What Are the

6
Assessors5Looking
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For?
12 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

Many people ask: ‘What are the assessors looking for at the interview?’
A good question. The best way to go about answering it is to consider
what assessors are looking for throughout the entire selection process,
not just at interview. That way, you will be able to demonstrate these
qualities when it does come to interview day.
See below for each key area (not in order of priority) followed by some
tips on why it is important.
A Passion for The Job
Most people who apply to become cabin crew want to travel the
world. This is not enough on its own. You need to be a caring person
who strives to work in a customer-focused role and genuinely get a
buzz out of helping people. For all the presumed glamour that comes
with the role of cabin crew, you are essentially providing a service
to passengers. You should also have the ability to ‘step up’ and take
responsibility when things go wrong.
Professionalism

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The airline industry is very competitive and cabin crew are the ‘face’ of
the airline. You must be professional at all times as the airline wants

4
its passengers to come back and travel with them time and time again.

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If you provide a poor service then there is no way they will come
back! Being professional is also about communicating with your team
members, always having a smile on your face and having an ability
or desire to continually learn and develop. You should never ‘back
stab’ or talk about other cabin crew members behind their back. Be
respectful to one another and always be kind.
Image
You are essentially the face of your airline and as such, your image is
crucial! You have to look the part and you will be assessed on how you
present yourself at interview/assessment. As cabin crew, you will be
working very long hours and you should look as fresh at the end of the
flight as you do at the beginning.
Customer Service Experience
As I have already mentioned, customer service is very important. You
must be able to listen to customers’ complaints and questions and
have an ability to resolve them quickly and successfully. You should
understand how to resolve complaints, and be fully aware of your
airlines procedures for delivering outstanding customer service. It is
 What Are the Assessors Looking For? 13

also important that you can provide the interview panel with examples
of great customer service you have yourself witnessed and delivered.
Excellent Timekeeping
If you want to lose your job, simply be late! I can assure you that
if you are late for your interview you will not be successful. Airlines
rely on cabin crew to be on time, every time. Your life should also be
flexible enough to accommodate your rota and shifts. Timekeeping is
essential to the role and it is up to you to manage your life around your
working patterns and rotas.
Personal Responsibility
Of course, when working as a cabin crew you will have many daily re-
sponsibilities. Firstly, you will be required to be punctual at all times in
order to keep to the airline’s schedule. Secondly, your responsibilities
while airborne are numerous as well, which are focused on customer
safety and comfort. Of course, this requires a thorough knowledge of
all training and procedures that you will have gone through.

5 6
As well as this, it is your responsibility to admit it when you make a
mistake, which of course can happen when working in difficult and

4
pressurised situations, or even emergencies. It is very important to

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always take responsibility for your actions.
Flexible and Adaptable
As cabin crew, things can and will change at a moment’s notice. You
will also have standby duties to be responsible for, just in case another
member of the cabin crew team goes sick. Above all, you must have a
flexible approach and attitude to work at all times.
Teamwork and Communication
These two are probably some of the most important qualities you will
need as cabin crew. You should have previous experience of working
as part of a team, and be able to communicate effectively with your
team members as well as the passengers. At interview, make sure you
have examples of where you have worked as part of a team to achieve
a common goal, and also where you have communicated with others
in order to achieve a task.
The Role of6 Cabin
Crew4 5
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16 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

Members of cabin crew have two main roles in their job. These are:
ensuring the safety of all the passengers and delivering great customer
service.
Cabin crew must also have excellent interpersonal skills, which will be
assessed throughout the selection process. As previously stated, how
well you can deal with members of the public will have an enormous
impact on your overall success.
Above all, however, the main focus of the role of cabin crew will always
be on safety. A serious decision to evacuate the aircraft will always
rest with the cockpit crew, but the cabin crew have the responsibility to
oversee the evacuation and make sure that this is correctly carried out
according to procedure.
The key role of cabin crew remains exactly as it always has been,
and that is to keep the passengers safe. The cabin crew are obliged
to provide a safety briefing before the flight and to ensure that the
passengers pay attention to it. If an emergency situation arises, the

safely.
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cabin crew are trained to help everyone leave the aircraft swiftly and

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The cabin crew can make or break the reputation of an airline. They
must be well-presented, be professional, and make a good impression
on passengers to encourage them to use the same airline again in the
future. Airline companies know that passengers who experience bad
customer service from cabin crew will change the airline they use; it’s
as simple as that.
This is why airline companies look for future cabin crew members who
go to the assessment and interview with their eyes open to what the
role of cabin crew is all about. They will want them to have shown an
interest in the airline they have applied to, by knowing some history
about the airline and where they fly to and from. They must be people
who work well in a group and that have a friendly, confident and caring
nature.
Before you attend the assessments and the interview it is vital that
you understand the role as well as the key qualities required to carry
out the role competently. Let’s take a look at a sample cabin crew job
description and person specification.
 The Role of Cabin Crew 17

Sample Cabin Crew Job Description

Members of the cabin crew are required to provide exceptional
customer service before, during, and after the flight. In addition to this,
they are responsible for the safety of themselves, the safety of the other
crew members and most importantly, the safety of the passengers.
Cabin crew are trained to a very high standard to deal with emergency
situations and to also administer first aid when necessary.
Cabin crew will carry out several pre-flight checks, which include
assessing all safety equipment and ensuring that the aisles and safety
routes are clear from obstructions. They will then welcome on board
the passengers and conduct a roll call once all luggage is safely stored
away and secured.
Following pre-flight safety briefings, cabin crew will serve refreshments
to passengers as well as offer duty free goods and services. All the
while, they will have to deal with any passenger complaints, as well
as deal with any other issues as and when they arise during the flight.
Qualities of Cabin Crew

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While the role will vary between airlines, there are of course identifiable

4
attributes that any strong member of a cabin crew should have. See

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below for a breakdown of the qualities you need in order to be an
effective cabin crew member.
Safety-Conscious Attitude
You will be responsible for the safety of the passengers, so you will
need to work in an organised and safe manner. You will also need
the ability to learn and retain substantial amounts of safety-related
information, procedures, and training. This is what airlines consider to
be the most important attribute.
Flexibility
Cabin crew need to be very flexible in order to meet the demands and
expectations of the role. Although you will receive your flying roster a
few weeks before your scheduled flights, it is important that your diary
is kept free to meet it. You may also be required to be on standby
and be available to fly at short notice to cover sickness, delays, or
cancellations.
Calm Approach and Ability to Work Under Pressure
Despite the perceived glamour of the role, cabin crews work in
extremely pressurised situations – and we’re not talking about the
18 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

altitude! Indeed, passengers can sometimes be very difficult to deal

with, and you will need to maintain a calm demeanour always. You will
need the ability to deal with complaints effectively while delivering key
elements of the role at the same time.
Teamwork Skills
Cabin crew very rarely work with the same people each day. You will
find that you work with a large amount of different people during your
career, as cabin crew teams vary one day to the next. Therefore, you
must have the ability to work with everyone, regardless of their gender,
background, age, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
Pride in Appearance
It goes without saying, but you must be capable of looking after yourself
and taking a pride in your appearance. Some airlines will place more
emphasis on this attribute than others.
Ability to Follow Procedures
Cabin crew must be able to work unsupervised and follow procedures

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religiously. Safety is paramount to the role and you will be expected to
follow your training to the letter. You will have many rules and procedures

4
to absorb during your training, so an ability to learn and retain a large

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amount of job-related information is absolutely necessary.
Excellent Customer Service Skills
Air cabin crew staff must have exceptional customer service skills. The
competition within the airline industry is extremely fierce, so each airline
is competing for every passenger. Of course, one of the most crucial
elements of customer satisfaction is the level of service a passenger
receives from the airline cabin crew staff. If an airline can get this part
right, passengers will not only come back to them in the future, they
will also recommend them to other would be passengers. Therefore,
when recruiting, airlines will place special emphasis on this attribute.
Organisational Skills
Cabin crew staff must be organised both in their personal lives and
their work lives. You will need to keep an organised diary to make
sure you are available to meet your flying roster and you will also have
to work in an organised manner before, during, and after the flight.
You will have checklists to follow pre-flight and you will have certain
procedures to follow during the flight. Being organised is all part and
parcel of being a competent cabin crew member; it’s the whole job,
basically.
 The Role of Cabin Crew 19

Numerical Competence
Cabin crew need to be competent in the use of basic arithmetic. During
the flight you will need to work with money when selling duty free
goods and refreshments. You will also have to have an understanding
of currency rates and conversions. Whilst you do not need to be a
mathematician to become cabin crew, you should have a good basic
understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Being a Role Model for the Airline
This attribute is very similar to customer service skills. The airline wants
you to paint them in the best possible light. Therefore, how you behave
whilst at work (as well as whilst away from work) is very important.
Excellent Communication Skills
Cabin crew must be able to communicate with the following groups of
people:
• Cockpit crew;

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• Passengers;
• Other cabin crew team members;

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• Airport staff and representatives.
Of course, there will be other people you will have to communicate
with during your career, but the above four groups are the main people
they have contact with during their day-to-day duties.
So, your communication skills must be excellent. Let’s assume that
there’s a safety issue with the aircraft during the flight and you are
required to communicate a safety message to the passengers using
the public address (PA) system.
It is essential that you remain calm and communicate the message in
a confident and concise manner. If the passengers detect any hint of
stress or concern in your voice, they will become agitated.
Of course, there are many other qualities required to become cabin
crew, although the above key attributes form the basis of the role.
Before you attend the assessments and interview, make sure you
learn them, understand them, and be ready to provide evidence of
where you have already performed each one in a previous role.
Let’s now look at what the cabin crew interview involves.
About the 6Cabin
4 5
Crew Interview
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22 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

During the selection process for becoming cabin crew you will have
to undertake at least one interview. This will usually form part of the
main assessment day; however, many airlines will also invite you back
for a further second interview if you pass the assessment day. The
questions in this guide will help you prepare for both sets of interviews
and I would urge you to use the same preparation strategy for each
interview. In this section we will look at the cabin crew interview and
what it involves.
The cabin crew selection panel are highly experienced in being able
to determine who are the right people for the job. Therefore, it is vitally
important that you prepare well for this stage. The interview panel will
normally consist of 2-3 people, with one person being a senior member
of the cabin crew training team for that particular airline. There may
also me a member of the human resources department sitting on the
panel to ensure the interview is conducted in a fair manner.
In order to pass the interview, you will need to provide the selection

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panel with evidence of where you meet the assessable qualities.

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Although we will be covering the scoring criteria in the next section of

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the guide, you need to have the word ‘EVIDENCE’ at the forefront of
your mind before you start your preparation.

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In order to score highly during the interview, you need to come up with
examples of where you have already demonstrated the key assessable
qualities in a previous job or career. If you do this, you will be more
likely to succeed during the interview.
The interview panel will be assessing you on the following key areas:
• Your knowledge of the airline you are applying to join;
• Your knowledge of the role of cabin crew;
• What qualities and expertise you can bring to the role;
• The experiences you have that match the assessable qualities;
• Your personal appearance and presentation;
• Your communication skills;
• Your levels of confidence;
• Whether you meet the qualities discussed in the previous section
 About the Cabin Crew Interview 23

of this guide.
So, in order to prepare fully for the above assessable areas, you need
to direct your pre-interview preparation on the following key areas:
Research
Research, in terms of the role you are applying for and the particular
airline you are hoping to join, is essential. During the interview, you are
likely to be asked questions relating to the following areas:
• What you know about the role of a cabin crew member.
You should study the role of air cabin crew in detail and think
carefully about what it involves. You should also think about the
positive sides of the job and also the negatives.
• The reasons for applying and why you want to join this
particular airline.
This is important because many applicants simply want to become
cabin crew and they do not care which airline it is with. My advice

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is to ensure that you have a good reason for wanting to join their

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airline. My motto has always been:

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Airline first, cabin crew second!

• What you know about their airline.

The most effective way to find out this information is to go to the
website of the airline you wish to join. From the website you will be
able to find out as much information as possible about what they
do, where they fly to and from and also what their values are. In
order to help you, here is a checklist of things you need to learn:
24 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

Airline Research Topics Checklist

Research Topic Done?

Who are the senior airline executives and the

CEO?

What aircraft do they operate?

Where do they fly to and from?

What are the main services offered?

Have they won any awards?

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What is their customer charter?

How do they protect the environment? NOTE:

this is sometimes called corporate responsibility.

What are the special services or special

assistance do they offer passengers?

How many people work for the airline?

What is the airlines history and heritage?

Where is the airlines head office located?

 About the Cabin Crew Interview 25

What is new and current within the airline?

Who, if anyone, does the airline sponsor?

What was their latest Twitter post?

What was their latest Facebook post?

The above checklist is an excellent starting point to help you get your
research of the airline underway.

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• How you deal with specific situations in your working life and
what you learn from them.
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This is of particular importance and one area that may take you
some time to prepare for. This is essentially where you will provide
the panel with evidence of your previous experiences; such as,
when you have provided excellent customer service, when you
have dealt with a customer complaint and also when you have
remained calm in a difficult and distressing situation.
When responding to situational interview questions use the S.T.A.R
method for constructing your responses. Here’s an explanation of
what it means:
When constructing your responses to the situational questions within
this guide, create them using the following format:
S – Situation
Start off by explaining what the situation was and who was involved.
T – Task
Now move on and tell the panel what the task was that you were
required to carry out or complete.
26 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

A – Action
Then tell the interview panel what action you took and also what action
other people took when trying to complete the task.
R – Result
Finish off by telling the panel what the result was following your actions
and the actions of the other people involved in the situation. Always try
to ensure that the result is a positive one!
If you follow the above method for creating your responses to situational
interview questions then your responses will be formulaic, concise and
in a logical sequence. This will help you to gain higher scores in the
assessable area of effective communication.
• Challenges faced by the airline.
This can be a tricky one to answer; however, just by typing in the
words “challenges faced by the airline industry” in to any one of the
search engines you will be able to formulate you own views on this
subject. To give you an idea of the different challenges at the time
of writing, here are some thoughts:

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1. The environmental impact of the airline industry and an

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airline's carbon footprint.
This is a challenge simply because the demand for air traffic is
increasing and is set to continue. With more and more people
wanting to fly it is a challenge for airlines to meet their targets.
2. The competition within the industry.
The competition is becoming fiercer with more airlines offering
flights at cheaper prices. Attracting and retaining customers
is getting harder. However, by offering customer excellent
customer services they are far more likely to return and use the
airline again in the future. This is how cabin crew can help the
airline meet this challenge.
3. The rising cost of fuel.
With the rising cost of fuel, it is difficult for airlines to keep their
costs down without passing on the added expense to their
passengers.
Of course, the above 3 challenges are not the only ones facing the
airline industry, but they are a good starting point.
 About the Cabin Crew Interview 27

• Your own personal qualities and attributes.

In order to prepare for question based around this topic, think
carefully about the role of cabin crew and also the qualities required
to carry out the role competently. It is important that you have
these qualities and attributes and be able to demonstrate them at
interview.
• Your strengths and weaknesses.
Only you will know what these are; however, the following are good
strengths to have when applying for this type of job:
• Resilience and confidence;
• Flexibility;
• Caring nature and attitude;
• Excellent team working skills;
• Empathy and understanding;
• Good communication skills;

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• Personal pride in appearance.
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In terms of weaknesses, we all have them and anyone who says
otherwise is not being honest. However, be careful what weaknesses
you discuss. This is a good weakness to give during the cabin crew
interview:
“My weakness is that I detest lateness and on occasions in
the past I have been known to be quite blunt and to tell
people my thoughts whenever they are late for a meeting or
appointment that we have pre-arranged. Because I am never
late myself, I expect this of other people and my comments
have sometimes been taken the wrong way. However, I am
learning that not everyone has high standards in relation to
punctuality and I try not to say anything to them.”
The above response is quite a good one as it demonstrates to the
panel that you are never late, something which is crucial to the role of
cabin crew. Whatever weakness you decide to give, make sure you
tell the panel that you are taking steps to improve on your weak areas.
• Team-working skills
28 Cabin Crew Interview Questions and Answers

The interview panel will most certainly want to hear evidence of

where you have worked effectively as part of a small team. Cabin
crew are required to work with other team members to achieve a
common goal. That goal is essentially to get the passengers to
their destination on time whilst ensuring their safety and providing
excellent customer service. Before you go to the interview make
sure that you are capable of providing examples of where you have
worked effectively as part of a team. Here is a list of just some of
the qualities required to work as an effective team member:
• Good communicator;
• Good listening skills;
• Understanding of others;
• Able to focus on the end goal;
• Being adaptable and flexible;

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• Supporting other team members;

and weaknesses;
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• Being aware of yours and the other team members strengths

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• Hardworking and focused;
• Professional and conscientious;
• Open to feedback.
Before you go to the cabin crew interview, you should learn and
understand the above list of teamworking qualities.
• Respect and diversity
As cabin crew you will be required to work with and interact with
people from all walks of life. It is absolutely crucial that you are
capable of working with anyone, regardless of their age, sex,
religious beliefs, background, sexual orientation, disabilities or
otherwise.