CABIN CREW INTERVIEW GUIDE: BE READY TO TAKE THE SKIES!
By Nicoleta Gherman, aviation specialist
Once you have found an interview announcement relating to cabin crew jobs, you either have to fill in the application form then get invited to an assessment day (AD) or prepare all required documents and attend an open day (OD). Don’t forget that depending on your qualifications found in the CV and cover letters, recruiters will select eligible applicants to participate in cabin crew job interviews. If you don’t meet the criteria set by the airline, including customer service experience, language knowledge, level of education, height, etc. you will not be invited to attend the interview.
- During the OD, all candidates are requested to hand in their documents to one of the recruiting officers and answer typical questions. If everything goes well, in the evening you will get an e-mail or a phone call and you will be invited to attend the AD next day. If the airline invites you from the beginning to an AD, your documents should already be submitted via their application form. Application forms must be carefully and neatly filled in.
- The next stage of the hiring process includes testing, many airlines implementing English or other language examinations in order to test the candidates’ proficiency. Other airlines require a short Math test based on division, currency conversion, multiplication, time zones calculation, etc.
- Candidates must also pass a grooming test and reach test, meaning that you have to show good posture and to demonstrate the ability to physically reach an overhead height or have a certain height.
- Airlines are looking for well-prepared persons and most likely they might put you in various hypothetical customer care scenarios (role-plays), asking you to give the correct answers. Before answering any question, always keep in mind that in aviation safety comes first, then passenger service. Show your service mind skills and that you have experience in dealing with customers, by solving the customer’s problem/s with care and in a helpful manner. Make your customer happy, so the recruiter will see in you a person ready to face the customers’ needs up in the sky. But what is service mind? Onboard an aircraft it is an activity that should be done in a civilized manner, showing a lot of attention, patience to your guests, all these with a smile from the heart. The service you provide it doesn’t only mean to serve the passengers with food, beverages or sell duty-free products, but also to anticipate their needs, offering an excellent service. You must show the recruiters that you can represent the image of the company very well through your customer service skills. It is also very important to document yourself and learn more not only about geography, but also about worldwide cuisine and culture differences, before attending an interview. In this way you are able to offer an elaborated and a complex service on board.
- During the creativity or group exercises you must show your interaction skills, as this job is all about teamwork; recruiters are not very interested in the subject matter, but more in how well you cope with the given situation and in your personal charisma. Do not ignore anyone’s ideas and give all your colleagues the chance to talk. Show your sensitivity and try not to disagree with anyone. As future cabin crew, one of your tasks is also to make your colleagues feel comfortable and help them when in need.
- During the interview (when handing in your CV, when doing the grooming check or during the Final Interview) you might be asked typical questions like: “Why did you apply at our airline?” or “What do you know about us?” etc. Before any interview you need to do your homework, as most of the airlines want to know how interested you are in the company. This is standard practice, so the best place to get the latest information about the airline is their website. You should read general news about their routes, new aircraft, latest prizes, partner airlines or even general aviation knowledge. If asked “Why do you want to become a cabin crew?”, “Why should we hire you?” or just “Tell me something about yourself”, then you should be specific and show in what areas of prior employment did you get the most customer interaction. Show that you are a happy person, adaptable, self-motivated, willing to meet lots of new people to make their day great and ready to learn new things and work in a fast paced environment. You can also say a little bit about the relevant work experience and accomplishments you contributed with to the previous company. Some other times you may be asked to describe different situations when you helped someone or delivered very good customer service. Don’t forget that you need to respond with a real teamwork situation if possible, when you really did well, explaining how you behaved in the group, showing what you did and the result too. You practically have to show your problem solving and communication skills.
- Further on, successful applicants will move on to the Final Interview (FI), which is the face-to-face final stage of any airline interview process. This will include a panel or one-on-one session with the recruiting team. During this part of the interview, the interviewers may ask you again some typical questions or even develop subjects based on your résumé. Now it’s the time to show the relevant skills gained in your current or previous employment and connect them as much as possible to the role of cabin crew. This information provides the recruiters with an insight into your motives and perceptions.
Good luck and get ready for success!