Cabin Crew Personality – The Key to Airline Success

It’s not just a case of ticking boxes on a cabin crew CV. What the airlines want is you – your personality, not your CV. They need to see your warmth, confidence and professionalism from the minute you walk through the door to the interview room. Your cabin crew personality is your most valuable asset and this can be groomed, refined and moulded to perfection with expert tuition. This guide walks you through how to develop the exact personality the airlines crave and explains why there is no time like the present to begin.

Cabin Crew Personality – Why it Matters more than You Think

Airlines spend vast amounts of money on their selection process but beyond formalwear, languages and grooming what they are truly looking for is an inherent knack with people, a calm head under pressure and graceful presentation in any situation.

Your cabin crew persona conveys confidence and competence, which allows you to truly take up a uniform. Personality has an impact at every single interview stage, from your round the table assessment, group exercise to one-on-one interviews and even affects your walk and reach test.

Did You Know?

Many airlines follow an interview process of 3-5 stages and on every single one you are being assessed on your personality, including the final interview.

A majority of airline failures in an interview are due to grooming or personality shortcomings rather than a lack of skills – almost 70% of those.

Having the right skills on paper is one thing but a personality that fits is a totally different thing.

Remember: A positive personality isn’t boisterous and loud but quiet, confident and poised service-oriented at all times.

Cabin Crew Personality Attributes that Airlines Look For:

1. Confident, but not Arrogant

Confidence is everything when it comes to personality in cabin crew; airlines want staff that are capable of taking charge during emergency procedures, making announcements, leading safety demonstrations and calming down any passenger unrest.

The confidence you need can be sustained over the full 3-5 stages of an interview with good preparation.

Cultivation Methods:

Practice your presentation with body language; record yourself and analyse your speech patterns and the vocabulary you use; take up public speaking courses; consider taking on role play interviews.

Ensure you maintain an erect posture with your head held high, while constantly making direct, natural eye contact; ensure there’s a slight smile at the corners of your mouth at all times.

Confidence comes with practice- the more you do it the more natural it will feel.

2. Warm, Kind, Empathetic

Passengers flying from around the world may arrive at your airline looking jet-lagged or unwell, your ability to remain kind, welcoming and attentive will significantly impact their journey.

Cultivation Methods:

Practice active listening-try and understand fully what people are saying before you reply and engage with them; be an active member of guest-facing organizations such as retail outlets or hotels; learn how to make a mental note of everything people say (at an interview this can show your genuine interest).

Ditch the programmed, robotic phrases you might otherwise rely on and adopt a friendly and caring persona.

3. Composed under Pressure

The environment a cabin crew member works in is fast-paced and it can mean anything from bad weather and long delays to badly behaving passengers.

The key here is to maintain your composure and focus and it is the very attribute recruiters will search for in interview candidates as it’s the first sign of your suitability for the job.

Cultivation Methods:

Learn simple breathing exercises to overcome anxiety during a job interview and other pressurised situations; plan what you would say in a number of situational questions; reflect on moments when you displayed the ability to remain cool under fire.

It’s not about suppressing fear but rather understanding how to manage yourself whilst dealing with it.

4. Immaculate Grooming and Presentation

As many as 70% of cabin crew candidates are rejected at the interview stage purely on grooming and presentation.

Your presentation must look extremely professional, smart and neat at all times, showing a sense of responsibility for the role.

Cultivation Methods:

Look after your hair, face and nails meticulously; be impeccable in your formal wear-if you are given a suit, it must fit perfectly and your shoes must be well-polished.

Presenting yourself with perfection isn’t shallow, it shows you respect the airline and your potential role.

5. A Service-First Attitude

You need to genuinely enjoy and want to provide outstanding service to customers; interviewers can tell when your claims of service focus are authentic, as opposed to rehearsed spiel, by the very nature of your actions and demeanor.

Cultivation Methods:

Be clear about your motivations for wanting to be cabin crew-this shows true desire; try to anticipate customer needs and respond thoughtfully; demonstrate active listening and always be polite.

Presenting yourself for a cabin crew interview:

Always turn up with a beaming smile and a positive demeanor-this is the initial impression, and one which they will remember.

Always listen to the interviewer, and take their questions on board and reply as clearly and concisely as possible.

Instead of a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, take your opportunity to share specific details of your personal and professional experiences.

Your presentation will matter throughout every interview stage and it is important to be yourself and show your keen enthusiasm to work for the specific airline.

Finally remember that a majority of candidates do not pass the interview on personality and grooming, so make sure you leave a lasting good impression at every opportunity.

Constantly build Cabin Crew Personality daily:

You need to make your personality a priority, at all times.

The daily opportunities you have to impress are many; seize every chance you get and your personality will gradually transform to mirror that which is most sought-after by the airlines.

They want a brand ambassador who can personify their airline’s culture.

It’s already in you somewhere, now let it shine!

For dedicated, tailored support in building each of these traits, Zealwings Aviation Academy offers a comprehensive cabin crew finishing program.

FAQs:

1. Can I develop my cabin crew personality? Or am I born with it?

You can most certainly develop your cabin crew personality. While some people naturally possess the relevant attributes, other aspects of the cabin crew personality that airlines are looking for can be built up.

These traits might include presenting an appropriate brand image to both airline passengers and staff, being disciplined or demonstrating a customer-centric attitude; Zealwings Aviation Academy offers a special cabin crew finishing program which will allow you to cultivate these personality traits.

2. How can I increase my chances of success as a qualified candidate?

Airline selectors say that a majority of applicants for cabin crew are rejected at interview due to shortcomings in grooming and personality, rather than lack of skills; therefore, when you have a CV which is technically perfect, personality and grooming are the two main areas of focus.

3. How many rounds are there typically for airline cabin crew selection?

Most major airlines have 3-5 selection stages.

Normally this involves initial assessment, group exercise or group discussion, reach and grooming assessment and one or more interviews.

Because personality will be assessed during each stage and not only in the last interview round, it is important that your personality remains the same from the beginning until the end.

4. How long in advance should I begin working on my cabin crew personality before applying?

Preferably, start at least 3-6 months prior to applying.

This will ensure that you have sufficient time to work on grooming and communication, on your interviews, on gaining actual customer service experience.

Starting early will enable you to be more natural and genuine during the assessments.

5. What is the biggest mistake candidates make when attending cabin crew interviews?

The biggest mistake candidates make is considering personality as something which needs to only be displayed during the interview round.

Because 3-5 stages are normally applied, you will be evaluated throughout your selection day, even in unofficial settings- like when you communicate with other candidates in the waiting room.

Inconsistency will then cost you an offer; remaining warm, professional, calm, even outside the panel room, can be decisive.