Interviewing to be a Cabin Crew member: What you need to know

With the airline industry rapidly growing, the future for new cabin crew members is very promising. In fact, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the number of air passengers is predicted to double (8.2 billion) by 2037.  

Cabin Crew play an important role for airlines by providing a high standard of customer care and ensuring that all the passengers are safe and secure before, during, and after a flight. It takes many skills to be a good cabin crew member.  

As a result, your interview will go beyond just a face-to-face meeting to ensure you have the skills needed for the position. Remember, you will be assessed for the entire day - from the time you arrive until you leave. This is something candidates don't often consider and unfortunately, it can often be the reason a candidate is not chosen. 

Here are some of the most important points to keep in mind during your interview 

Let’s start with the essential skills needed to be a cabin crew member. No matter what the airline, they will be looking for someone skilled in communication, customer service, teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, time management, and flexibility. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, if applying to work with a low-cost airline they may look for additional skills such as on-time performance or even selling skills. 

A unique interview format  

Cabin crew interviews are usually group based and are comprised of 2-5 rounds over 1- 2 days. Typically, they are a mix of individual exercises and group exercises. For example, candidates can be split into groups to complete a problem-solving exercise or to see how they work together as a team.  

During the exercise, interviewers will observe how teammates are interacting with each other. Are you listening to your teammates? Are you getting involved in the conversation? Are you over-powering other people or are you being kind? Are you choosing the right course of action?  

These are the kind of points the interviewers will assess when considering you for the position. They may even ask you to make a presentation of your findings to see how comfortable you are with public speaking or making an announcement.  

Assessing your competency 

As mentioned earlier, the interviewer will focus on your competency regarding communication, customer service, teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, time management, and flexibility. Usually, they will choose the top 4 competencies and ask one or two questions on each.  

Be sure to use the STAR method and answer the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing. Keep in mind that they are looking for real-life examples based on your life experiences. So, use the most interesting examples you can, and be sure to highlight cases where you went above and beyond the usual. Also, remember to keep safety as your focus. Be ready for this by preparing 3-4 examples you can use before your interview.  

The finishing touches 

Knowing how to dress for a job interview is an important part of interview preparation too. Dress to impress and wear appropriate business attire like you would when going to work on an aircraft. Finally, be polite and after the interview is finished, thank the interviewer for their time. 

Take your aviation career to the next level!