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A former Emirates flight attendant has shared her advice on how to work with the prestigious airline — including her do’s and don’ts’ for during the interview process
A former Emirates flight attendant has top tips on how to become an Emirates air steward, and the things that can halt your career in its tracks.
Marika Mikusova spent years flying for the plane operator, and is now sharing her advice to others on how to secure a job with Emirates. The Middle Eastern Airline has a reputation for luxury and says that it treats staff to a “competitive, tax-free salary and flying pay” as well as profit share, concessional travel and furnished accommodation.
According to Marika, those dreaming of working as an air steward with Emirates must meet a few basic criteria. This includes being at least 160cm tall for both men and women, at least 21-years-old (as you will need to be able to serve alcohol), being fluent in English and having no visible tattoos while in uniform. In addition, prospective air stewards must also have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least one year of experience working in the hospitality sector.
“When it comes to the selection process, you need to bring your CV to the Open Days. Submitting your CV is also the first round of the interview. Those who make it to the next round will face group exams to show how well they can work in a team,” shared Marika. She was also asked to carry out a routine but somewhat strange cooking technique.
“My team and I were tasked with presenting the practical applications of a noodle strainer…,” she explained. At the end of her open day, Marika also underwent written tests. “I recommend candidates to practice B2 level of the so-called ‘Cambridge tests’,” she added.
Those who passed these written tests were then invited to take the final exam in the days following the open day. “This was a face-to-face test, where a candidate was asked a variety of questions and had to answer them on the spot. Those questions were mostly races and nationalities related, as you would be working for Arabic airlines and flying to non-Arabic countries as well. So naturally you have to be respectful to all religions, nationalities and races,” she continued.
A few weeks after the final stage of the application process, Marika received an acceptance phone call.
There are also some more unknown things about working as an air steward, according to Marika. “For example, I would definitely advise against wearing unnatural hair or nail colour! I personally attended open days twice. The first time I didn’t even pass the first round of the interview. I assume it was because of what I was wearing,” she explained.
Marika also had some, perhaps slightly more traditional advice for those angling for a job with Emirates. “So I would advise women to put on blazer and pencil skirt and style their hair in a bun. I would highly recommend putting a lipstick and heels on!”
For men, Marika suggested that they arrive clean-shaven or with a moustache only, and dressing in a suit.
“Mind your body language! Put on a gentle smile and present yourself in a calm manner. Do not cross your arms during interview as you would look unapproachable or even angry,” she added.
Marika even recalled a time when she attended her Prague Emirates Open Day, where several Korean women hoping to become flight attendants had flown in from other continents just to attend the Emirates Open Day.
“In fact, the interview was conducted entirely in English and was not limited by the nationalities of the candidates, the number of participants, or how many times each candidate attended Open Days in the past. So you can try multiple interviews outside your country,” Marika concluded.
