Cabin Crew Recruitment – A Special Job For Special People
Cabin crew recruitment is something that airlines do, but it does not happen all the time, an you need to know they are looking for very special staff. It takes unique qualities to become a cabin crew member and it not the easiest work field to get into.
By no means are cabin crew glorified waiters or waitresses, there is far more of intrinsic value attached to this job. The first person the customer encounters when they board the plane is the cabin crew and this is their first point o f contact as well as when first impressions of the airline as a whole are made. So they ambassadors for the airline!
They are specifically trained to deal with the safety and security of all passengers as well as deal with emergency situations; this is their key performance area. They need to be tactful and gentle with fearful passengers and firm with respect for unruly passengers. They also have to help with boarding as well as disembarking.
Before the flight even takes place they are briefed regarding all relevant details and once on-board they may be responsible for checking that the aircraft has been properly cleaned and is tidy, as well as fully stocked. Checking the equipment in the cabin and making sure it works, checking emergency medical supplies.
Other duties include liaising with ground staff with regards to load weight and passenger check in numbers, safely securing hand luggage and checking safety belts. Taking passengers through the in-flight safety precautions, selling duty free products, communications between pilot and passengers, dealing with obstreperous travelers; particularly if they are disturbing other passengers, helping with flight reports and immigration documents, and they all work as a team.
The hours of a cabin crew are never the same, they depend on the flights and there is not such thing as a typical working day, week, or month. A rota system generally controls their shifts, but this could change at the drop of a hat.
To be a member of a cabin crew, you are going to have to be as flexible as the routes the airlines fly. While some crew only work on domestic flights and others international, some crew may work both, and spend many days away from home.
This is physically and emotionally demanding work and that is why you have to be special to want to do it. It is also a very exciting work environment where you meet new people and go new places all the time. Salaries are not that fantastic, but they are good and experience crew earn well, and have the added benefit of allowances for various expenses such as meals, flights and extra qualification. They also get great travel deals, and seeing the world is expensive these days!