OPEN DAYS / ASSESSMENT DAYS
Open Days Open Days are information sessions meant to give you an idea of how it is to work for the airline and how is the job described by your potential employer. There will be presentations of the base city, airline’s destinations and expansion plans. You will also hear their cabin crew on how it is to live in the airline’s country, work in the air and serve people from all over the world every day.
Who can participate Anybody can go to an Open Day without prior invitation from the airline. The airlines recommend you register online prior the event. If you want to do that, by all means you should, however it is not a must. It will not give you an advantage nor will it put you in an inferior position. Once your CV is shortlisted, you will be asked to register online if you haven’t done it before.
How to present yourself Go to the Open Day as you would go for the interview. That means business attire. Ladies should wear a skirt suit with skin colored pantyhose and court shoes. Put on some light makeup and arrange your hair in a neat manner. Gentlemen, opt for a suit with a collared shirt and tie, polished black shoes, with short and neatly groomed hair.
How long will it take The time will be advertised on the airline’s careers website. 9:00AM means that at 09:00AM sharp the presentation is set to begin. The etiquette requires you to be there at least 30 minutes earlier than the set timing, find your way to the conference room. If you are late, you will be told to go back home. If you can’t show up in time for your job interview, what are the chances you will show up for your flights?
The process You will see some informative videos about the airline and their city, followed by a Questions and Answers session. Taking notes is a great technique to show your interest. Also, the notes might prove useful before the final interview. Try to make yourself noticed by asking a relevant question that might benefit more than one person. Make sure that the topic was not covered in the videos. If you like what you see in the videos and you consider the airline to be a suitable employer for you, you can stay for the next step which is handing over your documents.
Documents to bring The standard documents requirement is your CV, passport photos and a full length photo. In addition, Qatar Airways requires a photocopy of the first page of your passport. When you apply for Etihad Airways you need to bring in the filled registration form and the required documents attached to the form.
After the informative session, you will be asked to hand over your CV, photos and application forms and do the reach test (212cm vertical arm reach for Emirates and Qatar Airways, 210cm for Etihad). The interviewer will then ask couple of questions regarding your resume (experience, education, etc) and you will be given a reference number. Depending on the number of candidates, you might be required to wait at the location or go home and expect a phone call with the details of the assessment day if you were shortlisted.
Assessment Days The assessment is the actual cabin crew hiring method, however it is not just the classic 1-on-1 interview where you sit down and answer questions from the airline representative. The assessment day is an assessment center kind of recruitment. It has different stages. After each stage, there is an elimination round. Successful candidates will get through to the next level. A bit like the show ‘American Idol’…
Who can participate You can participate in an assessment day if you applied online on the airline’s career website and your application was shortlisted. That means that your profile (experience and education,language skills and interpersonal skills) matches the ideal profile of a potential flight attendant. Now you only have to prove that your personality will be a perfect match for the job description and the airline.
How to present yourself Whenever you go for an interview, you have to look spotless: professional, elegant and fitting the job description.
How long will it take In most cases, the assessment day starts at 9AM and finishes around 6PM. Be in time, bring some water and food and try to be yourself. Don’t worry too much about being and showing that you are nervous. It is normal and it shows that getting this job is important to you. You will forget all about the nerves once the day starts.
The process
The assessment day usually commences with an introduction, followed by a group exercise, English test and sometimes a math test and personality profile test. Successful candidates will be given the invitation for the next stage. Unsuccessful candidates will be asked to leave the assessment day after the stage they did not pass.
At the end of the assessment day, the successful candidates will be asked to come back the next day for a Final Interview. This can be 1-on-1 (1 interviewer and 1 candidate) or 2-on-1 (2 interviewers and 1 candidate). Make sure you go through the 25 Questions and Answers for the Cabin Crew Final Interview before the big day.
Documents to bring Bring a copy of your CV and application photos, copies of your highest diploma and any recommendation letters you have from your current or previous employers.