Emirates Airlines has long been recognized as the world leader among air carriers, but in addition to a comfortable flight, it also provides enviable working conditions for its employees. Flight attendants, or, as the cabin crew is commonly called, stewards and stewardesses, have a number of privileges associated not only with free flights around the world, but also with a full social package in one of the richest countries on the planet - the UAE.
Every year, experienced recruiters select new employees for initial training in all the wisdom of the business in various countries, and Russia among them. Let us consider in more detail the whole way of employment.
General company and recruitment information
Before disassembling one of the most romantic professions, according to others, one should get to know the Emirates airline itself more closely. Stewardesses and stewards first began to recruit in this company in 1985, when the government of the emirate of Dubai decided to create its own aviation production for the development of tourism in the region. For several years, Emirates has become the largest airline in the world with the newest fleet, including the latest modifications of the Airbus-380 and Boeing-777.
The headquarters is located directly in Dubai, so the future Emirates stewardesses, who successfully passed all the selection stages, are then invited to study in the UAE. Employment takes place officially with the signing of a mandatory three-year contract, not having worked out which, the company has the right to recover the full amount from the employee for the provided training. Accordingly, further accommodation is also provided by the company. Salaries begin to drop already from the first days of the start of trainings.
Where to begin?
In order to become an Emirates flight attendant (after all, the female half of our planet dreams about this profession), you first need to go to the company's official website and find the vacancy section - career. Next, check for an open cabin crew or cabin crew position. After already submit an application, by choosing the nearest country in which the next interview will take place, or Assesment day. If the vacancy is open, then the position of the Emirates stewardess and the date of the interview will appear in a new window. Most often, vacancies open in spring and autumn.
There are two types of selection for prospective future stewardesses of Emirates Airlines: closed selection, an invitation to which will be sent individually and open or the so-called Open day.
Differences between closed and open selection
So, if an invitation was sent to the applicant for a closed selection of stewardesses at Emirates, then he would have to contact the company that represents the interests of the employer in the host country of the applicant and send her his resume. The application or resume should be strictly in English, it is best to attach two classic photos at once, in which the candidate should be captured in two poses: standing and sitting. If intermediary recruiters decide that this candidacy will be of interest to the airline, they will send the applicant an invitation by e-mail indicating the day and time when the interview will be held.
An open type of selection or Open day is a certain day on which everyone comes. The first day is allotted for a preliminary interview and sometimes the number of people exceeds one thousand. For example, in 2018, two and a half thousand people came to Dubai on an open day, and some of them stood in line at three in the morning.
First stage
How to become an Emirates flight attendant ? What to choose: an individual interview, or come with a crowd of others for an open day? If the applicant lives in Russia, then you should find out all the information through one single intermediary working with the airline - the Global Vision agency. His representative office is located in St. Petersburg, so interviews with Emirates recruiters are held in this city, although there have been cases of Moscow meetings.
To start working with the agency, you should send a CV or resume in English to their official e-mail, attaching photographs where the applicant is sitting and standing, measuring 3.5 by 4.5 centimeters (it is better if the hair on the head is collected). Then you need to wait for a response with an invitation, or a refusal to an individual interview.
If the applicant visited the open day and went to the group selected for further testing for the position of Emirates stewardess, he will be invited to participate in the next selection stages.
Requirements
In order not to face the dirt, it is best for the applicant to familiarize themselves with all the requirements in advance and familiarize themselves with the Emirates photo stewardesses in order to get a complete picture of the upcoming work and how employees should look. Plus, in this way a person will prepare for some questions and trials.
It should be borne in mind that the flight attendant or steward is primarily a person responsible for flight safety.
Basic requirements for Emirates flight attendants:
- Flight attendants should be fluent in English, be able not only to speak it, but also to write competently.
- The candidate must have a certificate of at least full secondary education in his hands.
- The minimum age at which the applicant has the right to apply for participation in the selection is 21 years. Maximum is not specified.
- Growth requirements start at 160 centimeters. It should be borne in mind that at an interview recruiters are asked to reach the mark of 212 centimeters in a loose form (standing up on socks is not prohibited).
- Good appearance (without visible flaws in the form of scars and so on).
- Excellent health in every sense, the absence of chronic diseases, especially any problems with the cardiovascular system.
- A beautiful smile and straight white teeth.
- The absence of piercings, or tattoos on visible parts of the body that will be open when wearing the uniform of an Emirates stewardess.
- Hair color should look natural, that is, not have unnatural shades (for example, blue, green, pink).
- The presence of communication skills, as well as friendly speech.
- Stress resistance. In addition to problems with passengers on board, disagreements with colleagues can often arise, and jet lags affect the nervous system. Plus, in a week, flight attendants can change more than one country, for many, a frequent change of scenery is more than not familiar.
All interviews are conducted in person with airline recruiters, and not via Skype or other supporting computer applications and a telephone. According to updated information, from 2018, additionally, along with a resume a mini-video with a story about yourself, will be additionally requested for timely screening of unsuitable candidates. According to the Emirates flight attendants, as well as those who were trying to get a job at the airline, the entire selection is not like an interview, but a real casting. Therefore, you need to prepare for it seriously in order to appear in all its glory and show off with the maximum set of knowledge.
How to prepare for an interview?
After receiving an invitation to an interview, you must carefully prepare for it, because if there is a refusal, then wait at least a year before your next attempt. Firstly, you need to work out your appearance well, starting from shoes (for women it is better to wear medium-heeled shoes), finishing with manicure (neutral color), makeup (not very catchy, but noticeable, preferably with red lipstick on the lips) and hairstyle (the ideal option would be a tail or a “huck”, for girls and neatly trimmed hair with a clean-shaven face, for a man). It’s best to take a look at the photos of Emirates stewardesses who have already been interviewed. Many post photos on the Web before and after casting.
The candidate needs to re-read his resume and search the Internet for any possible tricky questions that recruiters can ask. Practice in front of a mirror in answers to these questions, not only in Russian, but in English. You can ask a friend to help play some scenes with such dialogs. On the day of the interview itself, you need to arm yourself with a good mood and positive. The candidate should radiate confidence and create a friendly atmosphere around him.
Job interview
The interview day lasts from 8:30 in the morning until half past five in the evening. They usually spend it in the hall of a business center or hotel. You need to be prepared for the fact that around there will be a bunch of "identical" girls and guys, sometimes this causes a sincere laugh. Absolutely the whole process takes place in English.
At the very beginning, all candidates are shown a video about the company and directly about the work of a flight attendant, it tells some general nuances, shows the place where Emirates stewardesses live and so on. It is best to note unfamiliar details in a notebook, as recruiters will inadvertently ask questions on the topic of the presentation - from this moment the real casting will begin.
Appearance check
After a short survey, two recruiters will evaluate the candidates and their appearance. Usually they examine the arms and legs for visible tattoos or scars that do not adorn the appearance of a person. Facial skin should also not be problematic (without acne), and teeth without braces. For girls, one earring is allowed in each ear.
Next, check the overall appearance and growth. As mentioned above, the airline requires the candidate to reach the mark of 212 centimeters without shoes. This is done in order to make sure that the flight attendant can quickly get an oxygen cylinder from the shelf, or a first aid kit.
Sequence Numbers
For those who have successfully passed all the previous checks, recruiters give out personal numbers and from now on they will only call candidates by this serial number. During registration and getting a number, recruiters can ask questions like: "How is your mood? Do you like the weather today? Do you like living in your country?" etc. Thus, the company’s employees check how friendly the candidates will answer the simplest and most banal questions, whether they can maintain a friendly conversation and how fluent they are in spoken English (a small listening test). You should answer with a smile.
Job Interview Role Play: Pairing
Role-playing games are necessary for recruiters to at least understand how social a person is. The tasks themselves are aimed at checking the behavior of the candidate in a stressful or conflict situation. At this point, the remaining candidates will be divided into two large groups. Next, people are divided into pairs.
Most often, in a double task, recruiters ask the public to introduce their partner as a candidate for the position of flight attendant of Emirates Airlines. Therefore, during preparation, you should find out the chosen person as close as possible, find out all about his hobbies, what position he currently holds and why he wants to become part of the cabin crew. When describing, you need to choose the best adjectives, but do not put your partner in a bad light, because it is these grief of storytellers that are screened out first. The future flight attendant should strive to help in any situation.
Task for 3 and 5 people
In the next assignment, recruiters are asked to briefly describe the best and most interesting quality of one of the participants of the mini-team. It is important to recall one rule of life: "Brevity is the sister of talent."
Also, recruiters are asked to simulate a conflict situation, for example, where a dissatisfied client in the form of a celebrity demands to receive a key to his number, which will be ready only in five hours. The candidate - the alleged receptionist, must deal with the guests screaming and not wanting to listen to anyone. You need to solve the problem here and now, so you should be careful about your words.
Additional checks for candidates
During the day, recruiters take breaks to relax in order to go to the toilet room, have a bite to eat, drink tea or coffee, and so on. During this period, they will, as if by chance, communicate with candidates and observe their behavior. The situation with a fallen handle is quite popular, when one of the representatives of the airline allegedly accidentally drops the handle and looks at the behavior of potential future flight attendants. It is best to raise this pen and ask with a smile about who it belongs to.
The basic rule throughout the interview is friendliness and a natural smile. Do not be dissatisfied, because the person always gives out any emotions, and recruiters carefully monitor the behavior and facial expressions of applicants.
In addition to all of the above tasks, candidates pass an English test consisting of 5 questions. Three minutes are allocated for each question and in general the test is not complicated, knowledge of the Intermediate level will be sufficient. At the end of the casting, which sometimes stretches for two days, the final results are announced. Upon successful completion of all stages, the candidate receives a list with the necessary documents for applying for a work visa in the UAE.