It’s got to be the most glamorous job in the world right? New York, Capetown and Sydney then home to Dubai for drinks by the pool – it’s all in a weeks work!
When was it that you decided that you wanted to work for an airline?
Perhaps when you were younger and on holiday you just loved the excitement of travel and have now realised that this is the job for you?
Perhaps you’re currently working 9 to 5, bored and thinking there must be more to life than this?
Perhaps you don’t even know the reason – you just know that this is what you want to do!
How do I get started?
You might want to look at getting your CV sorted. Almost every airline requires you to send them a CV is part of the application process.
Another starting point is to understand the different types of airlines and what they look for when recruiting crew. There are basically 3 main types of airlines that you need to be know about:
Budget Airlines such as Easyjet or Ryanair
These airlines offer short-haul routes (flights of less then 3 hours) and consequently do not offer “stop-overs” (staying over at the destination). The other thing is that they tend to offer lower wages than the other airline types. Despite that, they can offer you a great chance to break into the industry when you’re younger (Easyjet take people from the age of 18, whereas many other airlines require you to be 21). To get a really good idea what you’d need to do to get a job with Easyjet click here.
Charter Airlines
These are flights that are part of a package holidays. Package holidays are put together by tour operators who package flights, accommodation and transfers together and sell them through travel agents or on their website at one price (you learn something every day!). Charter companies normally start their peak recruiting around November for the following summer season ( May to Oct). On the plus side it’s a great way to break into the industry at 18 and there are also some limited opportunities to stop-over on long-haul routes (flights of more than 8 hours). On the down side contracts are normally only seasonal (May – Oct) and wages can be lower.
Full Service Airlines
For many people, working for these airlines is the ultimate goal. Glamorous long-haul routes, exotic stop-overs and the opportunity to live in another country means the competition for these jobs is high. Emirates, Ethihad, British Airway are all “dream job” airlines. In fact the telephone call that Emirates Airlines make to offer you the job is nicknamed “The golden call” and for many people this is the start of a life changing adventure.