Everything you wanted to know about Air Hostess Qualifications but were too afraid to ask
“I got very lucky with ‘Harry Potter.’ I got that role because I’m a ginger! Red hair was my only qualification!”
- Domhnall Gleeson
Not everyone is as lucky as our favorite order member, Bill Weasley.
For us normal folks out there, we need to have skills, certifications, language proficiency, behavioral conduct, among a list of other abilities – to qualify for any decent paying job.
And being an Air Hostess is a whole different ball game. It’s not a job that everyone and anyone can do.
Today’s blog post is all about qualifications – We are going to discuss what it takes to qualify as an Air Hostess.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Educational Qualifications: The minimum educational qualification you need to get, to qualify as an Air Hostess is a 10th class degree.
However, the minimum educational qualification to get a Degree or Diploma in an Air Hostess course is passing the 10+2 exam. - Age: Most of the Airlines prefer employees in the Age range of 17 to 26.
- Marital Status: There’s no fixed standard regarding this parameter and different Airlines generally follow different guidelines regarding the marital status of the candidates.
- Medical Requirements: Air hostesses are required to do a lot of work and travel continuously, due to the critical nature of the job – the candidates must have a clear history when it comes to mental illness.
The Eyesight requirement is a healthy 6/9.And, candidates should not have any major disease which might get in the way of their work.
- Physical standards: It is no secret that Air Hostess is a very visual job; Airlines try to accentuate their brand perception by Hiring Glamourous candidates.
This forces the companies to have some physical standards – such as the minimum height of the candidate should reach 157cm for women and 170cm for men.Also, their weight should be proportionate to their height. And, candidates should have clear skin.
- Behavioral Skills Required:
Apart from the physical and educational qualifications, there are also some behavioral skills which are preferred by most of the big Airline companies.
Here is a list of some of these skills:
Personality – Given the high stakes involved with the job of Air Hostess, and the fact that they’re responsible for managing a large number of passengers flying thousands of feet, up in the sky.
It is only logical that people with a pleasant and positive attitude are preferred.
Work Ethic – Back to back flights, New countries, New problems, and lots of Introductions – The life of an Air Hostess is not a proverbial picnic.
The members of the flight have to work long, hard and diligently, to make every journey a success.
Communication Skills – Flight Attendants are required to communicate with a host of different types of passengers; many of these passengers are travelers who are visiting the country for the very first time.
Being fluent in English and other foreign languages are essential to maintain their level of comfort.
Also, In order for you to pass the entrance exam of various Airlines, you need to be proficient in the English language as a whole.
Presence of Mind – The job of Air Hostess is not limited to just serving food and beverages, in case of a crisis such as turbulence or emergency landing they are supposed to make sure that everyone follows the given set of regulations and that all passenger queries are heard.
Passing the O.W.Ls: Your Guide to cracking the Entrance exam
Air Hostess is a very coveted profession, apart from being lucrative, it also provides you great opportunities to travel and make connections.
Needless to say, countless youngsters are dreaming of joining the Cabin crew and becoming an Air Hostess.
So, what can you do to stand apart?
Here is a list of things that you can do to improve your chances:
- Catch the Reading Bug – The entrance test of any Big Airline would test your knowledge and understanding of the English Language. You should pay sufficient attention to the three parts that constitute any language – Reading, Grammar and Vocabulary.One of the most fun ways to do this is reading books – books will not only teach you how to frame sentences but will also increase your Vocabulary and Grammar.
- Improve your conversational skills – It’s no secret that our country’s colonial hangover is quite inviolable, and one thing we seem to have adopted and made as our own is the English Language.You need to be good in English if you want to make a career in the Aviation Industry.As an Air Hostess, you’d be required to converse with people in different languages, but the language most prevalent is English.
One Tip: Find a friend or relative with whom you can practice your conversational skills, talk to them about movies, books, or whatever you both like, but always remember – Talk in English.
- Know your current affairs – Many Airlines conduct Group Discussions to screen out the candidates.To crack the GDs, you need to stay abreast of the latest happenings in the country and abroad.Also, you might be asked about your personal views on different matters during the personal interview – And in order to have an opinion, you must first know what they’re talking about! To avoid looking like a Deer caught in the headlight – Read newspapers daily and watch International News channels such as NDTV and BBC.
- Posture matters – Before joining any Air Hostess Training Institute, you can start your posture training on your own by sitting straight and maintaining a good physique.
Here’s a list of some of the most prominent players in the Air Hostess Training Academy circles:
- Applied Professional Training (APT) (Kolkata)
- Air Hostess Academy, (Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi & Mumbai)
- Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess, (Mumbai and New Delhi)
- Rai University, (Ahmedabad)
- Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Aeronautics, (Jaipur)
- Universal Aviation Academy, (Chennai)
- The Grooming Ninja – Appearance matters in the Job of an Air Hostess, and to look good, you should have good grooming skills.You can learn how to do professional hair and makeup just by watching Youtube videos.By taking this extra effort, you can be way ahead of the competition and excel at your training in the Air Hostess Academy.
- Inner Motivation – You need to stay motivated and confident in your abilities. It is very important to maintain a positive attitude and face every challenge with a smile on your face.Believe me, This entire preparation period is going to be a great character building exercise.
Here is a list of Airlines – most preferred by the candidates:
- Indian Airlines
- Air India
- Alliance Air.
- Sahara India
- Jet Airways
- Go Air
- British Airways
- Qantas Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Gulf Air
- Singapore Airlines
- United Air
- Lufthansa
- Cathay Pacific
- Tata
- Mahindra & Mahindra
Conclusion:
Being an Air hostess is a dream come true for a lot of men and women and, if you are one of those – then it’s your moment in the sun, you need to work harder than you ever have and make the most of the limited time you’ve been given.
The responsibilities of an Air Hostess begins even before the flight leaves the ground, so, make sure you’re up to the challenge and if you want to know how you can become an Air Hostess, check out our blog post on your Go-To guide to becoming an Airhostess | Salary, Eligibility, Course Fees and More.
