How to become Emirates Cabin Crew

The reason I started my blog was because I used to read so many other blogs before I joined Emirates, as I found it so inspiring, as well as helpful during the recruitment process. I got so many tips and tricks from reading blogs so I thought I would give my input on what it takes to become Emirates Cabin Crew. Although Emirates are not currently hiring at the moment, when they do, hopefully other people may find this helpful. I already have some posts back when I first started on my Open Day, Assessment Day and Final Interview. 

1. Do your research

I would say this is the most important part, for any job! Before applying, or going to the open day, it is so important that you do the research and find out everything about the job and the company. I would look online for hours, researching the job role, the salary, the accommodation, the benefits, as well as the horror stories and the not so good sides. I watched YouTube videos explaining the pros and cons of becoming a flight attendant and then I researched Emirates as a company to decide if I wanted to work for them and move my entire life to Dubai. It definitely wasn’t a quick decision, I thought about it for many months before I even applied.

• Websites – I used to check company information on Emirates.com as well cabincrew.com which has career advice and forums.
• Blogs – I would always read The Dubai Diaries and Jessica’s Journey with Emirates for inspiration and to see what their lifestyle was like.
• YouTube – I loved watched Mandy Sharples as she was so honest about the job, as well as Skyflygirl and MJ.

 

2. Dress to impress 

It is so important to look the part during the assessment day and interview as the recruiters want to see what you would look like in the uniform. For hair, I would say it is best to keep it away from your face, in a low bun. Makeup should be well done, and for Emirates, I thought it was important to wear a red lip. Along with that, I wore a black blazer with a white shirt and black pencil skirt with nude tights and low black heels. I felt really comfortable in my outfit and was really happy with my appearance – I think this also helped with my confidence as I felt well presented and ready to take on the interview.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Check the requirements 

Before even applying or attending one of the open days it is essential that you check the requirements for the job that you are applying for. For Emirates, there are a list of requirements on the website that they are looking for, including age, arm reach, height, fluency in English, high school qualifications and no visible tattoos. It is so important that you have all of these requirements as they will be checked!

During the assessment day, the interviewers will measure you and conduct a ‘reach test’ to check that you can reach a certain point. I actually met a girl during my assessment day who had travelled pretty far (from the Isle of Man) for the interview. She was absolutely tiny and couldn’t reach the mark when asked to do the reach test. Sadly, she was sent home straight away but I was surprised that she didn’t know the requirements before coming along.

They will also stress that you should not have any visible tattoos and ask you to confirm this several times. If you are not truthful and get found out later on, it could cost you your job so it is best to be honest with them. Lastly, for non native English speakers, they test your English knowledge with multiple choice and scenario based worksheet papers so it worth knowing this before attending.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Update your CV 

Updating your CV is essential if you want to stand out from the crowd. During my open day, we were asked to bring a copy of our CV so I spent a couple of days working on it to make sure it was the best it could be. I completely tailored it to fit the cabin crew job role. Before this job, I had a very general CV and would just send it around to different company’s without much thought put into it. However, I decided to really tailor it to the role of cabin crew before I applied for Emirates. I looked on the Emirates website and used all of the key words they used to describe what type of person they are looking for. I stressed my customer service skills and also emphasised the fact I had lived abroad and was culturally aware.

Screenshot of my CV

 

5. Print photos 

At the open day, we were asked to bring two photographs – full size formal and informal. It is best that you get a few of these printed as they asked for photos at the open day as well as the final interview. Some people didn’t have them and it just delays the process and doesn’t look professional in front of the interviewers. I made sure I got mine printed a head of time and I kept everything in plastic wallets in a big folder. I used to get all of my photos printed at Snappy Snaps.

Printed photos ready for the open day

 

6. Prepare questions & answers

Before my final interview, I prepared lots of possible interview questions that I thought I would be asked, and I made sure I had interesting and concise answers to respond with. I would write all the typical interview questions down in a note book and then I would write answers down answers that were specific to the job role and would make me stand out. For each question, I gave an example from one of my previous jobs or experiences so that it was more personal. I feel this really helped me during my interview as I had lots of scenarios already planned in my head so I was able to answer each of the questions confidently, without having to think on the spot for an answer or example.

Writing down my Q&A’s (and painting my nails) on the train

 

I hope that helps anyone thinking of applying for Emirates cabin crew in the future. It is honestly the best job I have ever had and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to go ahead and apply!

Hopefully we will all resume back to our normal lives soon as I cannot wait to start flying again and exploring new countries. I have been loving blogging recently, but I’m excited to write about new layovers! Meanwhile, I have been added to the list of Top 50 Cabin Crew Blogs which is very exciting.

Thanks for reading.

Kerry May xo