subject: Flight Attendant – High Altitude Waitress or Aviation Professional [print this page] Flight Attendant High Altitude Waitress or Aviation Professional
We get lots of emails and calls from people wanting to become flight attendants. As in any aviation job search you will need to do some research before you can make the right career choices and we welcome people visiting the site and asking questions.
Life as a Flight Attendant
As a flight attendant, your role is primarily to ensure the safety of the passengers. There have been many stories where flight attendants have acted heroically and saved many lives when aircraft find themselves in difficultly. The most notable recent story was of a flight attendant who found herself in the co-pilots' seat after a pilot became ill!
Training
With safety being the priority, flight attendants spend many hours learning the drills and procedures that will be used in the event of an incident. The training is serious but can be fun. You will learn how to detect and fight a fire, how to use the special equipment, how to give first aid and how to evacuate an aircraft on the land and water. There are many airlines that offer some extra enrichment and introduce some principles of flight and aerodynamics.
The side of the flight attendants job we see most of is the service. This training varies massively from airline to airline. You will be introduced to the correct etiquette and the style of service expected by the airline.
Language
If employed as expat cabin crew there is often some language training and some cultural instruction so you don't inadvertently cause offence to the passengers. There are some really good schools out there that tailor thier courses to the Aviation Industry such as our partner Aviation English. If you need to imporve your English its worth checking them out.
How do you get a job as a flight attendant?
Research is the key, check out the online resources and keep up date with the news online. Keep up to date with sites like Flight Crew Finder that do the reseach for you. Currently both British AIrways and Emirates are recruiting.
Network
Develop as many contacts as you can by using online tools and get in touch with friends of friends who may work for the airline. You never know who may hear about a recruitment process first. Stay in touch and exchange experiences. Ask them to let you know when they may be recruiting.
Engage on bulletin boards and ask questions. Experienced Flight Attendants frequent these places and are always willing to offer advice to new recruits. If you are an experienced Flight Attendant then help others follow their dreams.
Once all your research has been colmpeted, draw up a shortlist of the companies you want to work for. Find out who is responsible for the recruiting of cabin crew and send them a personal letter.
Look into companies such as Swan Heights who specialise in providing premium Flight Attendant training. As a complimentary service they also offer a placement solution such as the jobs listed on Flight Crew Finder.
The life of a cabin crew can be exciting, interesting and it will give you the opportunity to travel the world. Like most jobs, getting on the first step of the ladder can be hard but with some research and determination you can find yourself in the fastest moving industry in the world.
