Although it has been over 12 years since I went through the recruiting phase with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Ryanair I’ll go over what it was like and what I think might be particularly useful information for whoever is going through this now.
A Little About Me Before Talking About Emirates Recruiting
When I first applied to become a cabin crew, I was fresh out of high school aged twenty. I just gathered as much information as I could about airlines hiring at the time, particularly those with open days in Italy, and applied.
At the time there were three options for young Alex with no prior working experience let alone in aviation:
- Emirates
- Qatar Airways
- Ryanair
I’m not going to deny that I had two clear preferred options out of the three listed. When I applied for Emirates and Qatar Airways, I was below the minimum joining age. Therefore, I ended up waiting much longer for the recruitment results.
I went through the entire recruitment process with Emirates, Qatar Airways and Ryanair. Eventually, I also went through the entire training process with Ryanair and Emirates.
My Experience With Emirates Recruiting
When I applied in Rome in 2010 the process was divided in 3 days of activities and interviews.
- 1st Day: Handing in the CV
- 2nd Day: Group activities
- 3rd Day: One on one interview
Not As Easy as it Sounds: Leaving the CV
On the first day I dressed up in a suit, as smart as I could look, cleanly shaved, polished shoes and set out to make my way to the hotel were the Emirates recruiting was taking place.
I got there nice and early and waited in a very long line for my turn to hand in my CV. Although I was just in the queue, along with six hundred or so other people, I tried to maintain a composed pose while standing. You never know who’s looking.
Once I got to the front of the queue, I politely said good morning to the Emirates recruiting officer and introduced myself. I answered the one question I was asked, left them my CV, and left hoping for a call later that afternoon.
Luckily, the call came. Even though my CV must have been one of the shortest ones in the pile, I was instructed to show up at the same hotel the morning afterwards and that’s what I did.
Day 2 Of Emirates Cabin Crew Recruiting
Remember being on time is essential in the aviation industry, delays are not excused. I found out the morning after when I showed up early for my time slot but someone else showed up late for theirs and was immediately asked to leave.
Day 2 kicked off with an English proficiency test. Whoever didn’t pass that was asked to leave. We were also asked to stand up and our height was measured to ensure we met the requirements. This was also a chance for the Emirates recruiting staff to check if we had any visible tattoos. If either the height was not in line with the requirements or tattoos found, you guessed it, you’d be asked to leave.
Then we moved on to group activities with role playing. We were divided into small groups and faced with a problem we had to discuss and solve among us. The Emirates recruiting officers would walk around the room and observe us. What I have the feeling they were looking at was:
- How we talked
- Our pose and body language.
- If we would allow others to talk without trying to impose our thoughts
- If we showed leadership skills
- Our capability of interacting with each other without getting nervous
At the end of the group activities without any explanation of what we did wrong or right, part of the cabin crew candidates was asked to leave. We wrapped up day two with some logic and cognitive tests. Then we were given a time for our one-on-one interview.
The one-on-one Emirates Recruiting Interview
The last day of the Emirates cabin crew recruitment process was the moment of the one-on-one interview. I had no official work experience, so they asked me if I had any other experience. I had been a football referee (soccer for you Americans out there) which demanded I would always be on time dress up and fit the role. So, I spoke about that and how I thought many things I had to do as a referee could apply to being an Emirates Cabin Crew.
When I got Hired as an Emirates Cabin Crew
After a 20/30-minute talk I left the hotel and waited for the airline’s call. The call came 6 months later when I had lost all hope. So much had I lost hope that I had joined Ryanair, gone through their training and was just days away from commencing duty as a FR cabin crew.
To complete my documentation I had to get all sorts of medical checkups done before I eventually joined Emirates in 2011.
What My Advice For the Recruiting Process is:
My advice is, be yourself, show your personality but don’t try to impose yourself on others or as the leader. Emirates recruiting agents are interested in discovering personalities that can be the face of the airline while 40,000 feet in the sky.
