I never thought about being a flight attendant until I saw a friend post about the job opening on social media. I have my BA in Communications/Public Relations and always dreamt of becoming a celebrity publicist. After a few internships and a Devil Wears Prada experience working as an assistant, I decided to seek new job opportunities.
After doing minimal research, I applied to become a flight attendant at a major airline. I knew very little about the lifestyle or the job itself, but I desperately wanted a change, and world travel sounded like the change I needed. So I applied, received an interview invitation, nailed it, and two weeks later I was off to Houston for 5 weeks of training. After training, I packed up my life and moved to the Bay Area to embark on this new career path.
With everything happening so quickly, and very little research conducted, I did not know what to expect from training, or the career itself.
Here are 4 things I wish I knew before I began my career as a flight attendant:
1. Flight attendant training has nothing to do with customer service.
In fact, only 10% of our training is customer service related. Safety procedures and emergency evacuation techniques are the top priorities at the training facility. We have to study the interior and exterior elements of 6 different airplanes. This includes emergency equipment, the number of emergency exit doors on each aircraft, which doors have slides, etc. We are tested each week and must pass with 80% or higher. If you do not pass, you are sent home. We also have to evacuate our entire training class out of an airplane simulator in an emergency situation in less than 2 minutes. So when people assume we are here to merely serve a coke and a smile, I laugh. We spend less than a week on customer service training.
2. Reserve life is what you make it.
A “reserve” flight attendant can be on call for 24 hours, up to 6 days at a time. This is explained during the interview process and is also stated on the application to ensure you are aware of how the reserve system works before you accept the job. One week you might get called to work a trip to Boise, Idaho, but the next week you can get called to Paris. It all depends on scheduling needs.
3. The money will come, eventually.
Flight attendants do not receive “normal” paychecks. Meaning, we are not paid on a salary, and our checks never look the same. Flight attendants receive one small check on the 1st of the month( 40 hours worth). We get another big check on the 16th( the rest of your flight hours, including per diem). This is the one thing I wish I knew before I started. If you are used to getting paid bi-weekly, and both checks look similar, this change in pay will affect you drastically. The first few years can be difficult unless you have other sources of income to sustain you. It does get better with time, and we receive pay increases every year. I know several senior flight attendants who make well over six-figures. So, if you can stick it out, the money will come.
4. Work-life balance is necessary, especially when you are a flight attendant.
People assume we get to see the world every week on our layovers. Yes, some of our layovers can be extravagant, but we only have 9-24 hours to enjoy it. This is just enough time to grab something to eat, get some souvenirs and maybe do some sightseeing before we have to hop on our next flight. The truth is, most of the time we are exhausted. We can legally work up to 16 hours a day. I have to constantly remind myself to take a break and relax at home, but also remember to plan a trip for fun and use these wonderful flight benefits that I have.
This career, like any other career, is truly what you make it. I have traveled to 35 states and 11 countries in less than 3 years, with a bucket list that continues to grow. If you are interested in pursuing this career, I am happy to help you along the way. Feel free to message me on my social media platforms or shoot me an email.
For more career advice visit Corporate Minority Career Insights.
