back of this book, beginning on page 168.
Knowledge is a valuable tool, and there is no such thing as too much interview knowledge. Most airlines start the flight attendant interview with a road show group interview, or “cattle call.” A large hall will be rented and groups of applicants will be given an overview of the airline and job requirements. Be sure to have all your resume information with you because you likely will be asked to complete a formal application at this time. One of the surest ways to be bumped from an interview is to say, “Can I get back to you on these dates? I don’t have that information with me.” If the airline had sent you an application, you should bring it with you, completely and neatly filled out, before you arrive at the interview. As explained in the previous chapter, you would be wise to photocopy the blank application form, so you can practice completing it, then put that information on the original copy as neatly as possible. You should also make a photocopy of the finished application, and bring it with you to your interview.
Following the “cattle call,” small groups of applicants may be taken before a panel of interviewers. Further interviews may be given at that time or applicants may be notified about follow–up interviews by phone or mail. The second and third interviews may consist of groups of applicants meeting with a panel of interviewers, a single applicant meeting with a panel, or a one–on–one interview. You may be sent a pass to travel on your prospective airline to interview in its training city. These “online” passes are good only on that airline’s routes. If you don’t live near a city your airline flies to, you will have to pay your own way to get to the closest city where that airline operates.
So what makes these interviews so different that brave people tremble at the mere thought of them? The fact is, the interviewers already know your personal history — it’s on your application which has been pre–screened before you arrive. What the interviewers want to find out about you is your character:
• How do you handle stress?
• How well do you work as a team player?
• How well can you take direction?
• How do you conduct yourself when faced with a difficult passenger situation?
• Are your social graces developed enough to fulfill the requirements of the job?
These characteristics will be the focus of your interview. Consequently, interviewers are not necessarily going to ask you about your last job. They’re going to put you in situations to see how you resolve them. For example, you may be asked to stand up on a stage in front of your group of applicants and sing the company’s slogan, or invent a new one. They may give you an object, perhaps a pen or paper clip, and instruct you to “sell” it to the group. Many of these scenarios have no “right” or “wrong” solution. The interviewers do not expect you to know their specific corporate policies. Your answers show them how well you think on your feet and apply common sense in your solutions.
Airlines love to throw hard questions at you, to see how you react, such as:
• “You have such beautiful long hair. Are you willing to cut your hair short to get this job?”
• “This job will require you to move to NewYork (or Des Moines, Walla Walla, Timbuktu). Will this create a strain on your relationship with your girlfriend?”
• “You will have to work every holiday for the next three years before you even have the possibility of getting a holiday off. Are you prepared for this?”
• “Why do you want to be a flight attendant?” [Do not answer this question with the standard reply: “Because I love people and I love to fly!” Interviewers hear that response hundreds of times a day. A more effective answer would be to outline what you have to offer your prospective airline.]
This is one place where your homework really pays off. Mention the new city that the airline is flying to, or the new candidate for CEO, etc. If you choose this airline for the chance to use your language skills, let them know that. Everyone being interviewed wants to be a flight attendant. The airline wants to know why it should choose you over the others. What skills will you bring to the airline to improve its position in the marketplace? Let there be no doubt about it, pressure is placed on you to perform because there are no right or wrong responses.
If you list a foreign language on your application, someone will test you, so you had better know more of the language than just “Buenos Días!” Throughout the entire interview process, consider yourself on stage. It is common for an airline to evaluate you as you wait to be called into an interview session. One of your fellow applicants is often a company employee working undercover. She may talk with you before the interview and reveal that she “heard” the airline is not a good one to work for. Never speak negatively about the airline, or compare it to other companies in a conversation with another job candidate. They could be undercover employees who will convey your answers back to the company. Some airlines even go so far as to ask the working crew how you behaved on the flight to the interview! They will be observing you to see how you get along with the other applicants. Did you mingle with other applicants and engage them in conversation; or did you sit off by yourself in a corner? A friendly and outgoing personality is better suited for this career than the shy, retiring type
Throughout your interviews, whether they are group, panel, or individual interviews, maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. And always, always, remember and use the interviewer’s name. If you’re in a group interview, remember the names of the other applicants and listen to what they’re saying in their responses. Then use this information in your own responses, in a scenario much like this:
INTERVIEWER JANE: “And what do you feel is the main reason for flight attendants on an aircraft?”
YOU: “Well, Jane, I agreed with Ralph when he said it’s for passenger comfort, but I feel the most essential reason for flight attendants to be on board is passenger safety.”
After the interview, be sure to thank your interviewer(s) by name. Reiterate to them how you would like to be a part of their in–flight team, and what you think is the key skill you would bring to the position. This will leave them with a good impression of you, which they will remember when deciding who continues on to the next level of the application process and who receives the rejection letter. If you get the opportunity, this is the time to attach a small photo to your application form or resume. It should not be much larger than two inches square and should be a professional–looking shot of your head and shoulders. Interviewers may talk with hundreds of applicants in a day and make notes on their applications. As they try to narrow down their choices at the end of the day, interviewers will review the applications that weren’t immediately rejected. Having a photo on your application gives them a visual image that will help them remember your interview, and the impression you made. Sometimes it’s those tiny details that make or break you.
As noted earlier, many airlines require you to complete an application at the interview. Let’s say you forgot to bring a pen: you ask the interviewer for one and are given a pencil. Later, when the interviewers go through the applications, they will throw out the ones filled out in pencil. This little trick enables them to identify those applicants who showed up unprepared, and therefore are probably not very good at planning ahead for a given situation. Are you friendly and talkative, or are you shy and keep to yourself? Your posture and how you sit, walk, and talk will all be checked. This information may be reported to the interviewers before you enter their office, or may be noted on your application form in a code the interviewers understand. Always be on guard at all times, not just when you are in front of the interviewers. Are you slumped against the wall or slouching in your seat while waiting to be called? Is this what you would consider “professional flight attendant” demeanor? Your interviewers will not! Be friendly, talkative, and sincerely interested in the people around you.
Don’t criticize the company or any other airline. Always be as upbeat and positive as possible. Even if it is allowed, don’t smoke during the interview process. All U.S. and Canadian airlines are now non-smoking environments. A couple of airlines will not even consider applicants who use nicotine products. As a working crew member, you will have to comply with the same smoking restrictions as your passengers. So it’s best to quit smoking now, before you apply or get hired. And the new "electronic" cigarettes are not allowed to be used in flight.
Interview attire is also important. A smartly tailored suit that is clean and pressed will give you a more businesslike appearance than a trendy or extreme outfit. Avoid wearing too much makeup; apply just enough to enhance your natural features. It’s a fallacy that airlines seek only flight attendants who look like fashion models. They hire the complete person. Age, weight, height, and appearance standards have been relaxed over the years, making this career available to a larger cross–section of the public. You should want to put your best appearance forward. Neat, recently trimmed hair (most men wearing beards will be asked to shave when hired), clean hands and manicured nails (nail biters seldom get hired), a clear complexion, and a slim, well–proportioned figure are very important for both sexes. Women should wear small, simple earrings and avoid excessively large or dangling ear adornments. Men should not wear an earring, even though a few airlines may allow male flight attendants to wear a simple stud in their ear. Body piercing in other locations is unacceptable and should not be worn to the interview.
Tattoos should not be visible when you are clothed, and especially when you are clothed in your uniform. If your airlines has only short-sleeved shirts and you have arm tats, you will not be considered. Your appearance contributes to whether airline passengers will have confidence in you — and the airline wants flight attendants who inspire confidence in the passengers. This is not a platform for you to express your beliefs or style ideas. Airlines are looking for a uniform appearance.
A lot has been written about weight requirements. Recent lawsuits against airlines by older flight attendants required to maintain their hiring weight well into their mature years have been settled in favor of the flight attendants. Now airlines simply say that weight must be “in proportion to height,” as opposed to following strict height/weight charts, and you may be tested to ensure you fit in your jumpseat with seatbelt on, and are able to pass through the aircrafts' smallest exit. It will, however, improve your chances at the interview if your body is in good physical condition. Remember, a flight attendant’s primary function is safety. So it is quite reasonable for an airline to require its flight attendants to be physically fit. Be forewarned that it is very easy to gain weight while working as a flight attendant. Maintaining a regular schedule of exercise can be difficult. Therefore, it is imperative that you begin now to control your weight and physical condition. The appearance criteria may be very subjective.
Every airline looks for a different type of person. Some want the all–American look, others want the sophisticate. Still others will want the characteristics most traditionally associated with the regions in which they operate. Each company and each interviewer for that company has a different interpretation of what will fulfill their needs. It’s not unusual for an applicant to be turned down by an airline one day and hired by another the next. A major carrier rejected a friend of mine three times before hiring him on the fourth try. Your interviewer is usually a flight attendant on special assignment who is not a professionally trained interviewer. It may come down to five excellent candidates and only four openings. This is where all the little things you do in the interview make or break you. If you are rejected, turn this disappointment into a positive learning experience and go on to interview with other carriers. If you do not hear from an airline within a couple of weeks after the interview, you probably have not been accepted for training. Do not become discouraged or take it personally. Sometimes the personal preferences of the interviewer subconsciously affect her judgment. Perhaps he does not like blondes, New Yorkers, or Albert Belle fans.
Perseverance is the key to success. If you are turned down by an airline, you will rarely be told why. Any attempts to discover why you were rejected will probably fail. Keep in mind that an average interview series can have hundreds of applicants, and that the interviewers travel to many cities to conduct these interviews. Speaking with the decision makers can be next to impossible. Many career counselors routinely advise sending a “thank you” note to interviewers. But this does not make much sense for flight attendant applicants because of the nature of the interviewing process. Connecting the note with your application or your interviewer may be impossible. Simply accept the loss of this application window, move on, and apply to that airline again at your next eligible date.
You would be prudent to bring the following items to your interview:
• Social Security card (US) or Social Insurance Number (Canada)
• Passport • A certified copy of your birth certificate
• Copies of your resume
• All the information needed on the application (this could be your resume)
• Letters of reference • Alien registration and work permit (if you are not a citizen of the country where the airline is hiring)
• Pen
• Watch
Your cell phone should be turned off and put away for the duration of the interview process. Allow adequate travel time to avoid arriving late. Interviewers will close the doors to the interview room promptly at the specified time. If you are even a minute late, you will either be denied entrance until the next session, or will be allowed to enter — though you now have two strikes against you. Why this test? Airlines operate on strict schedules. You must be punctual and reliable if you want to work in this industry. This is not the career for you if you are habitually late. In fact, if you are even five minutes late more than once for your flights, you are fast on your way to looking for a new job. So, as the interviewers see it, if you can’t arrive at the interview on time, how likely is it that you will be on time for the flights you work? A few airlines have started to give successful interviewees a written test before making a final hiring decision. You would be prudent to check in advance with any airline that interviews you to learn if flight attendant candidates must take a written test and, if so, what the test covers.
-excerpt from THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT CAREER GUIDE -POST COVID EDITION.