Airline/Aviation Job Preparation: Qualities of a Cabin Crew

Each airline is unique so they may be looking for various traits in their cabin crew applicants; be it physical appearance or personality type. However, the universal role of a Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant is the same no matter the airline. There will be basic qualities that all airlines are bound to look for in their candidates.

Qualities Cabin Crew Recruiters Look For:

1. Empathy

Empathy isn’t just extended to passengers but co-workers too. On the day of the interview, show kindness to the other applicants. Smile. Talk. Help. Give way to other applicants. Don’t ever try to put someone else down just so you could shine. Be a human being. Be genuine.

Airlines do not really appreciate if their employees have Sympathy or Apathy towards the Customer. I shared this picture for all of you to understand the real meaning of all these three words. Hope this will make the meaning of the feelings clear to all of you.

2. Customer Service Orientation

You’ll be asked a lot of problem-solving questions. Whenever you answer one, always keep the customer your top priority. 

- Describe a situation when you have delivered excellent service.

- How do you handle a difficult customer?

- Give me a time when you resolved a customer complaint. 

- Do you think the customer is always right?

These questions bring out how good you are at solving passenger problems leaving them feeling satisfied, appreciated, and heard. In your answers, show that you have the customer’s best interest in mind. Offer alternatives but don’t impose a solution. Let the customer choose the solution they desire.

3. Adaptability

Your plans to spend a weekend with loved ones could be an improbability due to changes in your roster. You’ll have standby duties and may have to be ready for duty within 20 minutes of being called. You’re definitely going to experience flight delays and cancellations.

You may expect to have 30 minutes to do your preflight ground duties but now you only have 5 minutes. You may not have all the resources you had expected to perform a job correctly. But you’ll have to be able to make it happen nonetheless.

Your company’s policies could change overnight – not necessarily in your favor. All these sudden changes do happen very often and recruiters want to see how well you can cope with disruptions. Can you still ‘make do’ and make things work even under the stress and pressure of change?

Common questions for gauging your level of adaptability is:

- Tell me about a big change you’ve had to deal with.

- Give me a time when you had to improvise to achieve your goal.

In your answer, tell a story where you welcomed the change. Mention the positive results from it. End by talking about what you’ve learned from the experience. 

4. Teamwork and Communication

As a cabin crew, you’ll work in teams of people you may have never met before. You’ll have to show recruiters that you’re very capable of working with total strangers towards achieving a common goal.

·         Tell me about a time you worked in a team.

Give a real-world an example where everyone in the group pitched in resulting in a successful positive outcome.

Don’t try to sound like you’re the hero in your story. A good tip is to replace all the “I” with “We”.

For example:

Don’t say: I suggested that we start by arranging the chairs.

Say: We agreed that we start by arranging the chairs.

5. Cultural Awareness

As mentioned above you’ll be working with a different set of teams every time you go to work. If you work for a multinational airline like the ones in the Middle East, you’re bound to be sharing the workplace with people of other nationalities. Cultures and ideas might sound absolutely strange to you but you’ll have to put all these aside and work together as one unit.

- Name the nationalities that you’d love to work with.

This is a very tricky question. Don’t ever attempt to answer this by actually naming the nationalities you prefer to work – or not to work – with. Show that you can work with anyone no matter the nationality, race, and religion. In fact, show that you’d be excited to work in such a diverse environment since it’s an opportunity for you to broaden your knowledge about humanity and the many cultures of this world.

6. Grooming and Grace

Flight attendants are the image of an airline. You must look the part. Your grooming should be impeccable and your posture graceful. You’ll be working long hours and have to look just as fresh at the end of the flight as you did at the start. Throughout the interview, keep a confident and poised demeanor. Watch for your grooming from your hair to your fingernails. Standards are really high in the airline business. 

Keep these qualities glued to the back of your head throughout your entire hiring process. Starting from filling out the application form, onto the assessment day, and all the way to the final interview. Whatever you say or do, always tailor your words and actions to these qualities.

Start preparing yourself. It's not always necessary to have the best Make-up or the perfect Gel styled hair, but it is absolutely necessary to have confidence and positivity in your posture and gesture. All the best everyone. 

Airline Companies Who hire Indian Cabin Crew

While we are waiting for the Airline Industry to start Recruiting, I would suggest all of you to Upload and Update your Profiles/CV with every airline possible. Every International Airline who lands in India from any Destination definitely need Ground Handling Staff based out of India, but not all of them hire Indians as Cabin Crew Members. Before You Start Applying, just a reminder:

India based Airlines:- Age limit starts from 18+ to 28 years old, and the minimum qualification 10+2(Higher Secondary Exam) passed from a recognized Institute.

International Airlines:- Age Limit starts from 21 until 34 years old, and the minimum qualification Graduate from a recognized Institute. 

So, here are a few Airlines who hire Indians as Cabin Crew Members. 

Asia

AirAsia

Air India

Air India Express

Cathay Pacific 

Cathay Dragon

GoAir

IndiGo

Malaysian Airlines

Royal Jordanian

Singapore Airlines

SpiceJet

Vistara

Australia/New Zealand

Air New Zealand

Qantas 

Europe

Alitalia

KLM

Lufthansa

SwissAir

British Airways

Middle East

Air Arabia 

Oman Air 

Emirates

Qatar

Etihad

Saudi Arabian Airlines

FlyDubai

Kuwait Airways

Gulf Air

Every Airline website has a Career page section. On each website this Page or Link will be located in different sections or locations, sometimes it might be located in a Not So Obvious location and you will have to search and find the same. In some Websites, you will find it in the "About" section, and on some websites, they will have different names like "Join Us" or "Welcome to the Family", etc. Few such examples are given below,

Please let me know if you are facing any kind of difficulties in uploading your CV in the web portals, I will be more than happy to help you. All the Best.

Ways to Achieve Effective Communication Skills.

Hospitality and Customer service are service industries, so communication becomes very very important! Because you are there to solve guest issues, you can have so many issues that can be solved just by good proactive communication. So let us know today how we can use a few ways to achieve effective communication skills

Studies have shown that all other things being equal, Candidate’s communication skills and their leadership skills, which are co-related, can distinguish and can mark the journey of one’s life achievements.

Myth: Effective Communication does not mean knowing the English Language!

Yes, guys, I want to explain that English is a Language and Communication is a skill that is an outcome of your mindset, your thinking process, your interpersonal skills, and your behavior.

You can learn English wherever you want but skills can only be improved as everyone has it in their own way.

An effective communication skill is more than just a skill of exchanging important information. It is about understanding the emotion as well as the intention of the information behind it.

Differences Between effective Communication and ineffective Communication:

-      I want that file on my table.

This is an example of ineffective communication as it left the Junior Employee confused and the motive of the communication could not be completed.

-      I want a cup of ginger tea.

This is an example of effective communication as it states very clearly that the receiver wants a cup of ginger tea. So, there is no confusion.

Effective Communication	Ineffective Communication
Maintain eye contact and smile.	Avoidance of eye-contact.
Two-way communication.	One-way communication.
Democratic communication.	Autocratic communication.
Co-operative communication.	Create resentment.
Works steady and Quick.	Works slow.

 

The major differences between Effective and Ineffective Communication

Why Airline uses the term communication skills?

·         Flight attendants must be effective communicators.

·         The cabincrew needs to advise passengers on proper emergency procedures and convey information clearly.

·         Helping the client’s requests and responding to them in a timely manner is essential.

·         Cabin crew members need to relay information to their team members and passengers plainly and effectively in an emergency.

Importance of effective communication skills

·         Good verbal and non-verbal communication skills are essential in order to deliver and understand information quickly and accurately.

·         Being an effective communicator is a vital life skills and should not be overlooked.

·         Here, poor communication skills have a negative impact – a poorly delivered message which results in misunderstanding.

How communication skills affect your personality?

·         Effective Communication skills play a vital role in honing one’s personality. 

·         Effective communication helps individuals to express themselves in the most convincing way.

·         An Individual’s thoughts, feelings, knowledge should be passed on in the most desirable and effective manner.

·         Communication skills help you in the same.

·         An individual should speak really well to make a mark of his/her own. Remember, no one would take you seriously if he/she does not master the art of expressing themselves clearly and in the most convincing manner.

·         Not everyone is blessed with excellent communication skills but they acquire the same with time and practice.

·          An individual with effective communication skills tend to have a better and impressive personality than those who have problems communicating and interacting with others.

·         Candidate’s effective communication skills can easily converse with other people around be it their fellow workers, peers, family, and so on.

Now let us see what are the ways to achieve effective communication skills and excel in the cabin crew interview.

1.   Start with strong and Persistent Desire.

-      If your desire is pale and flabby, your achievement will also take that on hue and consistency.

-      But if you go after your subject with persistence and with energy nothing can defeat you.

-      Think of what effective communication means to you.

-      Think about the happiness that you will have once you overcome your fear of speaking in the public or interview.

-      Enumerate the benefits that this breaking of fear can bring to you.

-      REMEMBER, upon the depth of your desire will depend on the swiftness of your progress.

2.   Know thoroughly what you will speak.

-      You cannot feel confident unless you do not know what you are going to speak.

-      PREPARE well.

-      Be a good listener.

• One who listens well can speak as well.
• Listening is much more important than speaking.
• Even if you cannot speak for the first time or second time in the interview but listening can help you get some good ideas.
• The benefit of listening is that you can get some ideas from the previous speaker for your content.

-      Re-read

• After you take your seat in the interview, please listen to what other speakers are delivering.
• With listening to others try to find out the points you would like to include in your speech.
• Now write all the points together.
• Re-read what you have prepared.

-      Know who you are going to talk with.

• Please keep one thing in mind your whole communication movie is based on whom you are going to talk.
• You have to tackle with different people in a different manner.
• You will be nervous if you are in an interview and I want you to know that it is very normal.

-      Be genuinely interested.

-      Create a positive atmosphere around you.

-      Learn not to worry about something that has not happened.

3.   Act Confident

-      Today I am going to tell you a very important thing please never forget: When you are in the fear show you are brave…Please ACT.

-      Although this is just acting I promise this will help you.

-      Eye contact- This will reflect your confidence.

-      Body language- Please show yourself as happy and attentive.

-      Emotional Connection- Try to connect your speech with some real-life experiences.

-      Respect your Audience

-      Be Open to your audience- Try to interact with some people present in your audience while giving your speech.

-      Master the art of the time- REMEMBER you have to do all this in a given timeframe.

4.   Be open to people.

5.   Practice! Practice! Practice!

Important TIPS

·         While going for the Group Discussion round please CARRY your notebook or a plain paper with a pen that will help you write down the points, you want to speak.

·         Please do not give up on your warm smile.

·         I know it might be scary for some person as they feel distracted or scared but GUYS remember that you are there for your dream job.

·         Please stop thinking that you will be judged on the base of your English accent.

Whatever ideas or suggestion that I have given here are the ways that have worked for me and to achieve effective communication skills is an outcome of my first experience in an airline interview where I was one of the 16 who got selected out of 62 candidate in the speaking round.

But even if you are doing all this but not practicing than guys this will not be helpful. So please PRACTICE.