Up and away
Question
I'm thinking about chucking my admin job in and becoming an air hostess. The problem is, my office job is stable but boring and it feels like a massive leap to take. Can you help me find out more about being an air hostess so I can work out if it's really for me? And what would be the best way to get into it?
Answer
It's clear you're unhappy with your current position working in an office, and would like to change career direction to become an air hostess. Understandably, you're unsure of what this entails and how to get into this.
This is quite a competitive field to get into, so it's great that you want to do some research first to make sure that it is the perfect job for you. The good news is there are lots of airlines to apply to.
As with most jobs, there are ups and downs to being a member of air cabin crew. You have to be really flexible with your availability, and even when you are not scheduled for a flight, you may be on stand-by at certain times as well. Also, depending on whether you want to work long-haul flights or short flights, you could be on your feet for hours at a time, which can be draining. However, on a brighter note, you may be able to stay over in some of your destinations, and you'll meet lots of new people.
As air cabin crew you would need to demonstrate safety measures to passengers, serve food and drinks, as well as being on hand in case of an emergency. You would also need to deal with difficulties on flights such as people with phobias, and checking whether people flying with you have special requirements. It might help you to get started if you have previously worked in hospitality or customer services, and have prior training in first aid.
To become an air hostess, you will have to pass some entry requirements, although these may vary between airlines. According to the learndirect, most airlines ask for a physically fit person, who is able to swim 25 metres, with normal colour vision and good eyesight.
Your chosen employer should offer a training course to you, which usually lasts around six weeks, but it might be worth taking a look at this information on learndirect outlining other qualifications you could take, which might help you in your application, and there is also a list of helpful referrals as well.
For more information, you might want to speak with a careers advisor. Your school, college or uni should have a careers advisor or careers centre to get guidance with your CV and job applications.
Alternatively you might find it helpful to speak with someone from Connexions who can offer confidential careers advice to 13-19 year olds.
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Question answered by bss
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