Open Day Etihad – Assessment Day Tips!

Want to know what to expect on the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day? Perhaps you’ve seen an advert for an upcoming Etihad Open Day and are wondering what it takes to make it through to the Final Interview to become a Flight Attendant? You’re going to find it all here!

Firstly, congratulations on deciding to follow your dreams to become a Flight Attendant! Etihad Airways is regarded as a great airline to work for. I worked as Etihad Cabin Crew for almost 4 years and I remember vividly being where you are now, searching for help on the internet about the Assessment Day and what to expect.

Here I’ll walk you through everything for the Etihad Open Day (Assessment Day) to help you feel more confident and more prepared to go get your dreams!

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What is the Etihad Open Day?

An Etihad Open Day is when anyone is welcome to come and drop off their Cabin Crew CV (resume) and potentially be shortlisted as Cabin Crew. You do not need to be invited to a Flight Attendant Open Day, you can just turn up.

A Cabin Crew Open Day is different to an Assessment Day as you don’t submit anything online beforehand. You do not need to receive an invite to attend an Open Day – it’s an open invite. However once people have been shortlisted on an Open Day, it then effectively turns into an Assessment Day.

What is the Etihad Assessment Day?

The difference between a Flight Attendant Open Day and Assessment Day is that an Assessment Day is invite only.

Participants submit their CV online on the airline’s recruitment website. The airline shortlists candidates based on their CVs and will send them an invite to attend an Assessment Day. This cuts out the ‘Open Day’ part above.

So there is the possibility that if your CV is not strong enough, you will not make it though the first stage and get invited to the Assessment Day. Therefore it is always important to spend time on creating the best CV possible.

When are the Open Day Recruitment Days for Etihad?

Etihad Airways regularly has Open Days and Assessment Days in cities all around the world. Click to visit the Etihad cabin crew careers page for details. If Etihad is currently recruiting it means there will be dates for upcoming Open Days/Assessment Days.

If there are no dates available it means they currently aren’t recruiting. It shouldn’t be too long until they will open it again, so just check back again on the website every few weeks, or see if you can request a notification when something is released.

Etihad will usually arrange the Open Days so that they are spread out around the world to give the chance to people from many different countries to apply. It does however tend to have more Assessment Days in Europe and Arabic speaking countries than in other parts of the world.

When should I apply for the Etihad Cabin Crew Open Day/Assessment Day?

LEVEL OF ENGLISH:

Only apply for a Cabin Crew job at Etihad Airways when your level of English is high enough. Many people get knocked out of the Assessment Day because their level of English isn’t high enough enough. Whilst it seems disappointing, really this is for your own good. It’s not enough to just have conversational English, you really need to have a high level in speaking, reading, writing and listening.

The Etihad Cabin Crew training is hard and you will be studying from aviation manuals a lot. Even as a native English speaker this terminology was confusing for me and I found the training challenging. If your English is not at a high standard you will really suffer and feel incredibly overwhelmed in the training and in the exams. Not to mind onboard when you have to talk to many different people from different backgrounds with different accents. You will need a high level of English not only for the points mentioned above, but especially when it comes to dealing with emergencies.

It is much better to wait 6 months and really work on your English, than to waste a lot of money and energy coming to an Assessment Day if your level of English is not high enough. Your English doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be at a very good level. This really is for your benefit and it will make things a lot easier down the line.

On a side note, also do not say that you are fluent in other languages unless you really are completely fluent. I witnessed a medical emergency onboard and the ‘language speaker’ for that flight wasn’t able to say or understand basic medical words in the foreign language. This seriously affected the health and wellbeing outcome of the passenger who was having a very serious medical emergency. The Cabin Crew member automatically lost her job.

AGE:

You must be age 21 or over to work as a Flight Attendant in the UAE as the legal age to serve alcohol in the UAE is 21.

If you are worried you are too old to get accepted as Cabin Crew, I know some girls who were hired as crew at Etihad at almost 40 years of age. If you are in good health, have a strong CV and have great interpersonal skills, there is no reason why more mature people can not apply.

It is rare for Etihad to accept candidates older than 40 years, however it is not impossible, providing you meet all the other Flight Attendant requirements.

How do I apply for the Etihad Airways Open Day/Assessment Day?

Visit the Careers page on the Etihad website – click on Cabin Crew and then click on the Assessment Date/Open Day that you wish to attend. You will need to create an account on the website.

It is really important to make sure you read all the guidelines and check that you meet all the requirements before you apply! You will need to have a completed CV to attach. Click here if you need help writing your CV.

What do you include in your Etihad Cabin Crew resume CV?

Your Cabin Crew CV needs to stand out from the crowd! There is a LOT of competition for Cabin Crew jobs and your CV is a really important part of your application. This is the first stage the recruiters use to screen and select candidates, so you need to get it right to ensure you make it through the first stage of the process!

Many people don’t even make it past this stage so it is important to focus on it and get it right!

Important things to bear in mind when creating your Flight Attendant CV:

• Your CV should contain details of your previous education, jobs and experiences that you have that are relevant and beneficial to the job you are applying for.
• Always tailor your resume to the qualities the airline looks for. Make sure to read the Etihad website to see what they expect from their applicants.

Recruiters will NOT read your whole CV – they spend on average 20 seconds skimming it and making a quick yes or no decision. Therefore presentation is key!

• Your CV needs to look professional. If it doesn’t look professional, the recruiters won’t want to read it. Canva has many great free CV templates you can use, which will help give you CV a good structure. They are all eye-catching and look really professional.
• Your CV must fit on one page only! Even if there is lots you want to write, you need to show that you can be concise. Any longer than one page and it will lower your chances of getting selected.
• Use an easy to read for such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Use clear and formal language. Write short summaries or bullet points as opposed to lengthy explanations.
• Make sure you spell check and proof read, and get someone else to do it too! You want to ensure you have no grammar or spelling mistakes!
• Print your CV on white paper. DO NOT fold the paper. Keep it in a folder so it stays unmarked and crease-free.

Cabin Crew CV Layout:

1. Personal Details
   At the top of the CV include your name, personal email address, phone number, Nationality and date of birth, as well as a professional head shot of you on the CV.
2. Work experience/professional experience
   Put your current job first so the recruiters can immediately see your current work status. Then work backwards and sit your previous jobs in reverse chronological order. Include the start and end date, as well as the company name, your job role held there and where you were based.
   Write a brief description of your position held and the job responsibilities you had (in bullet points). Aim for around 4 short sentences for each job role. It is really important that you include the transferrable skills that you gained that can be applied as a Flight Attendant.
3. Education
   Only include your highest qualification. Include the dates you attended, what qualification you received, and the name and location of your school/University/College.
4. Transferable Skills
   Think of 3 or 4 of your best qualities that are relevant for Flight Attendants to have. There are no right or wrong answers, but qualities such as communication, teamwork, customer services, adaptable, responsible, problem solving are examples of good transferrable skills. Write the skill in bold and then a sentence demonstrating how you possess this quality – it is important to give an example of how you have demonstrated this quality in your past roles!

When submitting your CV online you also absolutely want to include a cover letter too that highlights your experiences and expertise. Keep it concise and impactful.

What happens once you have applied online?

If your application is successful you will be notified by email a few days/weeks later and be invited to an Etihad Airways Assessment Day.

Should I Attend A Flight Attendant School Beforehand?

it is not mandatory to attend a Flight Attendant School prior to applying to become a Cabin Crew. Flight Attendant School can be very useful to some people, however you will often find most of the things that you need to know to prepare for your Assessment Day online on Flight Attendant Blogs or YouTube for example. Therefore if you don’t have the money or time to attend a Flight Attendant School, don’t worry – it definitely won’t look bad on you as it is not a requirement.

Make sure you write a really good CV and do your preparation for the Etihad Assessment Day, and you’ll stand a good chance. Remember it’s not so much how you are on paper, but how you perform on the day and how your personality comes through as to whether you will make it through to the Final Interview to become a Cabin Crew.

What are you required to bring to the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

You need to bring a copy of your CV and often 2 colour photographs – a full-length photograph wearing business attire and a passport style photograph: make sure you are smiling in the photographs, they specifically ask for this!

You’ll also be required to bring your passport and a photocopy of your passport, as well as a copy of your highest education certificate (Degree or college certificate).

Most people kept their papers in a smart plastic wallet to keep them clean and prevent them from getting damaged at the Assessment Day. Girls should bring a black handbag large enough to fit your CV in without it getting crumpled. Also bring some makeup (especially lipstick) with you to replenish throughout the day, plus a hairbrush and spare clips/hairbands if necessary. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water too and some snacks (or money for lunch) as it’s a long day.

What outfit should I wear for the Etihad cabin crew Open Day/Assessment Day?

At the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day you are required to come dressed in business attire. For males this means wearing a smart suit. For females it is recommended to come dressed in a black blazer, white shirt, a knee length black skirt and black heels (not stilettos!). Do NOT come in a skirt that is above the knee. Remember Etihad is an airline based in an Arabic country and you need to show that you can dress appropriately and respectfully.

Also make sure your blouse is buttoned up quite high, regardless if you like how it looks or not. It does not give a good impression if your cleavage is exposed and you most likely won’t make it through to the Final Interview.

At my Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day I had seen a few people dressed in extravagant and fashionable outfits: bright red trousers, over-the-top smokey eye make up, ridiculously high heels for example. Now whilst these candidates looked very presentable, all of them got kicked out of the Assessment Day quite early.

Etihad Airways likes it when people are able to conform to a standard dress code. This is because everyone will all look the same in the cabin crew uniform, so they want to know that you are good at following Style & Image guidelines. They want your personality and energy to do the talking, not your attention-grabbing outfit. Even if you really want to wear a different colour, stick to the boring black and white attire (which you’ll be wearing through training anyway so you might as well get used to it!) so you don’t stand out to the recruiters for the wrong reasons.

Also, of course you want to smell nice, but don’t go overboard with the perfume or aftershave. If your smell is too strong it will really put off the recruiters.

How should I do my make-up for the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

Style & Image is a very important aspect of being a Flight Attendant. You need to look neat and presentable.

Wear a full face of make-up: foundation, concealer, blusher, eyeshadow, mascara and lipstick. Even if you don’t wear make-up every day, you need to make an effort for the Etihad Assessment Day. If you use eyeliner just don’t go over the top – the recruiters don’t want to see Cleopatra eyes and they are not allowed onboard. I would advise against wearing eyelash extensions, but if you must wear them make sure they are very discrete.

Remember for the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day you have to already look the part of a Flight Attendant! If you show the recruiters you already fit the image of a Flight Attendant you are much likely to progress further in the Assessment Day.

How should I do my hair for the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

On your Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day you want your hairstyle to look like a Cabin Crew hairstyle as much as possible. So see how Flight Attendants style their hair and try to do the same Flight Attendant hairstyles on your hair.

Many Flight Attendants in Etihad style their hair into a low bun and this is how most females who attend an Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day will do their hair. Do not do a high bun on top of your head as Etihad Cabin Crew never have this hair style because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to put their hat on.

A French twist is also common in Etihad, but there is an art in learning how to do it, so unless you can do a French twist just stick with the low bun.

Always make sure you have enough hair spray on to tame any flyaway hairs and keep all your hair in place. If you need to use some Kirby hair grips try to keep them to a minimum and use Kirby grips that are similar colour to your hair.

Also make sure you don’t have any visible roots if you dye your hair.

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Can I Attend The Etihad Airways Open Day If I Have Tattoos?

If you have any tattoos it is very important to make sure they are covered. At the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day the recruiters will ask you if you have any tattoos and will visibly look. If your tattoos will definitely be hidden underneath the Etihad Cabin Crew uniform (eg: on your back or torso) it is fine, you can declare them and not have to worry about it. But if you do have tattoos in the restricted areas for Etihad cabin crew such as on your wrist, arms, neck or below the knees for females – you could be in some big trouble.

If you have any tattoos that will be visible when wearing the Etihad Cabin Crew uniform and the recruiters see them, you will be asked to leave. You are not allowed to cover tattoos with a bandage or with makeup. However in the past when flying I have met some Cabin Crew onboard who had tattoos on their wrists and they were able to cover it completely with their watch or with heavy makeup. This behaviour shouldn’t be condoned as it goes against the guidelines, and these Cabin Crew would have declared they didn’t have any visible tattoos.

Nevertheless, if people have a tattoo in a visible place such as on their wrist, I guess they will do whatever it takes if they are set on becoming a Cabin Crew. You could also consider getting your tattoo lasered – tattoo removal is much cheaper and more effective these days.

Tattoos are considered haram (forbidden) in Islam – the primary religion of the UAE and they may offend some people, which is why Etihad Airways will never knowingly hire Flight Attendants who have tattoos that are visible whilst wearing the Cabin Crew uniform. The Middle Eastern Airlines are more strict on tattoos as they are based in Muslim countries (Qatar Airways doesn’t allow any Cabin Crew to have tattoos, whether they are covered or not).

Can I Attend The Etihad Open Day If I have Piercings?

Similar to the topic surrounding whether Flight Attendants can have tattoos, there are certain requirement for Flight Attendants when it comes to piercings. Most airlines have policies in place to prevent body piercings being visible on Flight Attendants.

In most airlines, female Flight Attendants are only allowed to have one ear lobe piercing per ear and male Flight Attendants are not allowed to have any visible piercings. Nose, lip and tongue piercings and piercings on other parts of the ear, face or body are not allowed when wearing the Cabin Crew uniform. If a female has more than one piercing in her ear she can only wear an earring in one hole per earlobe. The Style & Image guidelines for Etihad are for the earrings to be white pearl studs, so try get some beforehand. If you can’t get any in time, I would advise going without any earrings.

If you have any other piercings besides the one pair of ear lobe piercings for females, you must take them out before the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day. If you turn up to the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day with other piercings in (such as in your lip, nose, tongue or other piercings in your ears, the assessors will most likely send you home straight away. So make sure you don’t forget! I would even advise taking any piercings out a couple of days before so you definitely don’t forget!

Be aware though that even if you have taken a piercing out, if it still leaves a visible mark then it will severely reduce your chances of getting hired (for example if you have a ‘plug’/flesh tunnel piercing in your ear lobe). If you can take the piercing out and it doesn’t leave a visible mark then it shouldn’t hinder your chances of getting hired as Cabin Crew.

The hiring process for Cabin Crew is extremely competitive, and the assessors are looking for any reason to send someone home early so as to reduce the number of applicants they have to choose from.

What if I have to travel far to get to the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the city where the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day is being held, you’ll have to pay for transport to get there, and often it involves taking a flight. You’ll have to pay for a hotel nearby too as the Etihad Open Days/Assessment Days start around 8 or 9 am so you’ll want to get there the day before so you aren’t rushing in the morning (or imagine if your flight was delayed!). The last thing you want is to be running late, as they might not even let you into the Assessment Day if you can’t demonstrate punctuality.

Make sure to check the location of the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day on the map and book you accommodation nearby (or even in the same hotel as usually the assessment days take place in conference centres of hotels). You don’t want to be unnecessarily stressing yourself out trying to get across an unfamiliar city on your own on the morning of your assessment.

Sometimes the Etihad Assessment Day lasts just one day, and sometimes it lasts two days, with the final interviews taking place on the second day. Therefore you’ll have to be prepared to stay another night too. Take this into consideration when you buy your plane/bus/train tickets!!

Paying for a flight, hotel, food, transport to and from the airport and the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day event definitely adds up. And there is no guarantee you will get the job. It is a lot of money to spend, but it shows how committed you are to wanting this job.

*TIP*: My advise is to only go to an Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day in a native English speaking country (UK, USA, Canada, Australia etc) if your English is very good. The competition will be fiercer here as everyone else is a native English speaker, so any mistakes in your English will appear more obvious. My French friend and my Swedish friend both passed their final interviews in London though so it is possible, but both of them have almost perfect English.

How many people usually attend Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

There may be a couple of hundred people at an Etihad Open Day! That’s why it is always best to try and go to the Assessment Days as opposed to the Open Days as you have a much higher chance of being selected at an Assessment Day as there are less people. Plus you have already passed the first stage as they have already vetted your CV when you applied online.

Usually there’s around 80 or so candidates at an Etihad Assessment Day. However, I’ve known some lucky people to go to assessment days when only a handful of people are there, and I’ve also known people to go to assessment days where there were almost 150 people. Obviously the less people the better as it’s less competition for you.

If you have a choice of assessment dates to attend, ALWAYS go to the least popular location as there will be less people (so, less competition). For example if you are from Barcelona and there is an assessment day in Paris and one in Palermo (Sicily), go to the one in Palermo. I know many crew who did this and they said it definitely helped them to get the job.

How to stand out on the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

Competition for flight attendant jobs is pretty tough. Out of all the applicants, how are you going to create a lasting impression?

I attended my assessment day in Rome (as I was living in Italy at the time). This certainly helped me stand out as I was the only native English speaker and so the recruiters all remembered me through each stage.

Be confident, but not arrogant. Be sure in your ability, but don’t feel like to are superior to anyone else there. You need to convince the assessors you are right for this job, so try to already act like a Flight Attendant would. Posture is important so carry yourself well.

Be yourself and SMILE always – until your cheeks hurt from smiling so much! Talk to other applicants and make friends – I found everyone was so friendly and they all just wanted to talk to someone so they wouldn’t be alone! Even if you think they aren’t looking, the assessors will be looking at you all in a social situation (during the breaks and before the Assessment Day starts) to observe how you are in group situations. If you are always on your own, it won’t look good.

You’re going to be nervous, of course. And there are going to be girls there who are so stunning and glamorous that it will probably intimidate you and make you compare yourself to them, but just try not to. There are plenty of people to talk to so just excuse yourself, make some excuse and find other people to chat with if you’re not enjoying someone’s vibe.

How early should I get to the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

On time performance is very important as cabin crew. Etihad usually starts the Open Days/Assessment Days early on in the morning so you can demonstrate that you can be on time. If you arrive late to the assessment day it is a very bad impression and I very much doubt you would make it through the whole assessment day.

Personally I got there about 20 minutes early as I don’t like to get to these kind of things too early as it makes me more nervous. I was one of the last to arrive, and so I would advise getting there absolutely no later than 15 minutes early. You’ll often hear the phrase in aviation “if you’re on time, you’re late” so definitely don’t think a 9am start means you should aim to get there at 9am. Some people got there over an hour early due to transportation/personal preference though. It’s up to you. Personally I would rather wake up early and spend the time going over some final questions on my own in the hotel room/airbnb, as opposed to just sitting at the venue waiting.

Whilst you are waiting to be called in, chat to the other candidates! It will calm your nerves, you’ll make some friends, and you might even fly with them one day (I did!). I think they called us into the big conference room about 5 minutes before the assessment day was due to start, hence why it is important to get there early. Also just double check your appearance before they call you in – it’s handy to carry a small mirror in your bag, or just nip to the bathroom before you head in.

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What happens on the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day?

The Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day begins with you meeting the recruiters – usually it is a team of 2 or 3. Often they are senior crew still working as cabin crew (I ended up flying with one of my assessors multiple times once I got the job!).

The Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day often goes in the order of:

• CV drop off
• height/reach test
• recruiters presentation
• individual question
• group exercises
• English test
• Final interview (can be next day).

The order can often vary though. In between each session you’ll all be asked to leave the room for about 15 minutes or so whilst the recruiters decide which applicants they are sending home. So keep chatting with others, and make sure you bring enough money to buy snacks/drinks in the break if you need (there will be a coffee shop or some sort in the venue).

Once the recruiters have made their decision they’ll send some of you away there and then, so make sure you keep all your belongings with you at all times if you do need to leave. The recruiters might leave a list on the door of who got shortlisted and who didn’t, or they might just call out the numbers of those who got shortlisted and are staying, and ask the rest to leave.

CV drop off

At the CV drop off they will ask for your CV and also look at your hands: front and back. They want to check your nails are neat, there are no scars, cuts or tattoos. Keep your nails short. Girls make sure you have clear nail varnish or French manicured nail varnish. Acrylic nails are permitted, however if you plan to wear acrylic nails make sure they haven’t grown out and aren’t pointy or too long.

You’ll be given a sticker with a number on to place on your blazer. They’ll write the same number on your CV so the assessors can identify you easily when it comes to eliminating people.

Why do you need to pass a height and reach test to become a Flight Attendant?

Height requirements are set for Flight Attendants for safety reasons. It is a safety requirement for Cabin Crew to be able to reach the safety equipment located in the overhead stowage compartments. Flight attendants need to comfortably be able to reach the safety equipment in case of an emergency. Due to these safety reasons, airlines are usually quite strict about minimum height requirements for Flight Attendants.

Remember the role of the Flight Attendant is firstly to look after the safety of the passengers so it is crucial they can reach emergency equipment such as oxygen bottles, fire extinguishers, Emergency Medical Kits and Defibrillators in a emergency. Also the galley (kitchen area) has lots of containers overhead and as flight attendants you’ll be required to lift and move them.

There aren’t really universal height requirements for Flight Attendants as the height of the overhead stowage compartment varies amongst different aircrafts (for example in narrow body airplanes the overhead stowage stowage compartments are a lot lower than in wide body aircrafts). The height requirements for Flight Attendants varies across different airlines so ALWAYS check the minimum height required for the airline you’re applying for.

Etihad Airways has a minimum height of 165cm (5’4″) – at the Open Day/Assessment Day they will measure your height without shoes. Etihad Airways also requires applicants to be able to reach of 212cm (6’9″). In the arm reach test, you will also be barefoot and will need to reach up to the height marker on the wall with either of your arms. You can reach it barefoot, but you aren’t allowed to jump – you must be able to reach whilst part of both of your feet are on the ground.

Recruiter’s presentation:

The recruiter(s) will do a presentation about Abu Dhabi and show a short video. They’ll then ask some questions afterwards just to see who was paying attention. They’ll also talk about living in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, cabin crew life, the Cabin Crew Roster and Etihad Cabin Crew Salary. Of course they want to sell the job to you, but they aren’t going to sugarcoat it. They’ll tell you the pros and cons of being a flight attendant and how cabin crew life can be challenging being away from home, missing important family events, suffering from jet lag, sleepless nights, long flights. They are telling you this not to put you off the job, but to really prepare you for it so nothing will come as a surprise.

Individual Question:

You will have a couple of minutes with the recruiter and they will ask you a completely random question. Most likely nothing to do with flying. It will be something out of the blue just so they can see how you can react under pressure and respond to someone and formulate an answer. Even if you aren’t sure what to answer, remain calm, smile and don’t panic!

Group exercises:

For the group exercise task usually they will put you in a group of about 8 people with the chairs organised in a circle. The assessors will give you some kind of scenario and ask you to all solve it together and then share your results at the end with the other groups. There will be several groups, with different scenarios and the assessors will go round observing the conversations and dynamics between each group. They’ll write things down on their clipboard.

It’s important that don’t come across too loud and bossy, but equally you don’t want to be too quiet or say nothing as airlines want someone who can assert their authority in a calm, professional manner. You’ll want to strike a balance. Also it is important that whatever you want to say, you never interrupt someone who is talking during the task.

English test

You will also have to complete an English test so the assessors can see your level of English. Most of it is multiple choice and if you are competent in English it shouldn’t be a problem.

Etihad Airways Cabin Crew Final Interview

And now for the Final Interview!

Whilst you will never know which exact questions they will ask you in the interview, you can ALWAYS prepare yourself.

Airlines will always ask you questions along the lines of tell me a bit about yourself, why you want to be cabin crew, why you want to work specifically for that airline, why they should pick you etc. Therefore prepare these answers before! Write bullet points down and then memorise them and expand on them so your answers don’t seem scripted. But equally, you need to get your point across that you possess all the qualities they are looking for.

Always look at how your past experiences will help you in your current job. For example if you have a background in healthcare make sure you mention this as the assessors will really like this! Or if you have worked with different nationalities, worked in retail and hospitality. All these experiences will really help you so make sure you mention it. Don’t assume because you have included something on your CV that the assessors will read it – you need to mention everything important in the Final Interview!

You will also be asked a few scenario questions to see how you work under pressure. Think of scenarios they could ask you and how you can answer them. You need to give SPECIFIC EXAMPLES! For example they might ask you to tell them about a difficult person you had to deal with. Give an ACTUAL EXAMPLE of when you have dealt with someone difficult! Don’t just say how you would deal with that person. Perhaps you were working in a shop and had an angry customer? You can totally use this example.

Also know some of the destinations the airline flies to and if they are opening up any new routes. All of this can be found on the Etihad flight maps on their websites.

The final interview will only last about 20 minutes, so use this time to shine. The recruiters will probably be writing things down – don’t let this put you off. I actually prefer when they are writing as it means they aren’t staring at me, and it makes me feel more comfortable.

Who did they pick?

In my Etihad Assessment Day, around 25 of us had the Final Interview and they selected only 12 of us to become Cabin Crew. Out of the 12 of us, only 3 had previous flying experience (and 2 of them were for low-cost airlines). All of us had all had jobs before – nobody was fresh out of studying so it seemed they wanted to recruit people with some work experience (but I have met crew onboard in the past where flying was their first job). I was 27 at the time.

Most of us got separated into different batches so we weren’t doing our Initial Cabin Crew Training together – usually they don’t like to have too many of one nationality in a batch so everybody speaks English all the time.

Keep in touch with the other candidates who made it through to the final interview!

All of us who went for the final interview exchanged WhatsApp numbers and we started a WhatsApp group after the final interviews were over. It was such a huge support as I felt like I already had friends before I even started my training! We would message whenever we got any emails, we would ask each other for advice, and we are still friends to this day, even though half of us don’t fly any more! These guys were there for me since day 1, and you’ll always have a special relationship with these people as you all went through it together.

I really advise at the Assessment Day to swap numbers with people like we did. If you are successful and make it through, it will make the process even more exciting as these people will understand exactly how you feel and you can really support and lean on each other.

What happens if you don’t get picked?

If you don’t get selected at an Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day, try not to beat yourself up or feel bad. It happens. Hundreds of thousands of people apply to be Cabin Crew every single year, and only about 5% of them will ever go on to work as Flight Attendants. Reflect on how far you came, and what you could do better. Remember you can always apply 6 months later.

I know some absolutely fantastic Cabin Crew who are incredible at their job and it took them 3 or 4 times to get the job! Don’t let setbacks hold you back. Just keep trying.

What is the timeline between applying and starting the job with Etihad?

It varies a LOT, depending on their demand for Cabin Crew at the time. For example, I applied at the time when crew were really in demand (as new routes were being opened, new aircraft were being delivered) so they had many assessment days and needed to hire lots of crew quickly. My timeline was quite quick so don’t worry if yours takes longer – I know some people who their timeline took around 6-8 months.

My Etihad cabin crew application timeline:

• Applied on 1st November
• Assessment date on 23rd November
• Final Interview on 24th November
• Job offer received by email on 26th November
• Contract received by email on 27th December
• Start date of 26th January received on 3rd January
• Visa and flight details received by email on 23rd January
• Flew out on 25th January
• Started training on 26th January

So it was 2 months from my Open Day/Assessment Day until I started my cabin crew training at Etihad. This process was very quick and often it does take much longer than this! As I stated earlier, Etihad was in need of Flight Attendants and so speeded along the process for our wave of new starters very quickly. Don’t worry if it is taking longer for you to hear back. Just be patient (I know it is hard as you are so eager to start!).

Which is better, Etihad or Emirates?

This is a question I got asked a lot. Both airlines have their good qualities. As a general rule, the process for Etihad is quicker and they get back to applicants much sooner (within days) to tell them if they have got the job or not, whereas Emirates can often take a few months to get back to you (and imagine after several months of waiting anxiously and getting a no, it must be awful). This can often determine which one you will pick to work for, especially if you’re desperate to start flying!

Emirates is stricter on the application day (for example you need to submit several photos beforehand) and with it’s crew when you start flying, but it does fly to more destinations, and you’re based in Dubai. There is a lot more to do in Dubai than there is to do in Abu Dhabi, where Etihad is based.

I know crew at both airlines who are incredibly happy, so I wouldn’t necessarily say one was better than the other. If you go to assessment days for both the airlines, perhaps you get a much better vibe for one of the airlines. Just go with your gut feeling. Perhaps you really want to live in Dubai, or perhaps you even like one uniform much more than the other (I love the Etihad uniform). Personally I liked the assessors much more at the Etihad Open Day/Assessment Day, plus they got back to me much quicker so I went with them.

Summary:

I really wish you all the best with your Etihad Airways Open Day/Assessment Day. The best advice I can give you is to prepare: find out as much information as you can and prepare answers for possible questions they could ask you at the Final Interview.

Further Information:

If you’re looking for further information about Cabin Crew and flying, check out these articles below.

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