The Process Airlines Use For Hiring Flight Attendants

Before you submit an application for a position as a flight attendant with an airline, you should be aware of the process that airlines usually go through when hiring flight attendants. You need to thoroughly read the job posting to determine the preferred method of submitting the application. Most airlines now want the applications submitted electronically, but you may still be able to send your resume in the mail. This is easy enough to do by logging onto the airline website and using the appropriate link for sending email.

Once you have all your documentation in place and you write the cover letter and your resume, then you submit and wait anxiously for a call for an interview. This interview may be conducted over the telephone if you do not live in the vicinity of the head offices of the airline or you may have to go to the nearest airport to meet with the human resources personnel. More often than not, the airlines hold an open house interview in which all applicants where you meet with the recruiters and pass in your resume and application at the same time. This will give the recruiters an opportunity of how well you conduct yourself when speaking to a group of people because you will have to give a short description of your work experience and qualifications to the group.

After this open house interview, the recruiters will select the applicants they want to interview one-on-one and will announce the names of those that they would like to stay or come back later for a second interview. You may have to return home and wait for a call for the second interview or receive notification by mail. In this second interview, you will be questioned by a panel and you may have a scenario in which you have to demonstrate your skills at handling problems that could arise onboard the aircraft.

How often an airline does hire flight attendants depends on their needs. Since airlines have their own training facilities, they may wait until they have openings for a few jobs or several airlines may work together to hire enough flight attendants to fill a class. Once you do submit your application and have gone through the first stage of the interviewing process, you should never call the airlines to check on your hiring status. Don't narrow your possibilities by applying to only one airline ?apply to several and hope to get hired by one of them.

Even when you pass the interviewing step, you still have to pass the training required by the airline to be officially hired for the position. This training could be from 4 to 7 weeks in duration depending on the size of the airline and the number of flights it has.

There could be between 30 and 100 trainees in the class, which starts at about 8 in the morning and runs until about 4:30 or 5 in the evening. In this training you learn emergency evacuation procedures, how to deal with safety and security issues, how to handle difficult or nervous passengers as well as flight regulations and procedures and the company policies. You do need to pass this training with a mark of at least 90%.