Crew of the month: The story of Shirley, Myanmar Airlines cabin crew
by Nicoleta Gherman, founder
Her name is Shirley Naing and she is a 24 years old lady. Born on February 1993 in Lashio, a city in Northern Myanmar, she graduated from Mandalay Distance University with a bachelor degree in Psychology. Shirley is a Myanmar Chinese girl who can speak three languages. Currently, she is working as a flight attendant in Myanmar, but before that was working as an accountant. People simply know her as a happy person because always sees the positive side of things. She always tries to keep herself optimistic and ensure that the positivity spreads to people around.
What motivated you to become a cabin crew? (Was it a dream from childhood or not?
From the bottom of my heart I knew I had always wanted to travel and see the world. I enjoy seeing different scenery and meeting different people from all over the world. I have such an appreciation for diversity and an interest in learning differing and common values among people. One day, I saw this cabin crew job advertisement through the website of Myanmar National Airlines, and decided to give a shot at the career because I believed it would complement my ambitions. So, I went to Yangon to apply for the job. After three rounds of challenging interview and my consistent performance in proving myself a worthy candidate for the airline, I was offered the job as a cabin attendant in February 2017.
What do you think is the greatest achievement of your life till now?
I would say my greatest achievement so far in my life is becoming a cabin crew member at Myanmar National Airlines. Opportunities to become cabin crew members at airlines in Myanmar are rather hard to come by that a huge number of people always apply for the job whenever there is a recruitment campaign. Out of nearly one thousand applicants, only a handful of people are chosen to fill up vacancies. Making through such a tough competition was really something to be proud of for me. Moreover, it paved the way to fulfill my wishes to travel and learn new experiences from different people and different places. I feel really honored to be part of the Myanmar National Airlines, the flag-carrier and the national airline of the country.
How did you prepare for the interview and which are the steps in order to pass a cabin crew interview in your opinion?
I read about the airline’s profile and responsibilities of the cabin crew job on the Internet. I sought advice from various friends who had applied for jobs in related fields such as customer service and aviation on how to prepare for the interview and how to make my CV stand out during the initial screening process. From my own experience, I have learned that in order to pass a cabin crew interview, aspiring cabin crew candidates need to, firstly, tune their mindsets to be positive, resolute, caring towards others, understanding to diversity, and prepared to work in a team environment; secondly, they ought to build up their English competency and communication skills; thirdly, they should accumulate some experience in customer service and hospitality; lastly, the job nature and the responsibilities of cabin crew should be studied, and advice from current and ex crew should be taken on what to prepare for the interview. After taking those steps in preparation, they will need to show through all stages of the interview – written exam, group activities and one-to-one Q&A session – that they are confident, genuine, and equipped with a skill-set to become a cabin crew member who can be relied on for representing the airline as a brand ambassador.
How long were you trained for and can you tell us some of the qualities that a professional flight attendant should have?
My training lasted for about 6 weeks all in all. In addition to great interpersonal skills and a big heart to care for others, professional flight attendants have to be able to work under stressful circumstances with an ability to adapt to any changes to the status quo.
Describe your experience as Myanmar Airline cabin crew.
Working as a member of the cabin crew at Myanmar National Airlines has been quite fulfilling for me both personally and professional. On a personal level, I have been able to fulfill my wishes to explore different places and learn diverse customs and traditions of people from near and far. On a professional level, I have received efficient safety and service trainings that have enabled me to work effectively to achieve a successful flight using whatever resources available on board.
What does customer service means to you?
Customer Service is about fulfilling customers’ needs beyond expectation in such a way that customers receive the most pleasant experiences throughout their encounter with the service provider.
Which types of flights and aircrafts do you operate?
At the moment, I operate both short and medium-haul domestic flights on ATR 72-600 aircraft covering a wide network of destinations that spans the entire country.
We know there are some benefits of a cabin crew, job. Which one attracts you more: seeing the world for free or the financial part?
The excitement of travelling to different places and the joy of meeting different people for countless exchanges of knowledge and experiences through interaction are rewarding enough for me to love the cabin crew job. I would agree with the perception that unlike many other professions, cabin crews get paid to travel and explore.
What is so unique about this job? Any good memories to share with us?
I get up excited to go to work. Every flight is different; people I work with are never the same, customers I look after are from all walks of life with interestingly varied backgrounds. Because of this job, I feel my life is pleasantly different and full of excitement to learn something new every day.
If I have to share a good memory as crew member, it would be this simple yet pleasing experience I had with an elderly customer on my first flight after observation flights. There was this elderly lady seated in an aisle seat. Although there was good legroom, she seemed to be struggling to put socks on her feet. I went to her to as soon as I noticed her difficulty, and offered to put the socks on for her. After that, I gave a blanket to cover legs in case she still felt cold. In response to my kind act, the lady gave me a long blessing of her well wishes. That incident is very memorable for me because ever since then, I have become happier, healthier, and luckier in life as if I am being looked after all the time by a guardian angel. It is truly amazing.
What would you advise the young generation who would like to become flight attendants?
I would advise those who want to become flight attendants to develop over time both the attitude and aptitude necessary for the job such as a positive mindset, a genuine desire to care for others, sensitivity to cultural differences, adaptability to changing situations, ability to work with others, good interpersonal skills, linguistic abilities especially in English, and some work experience in service and hospitality. The preparation process takes time that it should be planned properly and started well before applying for the job. At the same time, guidance from people in the aviation industry should be sought to learn more about the real challenges and rewards that come together with the job.