What to do when you get a rejection letter, phone call, or email..

Interviewing for a flight attendant job in an industry where so many people are competing for the same job is something that can be nerve wracking to be mild about it. 
For some companies, there are group interviews, others rely on online forms and telephone interviews. For all, there will come a point where there is the dreaded face to face interview. 
How you can fare throughout this entire process is something that depends a good deal on positive human interactions, some luck, and a private definition of what the company is looking for, as defined by each of the companies that are out there. 


Go to enough interviews, and you will assuredly, get the rejection letter or telephone call. 
How you handle this can determine if you could even get called back, and what type of person that you are. 

This is not reality television. This is not where you are trying to make a memorable exit. This is where you are trying to remind them that you are gracious and poised in the face of adversity. 
What do I advise?
The Thank you letter. 
You should already have written a Thank You letter to everyone that has been involved in your employment screening at this process. 
Here is how that should go. 
When you get the interview, note the name(s) of the people that interviewed you. Write them down in your notebook/legal pad. As soon as you get home, write that letter or card. NOT an email, unless you have no other resource. DON'T send a Thank You Text. It is not professional. Send the card or letter. Use the same name that is listed on your resume. Don't sign the resume as "Sugar" unless that name is on your legal documents. You want them to be able to cross reference that thank you card with your resume. 


After that interview, you may be interviewed with other people on the phone. They may or may not be able to give you their name. Get a name? They get a thank you letter or card. 
I am sure that you are seeing a trend here. Every person that you encounter who helps you in your quest to be a flight attendant (or any job, for that matter) deserves a thank you acknowledgement that they really are helping you. 


But what if you are declined? Do you feel let down that you did not get the job that you really wanted? Do you feel angry or upset? Sure. Perhaps. Maybe. Maybe you learned through the interview process, that the company that declined you was not a good fit for you. 


Send a thank you card or letter. If you do not have an address, then send it email, which is less preferred than a card or letter, but still, send the Thank you. 


Here comes the tricky part. What do you say to the very company that decided against you? 
Here is an example that I have sent out in the past:


Dear X Airline Company, 
CC Jane Smith, HR, John Jones, HR Development, Jill Doe, Recruiting
Thank you for the opportunity to learn more about your people and your company during the interview process that I just completed. 
Although I was not selected as a member of your team, I would like to thank you for taking the opportunity to get to know me, and for me to get to know better, as well. 
I wish you all the very best in your search for employees that fit your company's needs. 
Cordially yours, 
X
I actually got a letter back from the HR department, telling me that if there was going to be another hiring action, they would like to let me know and resubmit my application. You never know where the letter will go, so make sure that all of your contact information is on it, and that it is all current and correct. 

This letter is not the time to critique the staff that interviewed you. They already have a job with the airlines, you do not. Being negative in a letter after you have already been declined sets you apart...in a way that you do not want. If you do have some critiquing to do, it is best done in  a separate letter. 


Best of luck, and I hope that we all see one another at an airport soon.