Yay! 🎇🎈Finally - only 24 hours left until the D-Day. After all the efforts into designing the perfect resume and writing up that juicy cover letter, the finish line is in sight. Tomorrow is the interview day with your favorite airline! But wait... do not panic yet!😊😉If is the first time applying for a cabin crew position, it might feel like a lot of pressure.
What are the recruiters expecting from candidates? Are the other candidates going to have prior aviation experience? Will I be the only inexperienced candidate? Is this going to put me on the spotlight? While our brain is focusing on what can go wrong, it is also sabotaging some of our goals...but wait... nobody told is going to be easy!😁The interview day is only the first challenge. It is followed by a long intensive theoretical (initial and conversion) training, Crew Resource Management, Emergency Practical Training, Observation Flights, Line trainings, Line checks and Recurrent Trainings. Is this doable? Yes -definitely! 10 years after I made my first step into the aviation industry, I can say that cabin crew interviews are easy to pass, with the right amount of preparation.
In order to demystify the subject, I started sharing my personal insights in a series that presents the best tips and tricks to pass the Cabin Crew interviews. Providing that the research and practice phases are completed, there is still some time to focus on something that can make a difference on the D-Day - the OUTFIT.
Let's go deeper into this subject, by following this checklist:
Importance of wearing the perfect outfit - ASSESS
Perfect outfit - SELECT
Do and don't - CHECK
Final choice - REVIEW
Assess the importance of wearing the perfect outfit
Airlines normally send candidates an interview preparation package to study before the D-Day. It normally comprises information about: the airline, the cabin crew position, job requirements and interview details. This is a very important document! Recruiters love asking questions about it to test candidates so better study it carefully in order to make a good impression. They also enjoy checking how well candidates applied the information it was given to them. If the document contains an interview dress code, it is mandatory to be followed.
Buy why cabin crew have to wear an uniform? Well - that's because they need to be easily recognizable by passengers (particularly important in abnormal situations).
Also, the uniform contributes to an airline's brand. Brand differentiation became more difficult in our ultra-competitive aviation era, where it is suggested that an increasing number of airlines offer very similar fleets, routes or services to passengers. So how can an airline convince passenger to fly with them, and not with the competitor who sells tickets 1 euro cheaper?😅😏 By making passengers aware of their unique brand and gaining their loyalty from Day 1. Cabin crew are often a differentiation point when it comes to in-flight service and passenger experience.🤩
That's the reason why every airline will have a Grooming Manual explaining how cabin and flight crew members should behave and look like while in uniform. This is shared with the trainees later on, during the initial or conversion courses so recruiters should not normally expect candidates to be aware of this manual during the initial interview. However, candidates are expected to comply with the standards mentioned in the Interview Dress Code Guidelines. Following accurately the guidelines will prove to the recruiter the candidate's interest in the Grooming standards and his/her commitment to follow the regulations. At the end of the day, if a candidate is unable to dress properly for the interview, how he/she will manage to come well-groomed at work, at 4 a.m. ?!
In reality, many of us can name some airlines who are easily recognizable only by their stunning uniforms and some others which got it all wrong!😂
Select the perfect interview outfit
Now that the importance of the right outfit has been assessed, let's pass to the practical part. First of all, it is important to stick with the specific guidelines, as I will share some general rules from the time I had my interview.
Hair: trimmed, natural colors (avoid highlights), combed away from the face. Hair can be worn untied if it doesn't reach the shirt collar. For ladies with longer hair (longer than 15 centimeters), I would recommend a classical hairstyle such as a low bun, ponytail or French roll. Pay attention to the baby hairs - if needed, use a bit of hairspray and some bobby pins (same color as your hair). Limit the usage of hair accessories. (I would personally keep it as low as 2-3, always in line with the natural hair shade)
Face: Clean and oil-free skin with matching make-up. Natural-looking foundation, mascara, blush (light pink or peach) and lipstick (transfer-free, matte or satin-like, pink or red). When it comes to lipstick, avoid fade colors or beiges.
Accessories: Keep it to the bare minimum - for candidates with pierced ears, small earrings are mandatory to be worn on the lower ear lobe (less than 1 centimeter, usually gold, silver or pearl). The watch (if worn) should have a medium size, with a classical bracelet (silver or black leather).
Nails: short, neat and freshly manicured. If not French, nail color should match the lipstick. (Pink, Red or Fuchsia)
Shirt: classic, long-sleeve, dry-cleaned, white or French blue.
Jacket: matching the outfit, dry-cleaned and buttoned.
Skirt: High-waist, dark or navy blue, dry cleaned and comfortable. If required, add a matching thin leather belt.
Tights: Dark or moka, ideally more than 60 denier, with graduated compression. Particularly useful in-flight, due to pressure changes.
Shoes: less than 5 centimeters black leather heels, polished. Is going to be a long interview day so they should feel comfortable!😊👌
Do's and Don'ts - how to make your style memorable and secure the job
After reviewing so many rules, I feel the need of mentioning that every style is unique so don't be afraid of adding a discrete personal touch. In the following table I wrote some of my outfit-related personal tips to stand out of the crowd, together with things I would avoid:
DO: | DON'T: |
Keep it simple and formal | Choose a casual outfit (i.e.: jeans, casual trousers) |
Wear discrete accessories: silk scarf (preferably in the airline's color scheme), small purse | Wear an overloaded purse |
Wear good-quality elegant shoes | Wear very high/open-toe or open-heel shoes |
Wear aviation-related accessories (i.e.: brooch, keychains, tags, earrings or wing pins) | Wear oversized accessories |
Wear a chic light watch | Wear a digital watch |
If it rains, bring a black or navy blue umbrella | Bring your favorite Disney umbrella this time, please...🙈 |
Final review of your interview outfit:
All set! 🎉✨What a challenging exercise - after the final choice has been made, it is important to re-evaluate it by using the grooming guidelines. This serves a final cross-check to make sure all grooming requirements have been fulfilled prior to the interview.
However, even though airlines are going to impose specific grooming regulations, they are not going to look for a specific body type or physiognomy! There is no ideal candidate look. All that matters is to recruit the most motivated and self-confident people! ✌🙌
Would you like to know more about Cabin Crew life?
Sure! 😊
Not really...🙈
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