Cabin Crew Careers
For many people considering their career options the attractions of joining an airline to work as a member of the cabin crew are many and varied. Cabin crew can look forward to on the job training, a structured career path, variety in their daily routines, a vibrant social life and of course, plenty of travel. They can also enjoy the usual financial benefits of being an employee of an airline and they have the choice of union protection and support if they so desire.
For many young people the idea of becoming a Flight Attendant has plenty of advantages and no disadvantages, but those with starry-eyed dreams of a life of glamour and fun at high altitude should also bear in the mind the skills required of cabin crew and the stresses and strains of the job. As a member of the cabin crew you will be expected to carry out all kinds of duties which require high degrees of patience, quick thinking, and strong communication skills.
How would you react to a passenger who became ill, disruptive, or drunk? Could you cope with a long shift when tired after a poor night’s sleep in a foreign hotel? Could you remain calm and carry out your duties in an emergency? The initial training will help you prepare for the majority of the situations that Flight Attendants have to deal with on a frequent basis, and you should bear in mind that thousands of people have gone through the same training and enjoyed long and fruitful careers afterwards, so don’t be disheartened if you think you wouldn’t be able to cope. The purpose of training is to practice and prepare for just these kinds of incidents. You will be given ample opportunity to role-play these situations in mock aircraft fuselages and cabins.
Your confidence will grow as you progress through the training courses. In past decades Air Stewardesses (the majority were female) along with the Pilots were part of an aviation elite. Air travel was glamorous and exclusive, and although those days are no longer with us and travel aboard airliners is now comparatively cheap and commonplace, there is a great deal of job satisfaction to be derived from wearing the airline’s uniform and doing and excellent job looking after your passengers. Yes, a few of them can be difficult and trying, but the majority are glad to see the cabin crew and only wish for a safe and comfortable flight. They know that the Flight Attendants are there for safety as well as service.
Would-be Flight Attendants will find plenty of free information online which will help them prepare for their careers. For example, there are blogs written by working Flight Attendants in which you can read uncensored accounts of real life situations and incidents that occur during flights on many airlines around the world. There are aviation career websites that offer advice on training and which list the latest cabin crew job vacancies. You can prepare for your career in several ways before you approach an airline or respond to a cabin crew job advertisement.
For example, you could take a basic first aid course, take a correspondence course to gain a diploma, attend a local college to obtain a qualification in travel and tourism, or even learn a second language. One word of warning however; check the credentials of any company offering online or correspondence courses. Make sure they are valid and up to date before you part with any cash. You could also ask to see testimonials from former students. Cabin crew jobs always generate more applicants than there are positions so you will be competing with others.
With thorough preparation and examples of how you have studied and trained yourself you will be much better equipped for the all important interview for selection as a trainee. In order to give yourself an edge that the airline recruiters will notice, take the first steps on your own initiative and you’ll soon see that offer letter in your hands.
Ben is the owner of Cabin Crew Salary – an information and resource site for anyone considering working for an airline as a Flight Attendant. There you will find links to all kinds of useful blogs and websites, as well as various articles on aviation and air travel careers.
Cabin Crew Salary is just one of a network of aviation websites covering many aspects of aviation from private flying at low level to life at high altitude aboard airliners. You’ll find the other sites listed on the Links page.