How to Quickly Become a Flight Attendant

You can quickly become a flight attendant once you are accepted into an airline's flight-attendant training program. Though most programs last between 4 and 7 weeks, this time period involves exhaustive training. A flight-attendant job is not just about serving people food and drinks. Flight attendants perform emergency medical procedures and assist passengers during emergencies. You can become a flight attendant rapidly if you put your heart and soul into training.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Fulfill the basic requirements to become a flight attendant. You must, for instance, have earned your high school diploma or GED. In addition, you must meet a certain height requirement (no shorter than 5 feet and no taller than 6-foot-3 is the norm among most airlines). Some airlines require that you be older than 21. Of course, you must also be willing to relocate to the airline's home base.

2. Understand the job of a flight attendant. Many people apply to be flight attendants only to become disillusioned by the job's physical and emotional requirements, such as dealing with demanding customers and being called into work on days off. Impress your recruiters by your knowledge of what you'll need to do as a flight attendant.

3. Apply online as a airline flight attendant to get considered quickly for a job. On your application, highlight any previous customer-service experience you have. Second only to a bachelor's degree, airline recruiters want flight attendants to have customer-service experience.

4. Work hard to achieve excellent scores on your exams once you start training. Most training programs administer exams about once every two days for their total duration. These exams test your knowledge of standard flight procedures, emergency procedures, customer-service procedures and so forth.

5. Pay attention during your observation flights. These flights usually take place on the weekend and involve training with an experienced flight attendant.

6. Study hard for your final exam. This exam usually takes place on a mock flight, during which an "emergency" takes place. You must follow flight protocol to handle the emergency. Your trainers will evaluate your performance. Once you pass this final exam, you have earned your certificate and can start your career.

Tips & Warnings

• Work on your second-language skills, especially your conversational skills. Airline recruiters prize second-language skills among their flight attendants. A college education will give you a huge edge over other flight-attendant applicants. Hiring college graduates is an increasing trend for most airlines. Be in excellent physical condition. You will be required to stow overhead baggage, as well as push food and beverage carts that weigh more than 100 pounds.
• Consider gaining customer-service experience if you lack it, especially if you also lack any college education. Your chances of becoming a flight attendant are minimal with neither customer-service experience nor a college education. Remember that a flight-attendant school is not a substitute for an airline's training program. The average school also charges several thousand dollars in tuition, so you are better off applying directly to an airline training program.

Resources

• Flight Attendant Facts
• Occupational Outlook: Flight Attendants

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