How to Get a Job As a Stewardess

Flight attendants constantly deal with working under air pressure inside the plane.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of stewardesses, commonly called flight attendants, is expected to increase by 8 percent from 2008 through 2018. Flight attendants are responsible for ensuring comfort, security and safety of plane passengers while on board. For instance, attendants inform passengers about weather conditions, flight delays and emergency evacuation procedures. Successful flight attendants are good communicators resourceful and capable of handling stressful situations.

Instructions

1. Complete postsecondary education to qualify for a flight attendant position. Airlines prefer candidates with a college degree in majors such as tourism, communications, education, psychology and nursing, according to BLS. If you're planning to apply for a job with an international airline, fluency in at least two major foreign languages such as Spanish, English or Japanese is a big advantage.

2. Find flight attendant openings in the newspaper classifieds or through online job listing services and career sites. Also, check the airlines' websites and apply online. Airlines list their requirements and other specific criteria to help applicants, such as those considering a job as a flight attendant, evaluate their suitability for the position.

3. Meet airline qualifications. Airlines expect attendants to handle stress, have excellent health and clean background. Airlines conduct background checks that can go as far back as 10 years and include school records, employment history and criminal record.

Tips & Warnings

• Anyone who attends a college or school that offers flight attendant training may have an advantage over other applicants, according to BLS.

• If you are planning to work on international routes then formal training includes learning about customs and passport regulations.

• Obtain FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. Typically, the FFA training occurs towards the end of formal training and consists of learning and passing requirements such as fire fighting and procedures established by Transportation Security Administration and the FAA.

• FFA Certification of Demonstrated Proficiency includes training completing cabin crew member assigned duties and an approved proficiency check. The certificate is specific to the type of aircraft you are planning to work on and not the carrier. Thus, if you ever decide to work for a different airline, you will only need one to two days of recurrent training and not have to undergo brand new certification---as long as the type of aircraft you're planning to work on doesn't change.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Flight Attendants
• Defree Finders: How to Become a Flight Attendant

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish