Why you can’t just ‘do you’ in an Interview
By Aviation Job Search
Today Aviation Job Search brings us a special piece focusing on why ‘Just being yourself’ isn’t enough in your cabin crew interview – why you can’t just ‘do you’ in an interview!
Whether your next interview/assessment is via video or in person, you’ll have a few things to consider before meeting with your chosen airline:
When an aspiring flight attendant asks: “What do I need to do to prepare for the cabin crew assessment?” The reply is almost always “just be yourself and show them how much you want it.”
Now that is winging it.
This exciting role is not something to step into with little or no preparation. You might remember this phrase, ‘Prior preparation prevents poor performance’ and it could not be a truer statement.
You are walking into a test situation, where the airline in question is testing or assessing your ability and your potential to perform the role of a cabin crew member successfully. Winging it and ‘just being yourself’ is a high-risk strategy.
The assessment team might say ‘we are looking for that x-factor’ and that means they do want to see the real you, but you need to know how to articulate and illustrate that effectively across the variety of tests you will be asked to complete – keep it all relevant to your career as a member of cabin crew.
Below are 5 key tips on what you should be preparing for prior to your cabin crew assessment:
- Practice any relevant cabin crew interview questions you’ve researched by using the ‘Behavioural Interview Technique’. This technique requires providing evidence and examples alongside your responses for each question, to reassure the interviewer that you have the experience/skills you say you do.
- Practice what strengths and skills you’d like to discuss during your assessment. Ensure that these align with the job description and that they complement a career as cabin crew. The more relevant you can be with the hiring manager, the better. Fluffy mentions of being ‘organised’ and ‘a team player’ need to be backed up with evidence e.g. what work experience do you have to prove this?
- Understand the expectations from group exercises. Being an outgoing person is great, but this isn’t the only attribute you’ll need to shine during your assessment. How you participate in this phase is essential because it provides airlines with a first impression of your contributions to a team setting. So, consider listening carefully to your peers and make plenty of suggestions to aid problem solving. The above will help you stand out.
- You must be able to demonstrate a detailed understanding of a job as a cabin crew member. Being interested in travel isn’t enough anymore – there are plenty of people applying for cabin crew jobs, who have strong skills for this type of setting. So, if you want to stand among the best, showcase your knowledge to the hiring manager including safety, conflict management, medical care and logistics. You should be able to talk through a typical day in the life of a member of cabin crew comfortably.
- Be confident. While ‘Be yourself’ is still important in all walks of life, what we’re saying is that you need a bit of background knowledge to get you over the line completely – your personality will merely complement the fact that you have the ability to be a strong member of cabin crew. Being prepared will also help you to exude a level of confidence that many employers buy in to. So, don’t take knowing your role for granted – if becoming a member of cabin crew is your dream job, you have to work for it.
Practice exercise: Try answering the question “Tell me about yourself?” and record your answer. Then, play it back.
Would you hire you? Did you hear facts and evidence or a lot of generalisations and platitudes? Did you hear a person who knows who they are and what they have to offer? Or a person who had not taken the time to think about it and decide?
