Info. on becoming a Flight Attendant?

A nursing degree and speaking a second language would help if you are applying to be a flight attendant. If you have done a lot of research, then you know what is involved, and what your qualifications would be. It's not so glamorous as you think and the pay is on the low side.

There are sites and literature that might help you with the application/interviewing process but it is not necessary to purchase anything - the main thing is to be engaging and interact with the other interviewees during your groups. Understand the S.T.A.R. process. Also know that you will be scrutinized from the moment you walk in the door.

Well, since you have done your research, you should be familiar with the qualifications required for individual airlines. A degree in nursing, along with foreign language fluency and a First Aid/CPR certificate should make you more qualified. It takes a lot of work just to get yourself qualified enough to be hired! Only 10% of applicants are actually hired on average. So its very competitive! Don't think that this is just traveling for free. That's what most applicants think when they apply. It comes with a ton of hard work and sacrifices. Firstly, the job is very demanding. Both physically and mentally. You spend a long, long time on your feet and you become very exhausted all the time. You age faster and develop skin issues from the dry air. Your feet and ankles are always swollen from the constant standing. You are also more prone to sickness.You are constantly yelled at and belittled by rude passengers who see you as a waitress/prostitute (I'm being serious). You suffer from jet lag constantly, and sleep at odd times. At the beginning, you get the least desired flights. You work at odd hours (2am starts etc) for long periods of time. It can be 6+ days before you get back to your house. The pay is crap (around 1000USD a month at the beginning). The seniority progression is also very slow. It will take you around 17yrs to gain enough seniority to start doing international flights (for the US and Canada and some Euro airlines). Even then you get the crappy international flights. You also need to be prepared to relocate anywhere in the country, as you will be assigned a base city. You will see your family rarely, and you are guaranteed to work weekends and on holidays/special events. Remember, flights operate 24/7 365 days a year. You could leave at 9pm, do various domestic flights and return home at 7am. That's easily how your day could look. Also, when you arrive into a city, it could just be for 10hrs in the middle of the night at an airport hotel. Just enough to wash and be ready to fly again. Its not like the show Pan Am where they have days and days to tour international cities. Its not easy, so remember the downsides. As for material, don't fall for those "flight attendant schools". Each airline trains their crew regardless of previous experience. There are some books written to help with the interview process, you could find them on amazon.com. As for tips, I don't know what to say. Just don't be one of those idiots at the open day that are just in for the job to travel for free. Traveling is a perk, not the whole job. The recruiters can see right through that. Good luck.

As with many in this industry, I am on my third airline (due to layoffs, acquisitions, etc.). I have interviewed with 6 or 7 airlines. In every case, I was offered a job, so the following advice may be helpful to you. Any airline that hires you will train you, so you do not need any kind of training beforehand. Do not go to a "trade school" specifically for the airline industry; it is a waste of your time and money. Any college will be a benefit however. If you are fluent in more than one language that can be a plus. You would apply directly to the airline, just as with any large employer. Most airlines require you to be 21 with a good customer service background , and a solid verifiable work history. There is a free website written by a flight attendant which gives a wealth of information about the job as well as listing which airlines are hiring http://www.flightattendantcareer.com When an airline opens up the job opportunity, (which is rare) they normally get tens of thousands of applications, so make sure that your resume reflects the skills and background they are looking for. If your resume is pulled, you will get an email inviting you to a group interview. The airlines are looking for flexible, dependable employees who can contribute to the success of the company. Let them know what you can do for them to provide great customer service. Most airlines prefer "seasoned" people who are responsible, who will show up to work on time and who can deal with difficult situations in a poised and mature manner. You must be willing to relocate and work very flexible and unpredictable hours. If you are not willing to, don't even bother going through the hiring process. What do they look for? 1. Friendly (you interact in a positive way with everyone you encounter in the interview venue and this includes your fellow interviewees) 2. Well groomed 3. Polite 4. Team player 5. Confident and poised. 6. Able to speak clearly 7. Customer service background. If you are called, show up to the interview looking well groomed and professional. This is not the time to show off your fashion flair. If possible, wear a dark suit and white shirt or blouse. If you are female, have a conservative hairstyle and if your hair is long, pull it back or wear it up. Wear minimal makeup, cover up any tattoos, and remove any studs, etc. Only have one or two earrings in each ear lobe. Men, good hair cut, clean shaven, etc. In the information session, you will be told that you will probably be on reserve for some time (which means you are on call with no fixed schedule.) They will emphasize that while on reserve you will have no life. This is true and if you cannot cope with this, forget about this job. You will also be informed that you must pass a 10 year background check, a drug test, a physical and that you must be completely honest about any legal or criminal activity, even something as small as a speeding ticket. Do not omit anything ; it will all come out in the background check. If you are selected during the information session you will be called in for a group interview and a one-on-one interview. If all is good, you will have a drug test, a physical and the background check prior to a solid job offer. If offered a job, you will then go to the airline’s training base for initial training lasting 3-6 weeks. You must pass this training, and it is quite challenging. After completing training you will be flying and will be on probation for 6 months to a year. There is annual recurrent training that you must pass. Good luck! It is a great job for the right person.

As with many in this industry, I am on my third airline (due to layoffs, acquisitions, etc.). I have interviewed with 6 or 7 airlines. In every case, I was offered a job, so the following advice may be helpful to you. Any airline that hires you will train you, so you do not need any kind of training beforehand. Do not go to a "trade school" specifically for the airline industry; it is a waste of your time and money. Any college will be a benefit however. If you are fluent in more than one language that can be a plus. You would apply directly to the airline, just as with any large employer. Most airlines require you to be 21 with a good customer service background , and a solid verifiable work history. There is a free website written by a flight attendant which gives a wealth of information about the job as well as listing which airlines are hiring http://www.flightattendantcareer.com When an airline opens up the job opportunity, (which is rare) they normally get tens of thousands of applications, so make sure that your resume reflects the skills and background they are looking for. If your resume is pulled, you will get an email inviting you to a group interview. The airlines are looking for flexible, dependable employees who can contribute to the success of the company. Let them know what you can do for them to provide great customer service. Most airlines prefer "seasoned" people who are responsible, who will show up to work on time and who can deal with difficult situations in a poised and mature manner. You must be willing to relocate and work very flexible and unpredictable hours. If you are not willing to, don't even bother going through the hiring process. What do they look for? 1. Friendly (you interact in a positive way with everyone you encounter in the interview venue and this includes your fellow interviewees) 2. Well groomed 3. Polite 4. Team player 5. Confident and poised. 6. Able to speak clearly 7. Customer service background. If you are called, show up to the interview looking well groomed and professional. This is not the time to show off your fashion flair. If possible, wear a dark suit and white shirt or blouse. If you are female, have a conservative hairstyle and if your hair is long, pull it back or wear it up. Wear minimal makeup, cover up any tattoos, and remove any studs, etc. Only have one or two earrings in each ear lobe. Men, good hair cut, clean shaven, etc. In the information session, you will be told that you will probably be on reserve for some time (which means you are on call with no fixed schedule.) They will emphasize that while on reserve you will have no life. This is true and if you cannot cope with this, forget about this job. You will also be informed that you must pass a 10 year background check, a drug test, a physical and that you must be completely honest about any legal or criminal activity, even something as small as a speeding ticket. Do not omit anything ; it will all come out in the background check. If you are selected during the information session you will be called in for a group interview and a one-on-one interview. If all is good, you will have a drug test, a physical and the background check prior to a solid job offer. If offered a job, you will then go to the airline’s training base for initial training lasting 3-6 weeks. You must pass this training, and it is quite challenging. After completing training you will be flying and will be on probation for 6 months to a year. There is annual recurrent training that you must pass. Good luck! It is a great job for the right person.

Well, since you have done your research, you should be familiar with the qualifications required for individual airlines. A degree in nursing, along with foreign language fluency and a First Aid/CPR certificate should make you more qualified. It takes a lot of work just to get yourself qualified enough to be hired! Only 10% of applicants are actually hired on average. So its very competitive! Don't think that this is just traveling for free. That's what most applicants think when they apply. It comes with a ton of hard work and sacrifices. Firstly, the job is very demanding. Both physically and mentally. You spend a long, long time on your feet and you become very exhausted all the time. You age faster and develop skin issues from the dry air. Your feet and ankles are always swollen from the constant standing. You are also more prone to sickness.You are constantly yelled at and belittled by rude passengers who see you as a waitress/prostitute (I'm being serious). You suffer from jet lag constantly, and sleep at odd times. At the beginning, you get the least desired flights. You work at odd hours (2am starts etc) for long periods of time. It can be 6+ days before you get back to your house. The pay is crap (around 1000USD a month at the beginning). The seniority progression is also very slow. It will take you around 17yrs to gain enough seniority to start doing international flights (for the US and Canada and some Euro airlines). Even then you get the crappy international flights. You also need to be prepared to relocate anywhere in the country, as you will be assigned a base city. You will see your family rarely, and you are guaranteed to work weekends and on holidays/special events. Remember, flights operate 24/7 365 days a year. You could leave at 9pm, do various domestic flights and return home at 7am. That's easily how your day could look. Also, when you arrive into a city, it could just be for 10hrs in the middle of the night at an airport hotel. Just enough to wash and be ready to fly again. Its not like the show Pan Am where they have days and days to tour international cities. Its not easy, so remember the downsides. As for material, don't fall for those "flight attendant schools". Each airline trains their crew regardless of previous experience. There are some books written to help with the interview process, you could find them on amazon.com. As for tips, I don't know what to say. Just don't be one of those idiots at the open day that are just in for the job to travel for free. Traveling is a perk, not the whole job. The recruiters can see right through that. Good luck.

There are sites and literature that might help you with the application/interviewing process but it is not necessary to purchase anything - the main thing is to be engaging and interact with the other interviewees during your groups. Understand the S.T.A.R. process. Also know that you will be scrutinized from the moment you walk in the door.

You would be much better off being a nurse if you have what it takes. Flight attendants need Hollywood teeth and that is about it. A nurse contributes to the well-being of the ill and all that crap. And they make far more money than a flight attendant will ever see. My mom retired at 65 making almost $100K a year with great benefits and insurance. Find a flight attendant who makes the much? Not gonna happen.

You would be much better off being a nurse if you have what it takes. Flight attendants need Hollywood teeth and that is about it. A nurse contributes to the well-being of the ill and all that crap. And they make far more money than a flight attendant will ever see. My mom retired at 65 making almost $100K a year with great benefits and insurance. Find a flight attendant who makes the much? Not gonna happen.