How to be confident during the assessment day

 

Feeling nervous during the assessment day is absolutely normal. Many candidates worry about showing their nervousness. You should not think about this too much. Once you are in the room and the process starts rolling, you will forget about it and be yourself.

 

Showing nervousness is also an indicative that you care about the job and the assessment day is important to you. The recruiters understand this.

 

What will help you be more confident is being aware of the signals that you send and the message they convey.

 

Body language is a form of non-verbal communication. It consists of facial expressions, body posture, gestures and eye movements. Humans send and interpret all these signs almost entirely subconsciously. Understanding the importance of things you do not say puts you one step ahead during the assessment process.

 

Body language makes up for more than 90% of our communication and it takes only 30 seconds for somebody to decide if they like us or not.

 

I am sure you have been in a situation when you talked to somebody and you knew that what they said was very diff erent than what they meant. All by getting clues from their body language.

 

To ensure that you make the biggest impact when meeting someone now, keep in mind the following aspects:

 

Facial expressions

 

The smile is the most important feature of flight attendants. They are always smiling and looking happy. They make their passengers feel welcomed and at ease. When you are dropping your CV, talking to your interviewer and colleagues during the tasks or breaks, keep positive facial expressions. Smile and say 'Thank you! ' often.

 

 

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Ask your family and close friends if they noticed any facial ticks you might have: lifting your eyebrow when you are bored or questioning, pursing your lips when you avoid telling the truth, rolling your eyes when you disagree or looking down when you feel intimidated.

 

Body posture

 

When seated, keep your spine straight and upright, your hands resting on the table or on your lap.

 

Sitting far in your seat with your legs parted or arms in the air can be interpreted as boredom or an attitude of superiority. When you go through the 1-on-1 final interview, the easiest way to deal with sending the right signal is to mirror the assessor’s body posture.

 

Eye contact

 

Always maintain eye contact with the people talking to you. The easiest way to do this without staring is to focus on the point located between the eyebrows of the person in front of you.

 

If you get tired, move your gaze to the person’s left ear, then right ear.

 

Do not look up or down, this may signify boredom or avoiding to answer truthfully.

 

Gestures

 

In diffi cult situations we tend to fold our hands across our body because it makes us feel more protected. Avoid doing this during the job interview, as it may be perceived as defensive.

 

Support your words with open hand gestures. When introducing a colleague to the rest of the group you may point with both hands towards the person.

 

Subconscious gestures such as touching your mouth, ears or nose may betray what you really think. Most people touch their mouth after they say a lie, or their ears after they heard something they do not like.

 

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Be aware of what you do with your hands.

 

 

If you want to learn more about body language, read

 

‘The Definitive Book of Body Language: How to read others’ attitudes by their gestures’

 

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Documents

 

Thinking ahead and being optimistic that your CV will be selected, you should already prepare some documents for the final stages of the interview.

 

Make sure you have ready the following:

 

• CV - 2 copies on white paper

 

• reference list - 2 copies on white paper

 

• copy of your passport first page - 3 colored copies of the first page (the page with the photo and your personal details)

 

• copy of your highest educational certificate plus all the other extra certificates you have (language skills or other relevant vocational courses)

 

• service letters - from current and previous employer

 

• passport photos - 6

 

• full-length photo in business attire - 1

 

• full-length photo in casual attire - 2

 

*only if you apply for Emirates Airlines see details here

 

• registration form

 

*only if you apply for Etihad Airways - download here

 

 

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Open Day

 

Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways organize Open Days as recruitment events.

 

The definition given by Emirates:

 

'Open Days are information sessions held a$ over the world to give you the opportunity to find out what it’s like to work as Emirates Cabin Crew. These sessions are also an opportunity for you to meet our recruitment team, submit your CV and begin the process of starting your new career with Emirates. If you’ve got what it takes, you’$ be invited to attend the Emirates Cabin Crew screening and assessment process, either the same day, or the fo$owing day, depending on the number of candidates in attendance. Final interviews wi$ be scheduled over the course of the same week. It is a great idea, therefore, to plan ahead and have copies of your documents and certificates ready and available.'

 

Etihad says ‘An Open Assessment is open to anyone who meets our criteria, an invitation to attend is not necessary.’

 

Bear in mind that even when you apply online and you receive an invitation from the airline to participate in an Open Day, it is not guaranteed that your CV will be selected and you will be off ered a chance to participate in the assessment day.

 

What is rea$y an Open Day?

 

The Open Day is a recruitment event where you do not need any previous online application. That means that you can just show up at the advertised location with the required documents and hope that your CV is selected and you will be asked to stay longer and participate in the Assessment Day.

 

 

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What wi$ happen during the Open Day?

 

When you arrive at the location, you will probably be overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up. There have been instances where even 300 people came to an Open Day.

 

You will be asked into a conference room and shown a video about the airline and the city where the airline is based. This should not take more than 20 minutes, followed by a Questions and Answers session. You can ask the recruiters anything you like about the airline, its employees, its base, life in the Middle East, career perspective with the airline, etc.

 

Don't be shy and if you have a good question that might benefit the others, you may ask.

 

Pay attention during the presentation and do not ask about issues that were already covered in the video.

 

Questions you should ask

 

✓ Is there a maximum age practiced by your airline for hiring flight attendants?

✓ What is the process for in-house promotions?

 

✓ What is the airline policy regarding family members visiting?

 

✓ What is the best part of being a flight attendant?

✓ Does the airline support continuous education?

 

Questions you should NOT ask

 

! What are my chances to meet a nice guy in the first class and get married?

! Are there rude passengers? Is this a diffi cult job?

! Do we really have to clean the toilets?

 

! Is it true that during night flights we are not allowed to sleep or read newspapers?

 

After the Q& A session, you will be invited to drop your CV and your photos. You will be asked 2-3 questions about what the assessor finds interesting in your CV.

 

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This is your first impression with the recruiter. Smile and be polite, answer the questions truthfully without losing yourself into too many details.

 

At this point, you will be given a number that will be your reference number for the remaining of the assessment process.

 

CV

 

Printed on white paper, ideally will have only one page and a separate page with references. While you hand in your resume, ask if they require the details of your references and attach the separate paper to the main page. Have a paper clip with you.

 

Photos

 

1 full length colored photograph

 

4 colored passport size photographs

 

There will be two scenarios here:

 

• If more than 100 people show up, the assessors will need extra time to go through all the CVs. You will be asked at this point to go home and expect a phone call in the afternoon if your CV was selected. This is when you will be informed of the details of the Assessment Day. Most of the time it is scheduled for the next day.

 

• If there aren’t so many candidates (less than 100 people), you will be asked to go for a coff ee break while the assessors look though the CVs and select the ones who will be participating in the Assessment Day.

 

If you are not from the city where the Assessment Day takes place, think ahead and make arrangements for accommodation and transportation. The Assessment Day will last one full day and the Final Interview will take place the following day.

 

 

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CV Submission Day

 

This recruitment event is specific to Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. Emirates sometimes organizes CV Submission events in very busy locations such as London, however this is not common practice.

 

Locations and timings will be provided on airline’s careers website. You are expected to go to the location during the set timings with the following documents:

 

• Copy of your CV

 

• 4 passport photos

 

• 1 full length photo

 

• copy of your passport (Qatar Airways only)

 

• registration form (Etihad Airways only)

 

You are expected to present yourself in the same way you would for the assessment day - wear business attire, smile and answer the questions that the assessors might ask you.

 

 

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Assessment Day

 

Assessment Days are organized in certain countries and the date of the event will be advertised by the airline on their career website. To participate in the Assessment Day, you will need to register online, create an application and wait for your application to be processed by the airline's HR Department. Only the successful candidates will then be invited for the Assessment Day.

 

Recruitment Agency

 

In some countries, the initial selection process is organized before the assessment day by using a local recruiting agency. You will find this information on the airline’s careers website.

 

At the agency you will be required to fill-in application papers, complete an English test and a pre-interview session.

 

You should go to the agency as if you were going for theinterview with the airline. They hold the decision to off er you a chance to participate in the Assessment Day with the airline, so you must be flawless in your presentation.

 

You will be asked to fill in an application form with your personal details and attach copy of your CV. Most agencies have a standard CV format which will be created with the data you provide.

 

Next step is a basic English test where you will be asked to translate an aviation related text and also show your capability of having a short conversation in English with the representative.

 

If you are not sure of aviation related terms, translate in

 

advance the following words in your native language:

 

aircra-

 

airport

 

seat belts

 

 

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seat belt sig n

safety measures

non - smoking

 

lavatory

take - o ff

 

landing

departur e

 

arrival

turbulenc e

w eather conditions

captai n

 

cabin crew

ground sta ff

 

After the English test, you will have a pre-interview session with one of the recruitment representatives from the agency. Your experience, education and motivation to become a flight attendant will be discussed.

 

Be prepared and make a good first impression.

 

Once the initial screening is completed, you will be given the details and the invitation to the Assessment Day.

 

The airline pays the recruitment agency to assist them in finding the right candidates for the cabin crew position. You should not be asked to pay the agency for finding you work. If that is the case, you should contact the airline immediately.

 

If your country doesn't organize the Assessment Day in conjunction with a recruitment agency, you can just proceed to apply online on the airline career's page.

 

 

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Video Interview

 

The video interview is a new technique employed by some airlines to assess their candidates before the Assessment Day. You will be given the details of the website to use and a password, as well as the date and timings. You will need a computer connected to internet and a webcam.

 

There will be couple of questions (maximum 7), most of them behavioral questions, similar to the ones asked in the Final Interview.

 

You will be given 10-15 minutes to answer the questions, so take your time.

 

This technique is used to assess your English skills, as well as

 

your relevant experience.

 

It is normal to be nervous.

 

Prepare your appearance as if you would go to the interview: Wear business attire, Have your hair and make-up fully done, and be yourself.

 

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THE ASSESSMENT

 

New Oxford American Dictionary gives us the following definition of the word:

 

assessment |ə ˈ sesmə nt|

 

noun

 

The evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something

 

A teacher's assessment of the student's abilities: evaluation, judgment, rating, estimation, appraisal, analysis, opinion.

 

Another useful definition from Wikipedia:

 

‘An assessment center is a process used in the selection of qualified individuals for a job or role in an organization. It employs a variety of techniques and multiple observers in a closed setting to evaluate candidates. Based on an analysis of the ski$s and competencies for the job in question exercises for the candidates are selected in order to reveal information regarding the required qualities and attributes.’

 

The airlines’ Assessment Day is an Assessment Center type of recruitment. Throughout the day you will participate in various tasks and exercises, each meant to establish if you are a good candidate for the cabin crew position.

 

After each exercise, the airline representatives will select the people who will go through to the next stage.

 

At the end of each exercise, you will be handed a piece of paper with your reference number on it. The paper will say either

 

'Congratulations, you have been successful...' or

 

'Thank you for participating in the Assessment Center. We regret to inform you...’

 

Let’s make sure that the only paper you see is the first one.

 

 

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2.2.6.1 Introduction

 

Introduce yourself

 

You will be asked to say a couple of words about yourself. Sometimes you will be asked to say something about yourself other people will not know just by looking at you.

 

Be original and say something that will stick in the memory of

 

the recruiters. Stick to professional aspects, you don’t want to

 

shock anybody at this point.

 

For example, you can say:

 

'Hello everybody, my name is Anna. I am currently working at ABC Stores as a sales assistant. Previously I worked at XYZ Offi ce as a personal assistant. I graduated last year with a BA from University of NY. You probably wouldn’t guess that all my CDs are alphabetically arranged. That drives my sisters crazy.'

 

You kept it professional but light and breezy, and revealed a personal aspect that implies that you are an organized person.

 

Introduce others

 

You might be asked to sit at a table with 5-8 other people and introduce the person sitting next to you. This can be achieved by asking open questions to the other person, such as:

 

What is your name?

 

How old are you?

 

Where do you come +om?

 

What is your career background?

 

What is your educational background?

 

What was the last place you visited?

 

What is your favorite food?

 

Te$ me something funny about yourself.

 

Make the presentation not more than 4-5 sentences, use open body gestures, use the person's name often and smile. Address the other people sitting at the table, not the assessor.

 

 

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2.2.6.2 Reach test

 

This is a non-negotiable aspect of the selection process. At the assessment for Emirates and Qatar Airways, you will need to reach 212cm on your tip toes. When applying for Etihad the required arm reach is only 210cm.

 

Why the rule?

 

There is a lot of safety equipment located in the upper areas of the aircraft, in storage compartments. You need to be able to reach those. Also, you will need to close the passenger's overhead bins or reach the containers store in the galley (kitchen).

 

212cm (or 210cm) is the maximum height where the equipment is located.

 

When you have an emergency landing, or you have to take off in 2 minutes, you can not ask a colleague to reach it for you. The good news is that with practice, your arm reach can improve considerably, sometimes even with 2 or 3cm.

 

How to practice?

 

Measure 212 or 210cm and put a tape mark on your wall. If you are short, practice every day to reach the mark. You will get better and better at it. Practicing yoga also helps with your flexibility.

 

You will be asked to reach above the mark on the wall with one hand. If you have a hard time doing it or you are just at the limit, the assessors might ask you to reach the mark with both hands.

 

You can be on your tip toes and stretch as much as you can to reach it.

 

The first round of eliminations happen at this stage. People who made a good first impression and are able to reach the height mark will be off ered to stay for the next round.

 

 

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