The Flight Attendant interview, employment tips, tricks, hints, and helps

In a world where the economy is barely beginning to crawl along, people still have their dreams. 
I have always dreamed of being a flight attendant, of walking crisply up and down the aisles, telling funny anecdotes to travelers who were happy to hear them as I also dispensed beverages and snacks. 
I have had this dream since I was a small child. My mother tells of a story when I was on a flight with my grandmother from Houston to Los Angeles. We were late for the flight because of a horrible car wreck in Houston. Running as fast as we could, we made it to the gate, Hollywood style with aplomb and drama. "Run, Run, Run!" My grandmother shouted as we ran past gates. She called out the number that we were looking for, and, soon enough, we were on the plane, settled into seats, and snoozing until we reached LA. As we got off, the stewardess stopped us to pin small badges on us. My brother was a junior pilot, and my sister and I were junior stewardesses. I still have my pin in a small jewelry box with some other very sentimental things. 


More flights filled my life, some good, some bad. I have racked up more flights than most people I know, and many friends joke with me that I live out of a suitcase and in a hotel room. 


The first time that I ever interviewed with an airline, I really blew the interview. I did not know about their corporate culture, and I blathered on and on about the good things that free travel would allow me to do. Needless to say, they were not impressed, and I was declined the chance to work in the sky. 
More interviews happened, and, finally, I was selected to be a part of a sky crew. 
Here are some hints and tips that I will share with you as I prepare to go on an interview in a few hours. 


Look the part. When airlines say "Dress professional" in their information, they really mean it. Men, you should look like you are coming from a funeral. Dark suit, white shirt, nice tie, pocket square is optional. Your shoes should be clean and shined. Your hair should be tidy and neat, with no extreme style. Think pilot,male flight attendant, Men in Black, or minister in dark suit. 


Ladies. Really? Really? This is not a night club, nor is it a fashion show. Dark, conservative suit. Conservative blouse. No cleavage. Yes to sleeves. Think flight attendant, lady pilot, lady employee at funeral home. 


You are not interviewing for a cheerleader at the football game. Yes, you can be cheerful. Your clothes need to present a serious image. This job is all about safety, not silly. A recent interview I was at had attendees wearing no bras, sleeveless shirts, one man wore a pair of shorts that I would attest looked like swim shorts, and I stopped counting flip flops and sandals once I sighted ten pairs. 


Read the directions. Twice. Then proceed to follow them. Have everything that you are being asked for in front of you. Go over the forms on the internet twice to make sure that you have filled them all in correctly. 


Check your resume before you send it. Read it and make sure that it is correct, that it is complete, and that it is concise. A gal pal shared with me that a resume came across her desk that listed the potential employee's  best attribute as "A rockin hard bod, a soft heart, and a attitude that kicks ass and takes names". This person was applying for a position in hospice. She did not get the job. 


Tell people if you are going to use them for references. Aunt Mabel will give you a good reference, if she is expecting the call. If not, she may be hurt, offended, or worse, give out bad information. 


A good email address. Again, from my human resources friend Cat, a lot of people list off their personal email addresses, and some of them can be very telling. Email addresses that mention sex, drugs, temper, bad choices, or anything else that is not work related can cost you the chance to get a job. Bad choice would be HotHighHoochie@IcantbelieveIamsober.com . Good choice would be JanisJSmith@professionalemailaddresss.com . Obviously, I have made those up to be dramatic, but, it is important to think about how you are looked at. 


If your FaceBook, MySpace, or other social networking site has photos and inferences to you partying, drinking, having illicit sex, or making other poor choices, either make it private to friends only, or remove all of the incriminating photos. Cat tells me that if it is between two potential employees, a quick trip to the internet usually breaks the tie fast.
If you have a LinkedIn or other professional networking site, make sure that it stays professional. No future employer should read about "Work Sux, gonna drink". It is also not fair to the people who have linked to you professionally to post about such things, since LinkedIn and others are all about making business connections. 


Do a search for yourself on all of the search engines. Are there any things that pop up that you don't want others to see? Check under your usernames, email addresses, webpages, and any other ways that you connect on the web. Remove, make private and delete all things that would be bad if a future employer learned about you. 


Change most settings to private. It is your world. It is your life. It is your choice about what you put out there, but sometimes, the hardest person to get around is yourself. Make choices with employment in mind. 


A friend of mine recently posted on her personal page a series of photos from many years ago that show her going from sober to drunk in the series. Her boss found them when looking online, and she was reprimanded, her review was poor, and she did not get an annual raise that year. 
Her boss raised the question of "If I found this, our clients could find this. It could cost us revenue." 


Password protect private things. Sure, photos of trees and birds and a river are sweet. No need to make them private. Your photo of you and your sweetheart wearing only tshirts and underwear is not something that you would want the boss to see. Password protect albums and photos that are of a personal nature, and you will not have to be the talk of the office. 


Before the interview. Look at the company online and learn about them. Take notes. 
During the interview: ask good questions, interesting questions, and let the interviewer talk. Don't ask questions simply to ask. These people are tired. Show that you are interested, but be brief. Note the name(s) of all of the people that you interact with from the company. Write them down if you need to, but not in front of them. 
At the end of the interview, thank people for their time. Wish them well in finding the person that is the best fit. Don't beg for the job, or tell them how desperate you are to work. 
After the interview, send thank you cards. To each one of those people you met. To each one of the people in the email chain. To the company itself. Email if you have it, but most assuredly, do send written cards as well. It stands out more than you know. 
If you do not make the first cuts, still be gracious. Still send cards. I got a job once when I was not selected for the first cut simply because of the cards I sent after. When another applicant was ill and could not come, I was who was called. I asked how I was chosen, and all 4 recruiters told me that the cards I sent were thoughtful, and they kept me in the mind of each one of those four people.


Be yourself, but the corporate, responsible version. Good Luck!