Kaykrizz's Interview Tips Series Part 2: How to prepare for a Flight Attendant Interview?

Qatar Airways OD: My good friend Brent Gifford (the good old days)

Preparation is the key to success. Indeed! this is true to a lot of things and especially when it comes to getting your dream job. You have to be prepared physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. 

Preparing physically

Here are the necessary preparations one must do before the big day! These are classified as physical preparation because these involve your physical body and things that you need to have on the day of the interview.

·         Prepare your outfit

Prepare 1-2 sets of corporate attire (for day 1 and day 2)

Secure your closed shoes

Prepare a spare pair of flat shoes for you to wear before and after the interview

Make sure you have a hair net and hair products that can give you a neat hairstyle

Get a bag big enough to fit your documents, make-up, extra shoes, and food

Your accessories must include 1 watch and a pair of pearl or stud earrings. Avoid flashy and extravagant accessories.

·         For your Body

Check if you are on your ideal weight and start doing something about it if you are not.

Start getting enough sleep (this is the number 1 cause of pimples!)

Follow a religious facial regimen to take care of your skin

The day before the interview, make sure you have a fresh coat of nail polish on your fingers and toes (if you lack time, a manicure will suffice)

If possible, every night put on a cucumber slice or teabags (cold) on your eyes before you sleep to erase dark circles.

Start eating healthy and do some exercise to cope up with the stress (aerobics for 30 mins a day is good enough)

Practice what make-up style looks good on you

·         Prepare your Documents and pictures

a.       Resume

b.      Pictures 2x2 and a whole body picture (use an FA package if available, some places to get great pictures are: Great Image & Picture City while in cebu city: studio 125, Kolorhaus)

Other airline might require you to have the following as well:

a.       NBI (if your name is hit this will take 3 weeks to claim)

b.      TOR

c.       Diploma

d.      Passport

e.      Police Clearance

f.        Other significant certificates

Preparing Emotionally

To prepare emotionally for an interview means channeling out all the negative energy from your system and focus on being positive. Remember! During the interviews you will be judged on how you are on the day of the interview, not on your credentials, achievements, previous experience etc. So make sure that you are at a great emotional state as possible.

To prepare emotionally I also mean that months before you even applied for the job, you must have decided that you are ready for the change it will bring to your life if ever you did get in. Like for example; relocating in a different country, giving up your “normal” schedule that means you will be working on weekends, holidays, dawn, midnight and on your birthday! Believe me it may sound like a no big deal right now but once you are in that position it is difficult for some people to accept, some people also find it difficult to maintain a relationship because of the wacky schedule, so asses yourself now if this is the life for you think about it 100 times over, and if you decide you are ready to face the consequences.. then go ahead! Take the plunge and embrace the change in your lifestyle!

Preparing Mentally

This is the most important part of your preparation. I suggest you should start preparing mentally 1 month before the interview if possible. Write down possible questions and practice answering them in front of a mirror. What you should practice is how to say your answers in a spontaneous, sincere manner. (just like what they do in the beauty pageant trainings J ) avoid sounding rehearsed or robotic.

Topics to cover:

Basic Questions – tell me about yourself, why do you want to be a flight attendant?

Company Research – Why did you choose to apply with us?, what are our destinations?

 More sample questions on my next post. There is just too many and they deserve another article just for them!

Preparing Financially

You have to prepare yourself with the reality that you may have to shell out some money in pursuing this dream. Consider this an investment on yourself.  Examples of miscellaneous expenses that you may incur are the ff:

• Transportation - gas or fare, some even travel from the provinces and will have to book a room near the recruitment site for the event. These expenses will not be shouldered by the airline.
•    Food - applying for this job involves a lot of waiting and you better be prepared with a pack lunch or pocket money to buy lunch if you are still waiting in line to be interviewed. It is advisable to carry candies and sandwiches in your corporate bag too, usually water is available if the event is held in a hotel.
• Wardrobe – you will need corporate attire for this event. If you can borrow clothes and shoes  much better but if you can afford it go ahead and invest in a 2 piece suit! A blazer with a matching skirt that touches the knees will be a great investment. Shoes must be 1-2 inches and closed.
•  Medical exam – Once you pass all the interviews, the next step is the medical exams. The standard medical exams will cost about 3k – 4k and depending on the results some may require you to do more tests or have some work done like: scars whitening, warts removal, dental works like extraction of wisdom tooth, changing of pasta color from black to white and so on and so forth.
•  Placement fee – For international hiring, some agencies will charge placement fee for the successful candidates. This shall be paid upon your departure from the Philippines. I know one agency will cost you total of 55k (45k p. fee + 10k taxes, etc.). Of Course, this goes without saying that you will just have to worry about this once you already got the job. Like they say, Let’s cross the bridge when we get there!

Xoxo,

Kaykrizz