Emirates have been making several regular cabin crew recruitments since it started service to Addis Abeba in March 2006. Out of the total 160 applicants in November 2008 at the Hilton Addis, only nine of them passed the selection process on the final day.

The new recruits will have six weeks intensive training at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai in facilities including emergency training simulators and full-scale aircrafts mock-ups.

Currently, there are 54 Ethiopian cabin crewmembers already working with Emirates. With the additional nine, the number of Ethiopians at the Gulf state’s airline will go up to 63. Emirates recruited globally; 10,000 cabin crew from 120 countries, particularly in areas on passenger route network.

“Emirates cabin crews have the opportunity to visit over 100 destinations around the world and experience some of the world’s most advanced aircrafts,” Sudhir Sreedharan, Emirates’ area manager for Ethiopia said. “Our recruitment drives also give us an opportunity to contribute and give back to the countries we fly to.”

Emirates Airline is among the world’s fastest growing airlines with 400 international awards in recognition of its efforts to provide superior customer service.

Emirates first started its flight to Addis Abeba as an extension of its route to Entebbe. Within a six-month period, it has extended its frequency from three times a week to daily flights.

Launched in 1985, the airline now flies to more than 100 destinations globally; in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, Asia, Australia and North America. Of the 100 destinations, 15 are in Africa.

The cost of a seat on coach is about $1,700; first class is significantly higher at $15,000

For SFO, the flight represents a direct link to the middle east, not to mention jobs and revenue locally.

“So this would create about 100 direct jobs and about one-thousand indirect jobs,” SFO Director John Martin said.

San Francisco officials rolled out the red carpet for the CEO of Emirates, his Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum.

But controversy has followed the airline. Homosuxuality in the United Emirates is illegal and reports say the airline does not hire gay flight attendants, something Sheikh Ahmed denied Monday.

“We allow anyone to work within the airline, we always follow the international policies and laws, so I’ve never heard to something like this,” Ahmed said.

San Francisco Mayor GavinN was out of town Monday, according to his chief of staff Steve Kawa, who would not talk much about the airline’s policies.

“They are complying with all the laws of the city and county of San Francisco,” Kawa said.

It is illegal for any company doing business in San Francisco to discriminate against anyone based on their gender.

“They still have to comply with the domestic partner regulation of the city and county of San Francisco and they have committed to do that,” Martin said.

But that applies only to those employees based in San Francisco and the United States.

So who is keeping an eye on emirates airlines to make sure they are following our policy?

Larry Brinkin is with the city human rights commission.

“We wait until information is brought to us or someone files a complaint that discrimination is going on before we investigate it,” Brinkin said.

Brinkin says the city does not have the budget to make sure the company is in compliance worldwide.

Emirates Airline will have three flights a week to and from Dubai; by next May, there will be daily non-stop flights.

The airline, which is run by the government of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, operates by rules far different from those San Francisco espouses.

Take Emirates’ flight attendants, for instance. A recent Wall Street Journal piece on the airline says that “tough rules are enforced, including some that would be deemed discriminatory in the West, such as weight requirements and a no-pregnancy policy for unwed women.”

Further, the paper says: “Openly gay male attendants need not apply. Premarital sex and homosexuality are both illegal in Dubai.”

In San Francisco, however, it’s illegal for contractors doing business with the city to discriminate in employment or in dealing with the public.

And Larry Brinkin, the compliance officer for the city Human Rights Commission, says airline reps, under penalty of perjury, checked off all the boxes on a city form saying they don’t discriminate based on “race, sexual orientation or religion.”

They also submitted documentation showing they comply with the city’s decade-old ordinance guaranteeing benefits to both gays and unmarried couples who register as domestic partners.

“They say they don’t discriminate, and we don’t know otherwise,” Brinkin said.

That might be because the San Francisco law applies only to how companies operate in the United States. In other words, while it affects employees on the ground here – ticket agents and the like – flight attendants who arrive from Dubai apparently are exempt.

“We don’t like it – it’s awful, but we have no jurisdiction outside the U.S.,” Brinkin said.

“It’s called following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law,” said Assemblyman and former San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano, author of the city’s domestic partners ordinance.

And while he’s not happy about it, Ammiano says, the “Muslim world won’t change overnight.”

BART barking: Quite a tempest at BART headquarters the other day, as a dozen African American and Chinese American contractors led by Hunters Point activist and trucker Charlie Walker confronted the board over what they view as a lack of transit jobs going to minorities.

Walker and his pals lit into the board, complaining that they were losing out on contracts while BART hemmed and hawed over completing the necessary “disparity study” to prove that, in fact, minority contractors aren’t getting enough work.

Unless things changed pronto, Walker warned, he would make sure President-elect Barack Obama (whom he claims to know personally) halted all federal contracts with the financially strapped transit agency.

Having had enough of the rant, board member James Fang of San Francisco tried to duck out of the meeting, only to be corralled in the lobby by Walker, who pressed his demands some more.

To which Fang shot back that the only reason Walker and his friends weren’t getting any work was that the person doing the disparity study – someone Walker’s allies on the board had demanded get the job – was “incompetent” and her findings were unusable.

Or so says Walker, who dashed back into the board room, took to the microphone and repeated every word of Fang’s allegedly private conversation to those gathered at the meeting.

Board director Carole Ward Allen, representing Oakland and Alameda, soon jumped in, giving Walker a tongue-lashing for suggesting she and the board hadn’t done their part over the years to help disadvantaged minorities.

The bickering continued for the better part of two hours, with no resolution.

Fang wouldn’t comment on his conversation with Walker, but said: “I heard much about the prodigious reputation of Charlie Walker, and I can truly say his conduct at the BART board meeting lived up to it.”

Fang also said he does have concerns about the disparity report being drafted by the politically connected minority firm run by Eleanor Mason Ramsey.

Ramsey tells us the nearly completed report “will speak for itself” and will be of “as high quality” as the more than 100 others her firm has done for government agencies across the country.

“There have been no challenges to a single program based on our work,” she said.

Scratched: Oakland officials recently rolled out a new enforcement program targeting small crimes that lead to big headaches – but their first case turned out to be a real migraine.

The idea was to beef up prosecution of petty crimes such as vandalism, public drunkenness, aiding in drug sales, illegal dumping and the like that normally get short shrift in overburdened courts.

Well, the other day, the very first trial of a defendant charged as part of the campaign got under way – and it was a bust.

The defendant was a 49-year-old gas station manager accused in April of keying a customer’s 7-year-old van, causing more than $1,000 in damage.

Somehow the case wound up in the hands of one of three deputy city attorneys who have been loaned out to the Alameda County district attorney as a part of the new small-crimes unit.

It wasn’t exactly the type of crime the unit was expected to handle, but “there are just some cases we have to try,” said Deputy District Attorney John Rogers.

“Things like getting your car keyed, we can’t just ignore,” Rogers said.

Maybe not, but after a three-day trial, it took the jury all of 20 minutes to come back with the verdict.

“Not guilty.”

While the aviation industry elsewhere is facing headwinds, this city-state of man-made island developments, luxury resorts and an indoor ski slope has put some of the glamor back into air travel, the Wall Street Journal’s Farnaz Fassihi reports.

Fassihi recounts the astounding perks — free living accommodations and transport to work, 50% discounts at local bars, restaurants and health clubs — and the remarkable drawbacks — smoking and eating in uniform are prohibited, and if an attendant gains too much weight, he or she is put on a diet — of working for the carrier.

Emirates’ routes — including nonstop flights to Los Angeles and São Paulo — beat the U.S. domestic circuit, where most young American attendants wind up. And Emirates puts its attendants up at luxury hotels and gives them generous per diem allowances while traveling.

“I would have to fly 30 years in the U.S. before I could travel like this,” says a bronzed Mr. Miller, lounging with a blonde colleague at the rooftop pool of one of Emirates’ high-rise apartment towers. “There is no comparison to what we get here,” he said.

Miller, who formerly worked for JetBlue and Southwest, says Emirates pays less than his previous employers, but says the perks made up for the lower pay.

But even including the perks, some FAs find the carrier’s policies somewhat restrictive.

“It’s a little stifling,” says a 25-year-old European female attendant, who asked not to be named. “We are human beings, not just a marketing tool.”

The company has been proudly touting their Emirates A380 planes, which feature 3 levels of Dubai’s special brand of excess. An Economy ticket gets you a widescreen television equipped with 1000 channels of on-demand cable and “adjustable headrests, more space and a sliding base allowing deeper seat recline,” while Business Class passengers are set up with fully reclinable massage chairs, a personal mini-bar, and access to the onboard lounge.

Of course, it’s really the First Class cabin–a collection of “private suites”–that really lets you know you’re doing things the Dubai way. In addition to another, even better lounge, the section has two Shower Spas featuring heated floors, leather seating, and a full-length mirror. The Spas are manned by “dedicated shower attendants,” whose job it is to “prepare” the area (and presumably prevent any turbulence-related mishaps). And of course, all passengers are treated to “unique, advanced mood lighting system, complete with a starlit sky” which “adjusts throughout a flight to reflect the time at the destination, and to help combat effects of jet lag.”

As if all these futuristic touches weren’t enough, the airline is bringing back commercial flight’s original selling point: cute stewardesses! The mostly female crew, which is “meticulously” recruited from the developing world (with a 6 percent acceptance rate!), wear “well-fitted” beige skirts, pillbox hats, and long scarves. They’re required to attend beauty and etiquette training, maintain the freshness of their make-up, and wear high-heels on the ground and in the air while adhering to weight requirements and a no-pregnancy policy. Additionally, “Emirates’ rules require attendants to politely accept a business card or phone number if it’s proffered by a passenger,” though the airline doesn’t require the attendants to “call or give out their own numbers, unless they want to.”

For their part, the staff doesn’t seem to have much of a problem with their employer’s old-school attitude, probably because the company seems pretty invested in helping them make the most of their off days:

“Young, single crew members are paired with roommates and housed in blocks of luxury-apartment towers across Dubai. The night life is reminiscent of college. [Stewardess] Ms. Masillamani recalled a recent party at a room in the 21st Century, on Dubai’s neon-lighted main strip. Female crew members danced in bikinis while young men sprayed champagne.”

“I retouch it every 15 minutes,” she said. “Otherwise, my supervisor will remind me.”
Emirates’ Glamorous Crew

Emirates flight attendants smile at the ceremony promoting them from economy to business class service.

The global economic slump is just now touching the glittering shores of the oil-rich Persian Gulf. But when it comes to the 10,000 flight attendants working for Emirates, the government-owned airline here, Dubai isn’t cutting any corners. In an industry in a tailspin in much of the rest of the world, this city-state of man-made island developments, luxury resorts and an indoor ski slope has put some of the glamour back into air travel.

The glamour comes with a price. The airline is a demanding employer, flight attendants say. Tough rules are enforced, including some that would be deemed discriminatory in the West, such as weight requirements and a no-pregnancy policy for unwed women.

The carrier meticulously recruits attractive young men and women from around the world, like Ms. Rodriguez, a brunette with big green eyes and high cheek bones. As part of the airline’s standard training, Ms. Rodriguez attended beauty and etiquette training. She’s required to keep her makeup fresh, even on long flights. High-heels are a must when she’s in uniform, even on the ground. Both men and women are expected to get manicures and facials.

Innocuous onboard flirting is condoned: Emirates’ rules require attendants to politely accept a business card or phone number if it’s proffered by a passenger. (The airline doesn’t require the attendants to call or give out their own numbers, unless they want to.)

The uniform for women — pillbox hat and beige scarf attached to one side, flowing sideways over the shoulder — evokes traditional Persian and Turkish attire.

Earlier this month, dozens of uniformed and perfectly made-up Emirates flight attendants greeted and mixed with a star-studded, black-tie crowd, including Charlize Theron and Robert De Niro, at a $20 million grand-opening party for the new Atlantis hotel here.

“Our crew always sticks out,” says Ms. Rodriguez.

Many of the airline’s recruits are from developing countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and across the Middle East. For them, the airline is a rare ticket to see the world in style, and for women from conservative countries like Iran and Egypt, it’s a chance for independence. For many Western airline veterans drawn here, Emirates has so far been a safe haven from the economic storms buffeting the rest of the industry.

View Full Image

Tamara Abdul Hadi for The Wall Street Journal

Emirates airline crew members head to the airport in Dubai last month.

Layovers aren’t so bad, either.

“We work hard in the air, but we also party hard when we are on the ground,” said Neha Masillamani, a flight attendant from New Delhi, as she got her hair styled and her nails done at a crowded Dubai salon popular with Emirates attendants.

Young, single crew members are paired with roommates and housed in blocks of luxury-apartment towers across Dubai. The night life is reminiscent of college. Ms. Masillamani recalled a recent party at a room in the 21st Century, on Dubai’s neon-lighted main strip. Female crew members danced in bikinis while young men sprayed champagne.

At night, flight attendants flock to Zinc, a throbbing night club tucked into the ground floor of the Crowne Plaza hotel here. Male attendants, hair gelled in spikes and sporting tight-fitting designer shirts, earrings and leather necklaces, order pitchers of vodka mixes. The manager of the club estimates up to 70% of its revenue comes from Emirates’ crew.

“It’s so much fun, like being on a dreamy vacation. They take care of us here,” said Jane Park, a 24-year-old from Korea, dressed in a tiny black dress and stiletto heels as she greeted her friends and colleagues.

There are limits. Despite its tolerant attitude toward foreigners, Dubai still harbors a conservative Muslim culture. If a single female attendant shows up pregnant, she’s fired. Openly gay male attendants need not apply. Premarital sex and homosexuality are both illegal in Dubai.

“We aren’t above the law here,” says Kevin Griffiths, Emirates’ senior vice president for cabin crew.

On duty, attendants are kept on a short leash.

Crew members aren’t allowed to drink in the 12 hours before a flight. Smoking and eating in uniform are prohibited. If an attendant gains too much weight, he or she is put on a diet by the airline’s resident nutritionists.

A regulation manual prescribing everything from dress to posture on duty is also clear about the underwear women should have on under their light camel-color skirt and pants: white or beige, and “well fitted.”
Young Women Preferred

Emirates draws young recruits. The average age of a flight attendant is 26. By comparison, the average age of an attendant on a U.S. flight is in the mid-40s, according to a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants. According to the union’s statistics, just 12% of members in the U. S. are under 30.

Emirates also prefers women to men: Seventy-five percent of total flight crew must be female.

“It’s a little stifling,” says a 25-year-old European female attendant, who asked not to be named. “We are human beings, not just a marketing tool.”

Emirates hasn’t been immune to the current global economic downturn. The airlines posted an 88% drop in first half-year profit last month. But Valerie Tan, a company spokeswoman, said it is hiring more attendants to staff new routes to North and South America. And new planes are on order.

In the past 12 months, the airline says, it received 93,079 flight-attendant applications. Using photos, interviews, psychological profiling and group sessions with candidates, executives hire just 6% of job seekers. Recruiters hunt for promising hires around the world.

In some countries, applicants are put on a scale and weighed. (The practice is against the law in many Western countries because it’s considered discriminatory, according to the company.)

After a six-week training course at Emirates headquarters near Dubai’s sprawling airport, the airline graduates about 90 new flight attendants per week.
Less Pay, More Fun

Michael Miller, a 29-year-old from Miami, has flown with Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. He says Emirates pays less than his former employers, but the perks and lifestyle are better.

Emirates also offers free living accommodations and transport to and from work. Married personnel are offered either company housing or generous housing stipends. The crew also gets up to 50% off at local bars, restaurants and health clubs.

Emirates’ routes — including nonstop flights to Los Angeles and São Paulo — beat the U.S. domestic circuit, where most young American attendants wind up. And Emirates puts its attendants up at luxury hotels and gives them generous per diem allowances while traveling.

“I would have to fly 30 years in the U.S. before I could travel like this,” says a bronzed Mr. Miller, lounging with a blonde colleague at the rooftop pool of one of Emirates’ high-rise apartment towers. “There is no comparison to what we get here,” he said.

The pilots say that the lack of engine noise in the A380’s cabin compared with other long-haul airliners means they are constantly disturbed by sounds created by passengers, such as crying babies, flushing vacuum toilets and call bells. Passengers also mistake the rest area for a lavatory, and pull the door handle.

The Dubai-based carrier has asked Airbus for a solution that does not involve substantially adding weight, which rules out insulating the walls of the rest area, situated at the rear of the all-economy main deck, says Emirates senior vice-president, fleet, Capt Ed Davidson.

“We are expecting to hear back from them by the middle of the month,” says Davidson, who admits that the airframer has “overdelivered” on its noise promises on the airline’s Engine Alliance GP7200-powered A380s. One option could be installing lightweight generators to create ambient noise.

“We’re getting a lot of complaints. It’s not something we expected,” says Davidson. “On our other aircraft, the engines drown out the cabin noise. [On the A380] the pilots sleep with earplugs but the cabin noise goes straight through them.”

Emirates is the only A380 operator so far to have situated the crew-rest areas at the rear of the main deck. It did not opt for Airbus’ standard option of locating the pilots’ compartment behind the cockpit as it would have compromised the design of the airline’s upper deck first-class cabin, while the alternative location of the cargo hold was rejected as it thought crew would find it “claustrophobic”.

The Dubai-based airline has previously operated a recovery flight each to U-Taphao Airport and Chiang Mai Airport, bringing back close to 600 passengers. It has also offered passengers the option to re-route their travel from alternative airports in Thailand and other South East Asian points such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Hong Kong.

Emirates third recovery flight, a Boeing 777-300 aircraft departed Dubai today for U-Taphao Airport. It will return on 4th December carrying 380 passengers. Emirates choice of wide-bodied Boeing 777 aircraft is deliberate to ensure that the maximum number of passengers can be recovered from Bangkok.

The fourth recovery flight will depart Dubai on 5th December and will also bring back 380 passengers. At present the flight is scheduled to operate to U-Taphao Airport, but it may be re-routed to Bangkok if the on-ground situation improves further. Passengers wishing to travel to Bangkok can contact Emirates’ Reservations in their local markets to book themselves on the fourth recovery flight, subject to seat availability.

Emirates has also positioned additional flight and cabin crew in Thailand in preparation for the resumption of services.

Richard Vaughan, Emirates Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, East Asia and Australasia said: “Emirates is pleased to note that Bangkok’s international airport is slowly resuming operations. As the main terminal is still undergoing checks and cleaning, and flights are being allowed to operate from a smaller facility at the airport, we will only resume operations with the daily, scheduled EK372/373 service between Dubai and Bangkok starting 6th December. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will resume all operations once the situation has returned to full normalcy. The safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance and we would not wish to compromise it in any way.”

EK 372 will depart Dubai daily at 09:40hrs and touch down in Bangkok at 18:40hrs. Return flight EK373 will depart Bangkok at 20:25hrs and arrive in Dubai at 23:55hrs.

Richard concluded: “We request customers to contact their local Emirates offices for further updates, and before embarking on a journey to/from Bangkok.”

Emirates Airport Services and local offices are ensuring passengers are well cared for. Emirates staff in Thailand have organised hotel accommodation for stranded passengers and road transportation under security cover to bring passengers to airports from which Emirates is operating recovery flights.

Flight EK384/385 (Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong-Bangkok-Dubai) will remain cancelled until 12th December. EK418/419 (Dubai-Bangkok-Sydney-Auckland-Sydney-Bangkok-Dubai) will overfly Bangkok and operate on direct routes until further notice. Emirates hopes to resume these services once the airport facility is fully operational.

The resume must emphasize that you are capable for cabin crew’s major responsibility – high standard of customer service. Like the impression you want to set on the recruitment day, the resume should go along with that too.

This is the format what Mark did in his resume. He specified his major responsibilities in his job details & his achievements as well. Since you’re applying for flight attendant position, then, responsibility & achievements should have connections with the flight attendants’ duties & responsibilities.

Assessment Day
Assessment Day is about 2 weeks after Open Day. It lasts all day starting with knowing more about EK and Dubai + FAQ, follow by various tasks – 1) discussion, 2) another arm reach / appearance check, 3) English proficiency test, 4) final group discussion. There are 3 elimination rounds as the day progresses. So if you’re successful throughout you could be there from 8.30am to 5~7pm. At the end of Assessment Day for those successful, you sit for your Psycometric papers and be informed of date for Final Interview.

Final Interview
This is conducted by the EK Recruiting Officers and usually takes place very soon after Assessment Day. There will be documents you have to prepare and bring with you. Result of Final Interview will be made to you either via email or phone call from Dubai, 2-6 weeks after your Final Interview.

The training at Emirates is intensive and lasts for 6 weeks. Not counting the introduction week. You’ll have 2 weeks of Security & Emergency Procedures, 1 week of First Aid Response and finally 2 weeks of In-Flight Service.
The First week will be used to finalize paperwork you’ve submitted prior to joining Emirates, and will introduce you to the company. On the 2nd day you will go for your uniform fitting !

What is SEP ?

SEP stands for Security & Emergency Procedures. These define the “How To’s” of evacuating an aircraft during emergencies. It lasts for 2 weeks and is great fun. You get to do real emergency evacuations on full-size, rollercoaster simulators of the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A340/30.

Do I have to swim ?

Yes. You’ll be tested for ditching, which includes an eventfull afternoon bobbing around on the slide-raft. The pool is deep, an average person won’t be able to touch the bottom. You’ll be wearing a Life-Jacket so don’t panic, you’ll float. Another thing, the pool is freezing cold. You’ll be in clothing, from top to bottom. You’ll have to climb back on the raft, so practice in your local pool…

Is SEP training hard ?

Yes/No. Depends on your methods. There’s a hell a lot of information to take on. Learning emergency drills by heart and equipment location of 5 different aircrafts. But as the days go by, you’ll familiarise with all of that, and it will in turn be easier towards the end. A good dose of revisioin every night is essential.

What are the facilities like ?

Erm, brilliant ! Emirates have spent an amazing amount of money do rebuild a spanking new Training College with state of the art facilities, from BIG simulators, to freezing cold pools along with classrooms, inflight service trainers and all sorts. You’ll be amazed at how good these are. Making it very easy for you to learn quickly & efficiently.

What’s First Aid about ?

Well, in case you encounter an injury or sickness on-board your flight, you’ll be able to respond with your first aid skills learnt at college. You’ll get to practice CPR, bandages, and learn a lot of medication names… You’ll be the perfect nurse at the end !

What do I learn during Service Standards ?

Well everything service related. With a focus on how to deliver food, drinks, how to answer Skywards questions, the service sequences and much more. It’s an intensive 2 weeks. With lots to remember especially airport codes !

Is there any place in Dubai where you can find internet services in case of not having a notebook ? Is it necessary to travel in business attire during your joining travel ?

There are many internet cafes around. Not necessary to wear business attire. But they do expect casual wear.

Will be attending an assessment day in the near future and I am concerned about a small tattoo I have on my ankle. I am a male so is the no gone zone applicable to both male and females?

The tattoo on your ankle is fine as the male uniform covers up your body totally.

If for some reason I become homesick and want to return home, do I have to pay for my training that Emirates provided for me? And is there a minimum period you cannot leave such as a contract?

You will sign a contract for 3 years with a probation period of 6 months, you are entitled to 1 rapatriation ticket with emirates to your ALD (annual leave destination). I’m not sure about the training fees though, I think they will deduct some kind of money from the time you spent in Dubai. But for sure, in the first few weeks you won’t have time to get homesick.

What is the schedule for the first week in Dubai? When do you receive your medical and what does this involve?

The first week involves paperwork mainly with corporate induction. On the second or third day you will get your uniform. Medical is in the first week, all they do is check you record to see if it’s the same as you provided, update your vaccinations and that’s it. Oh a drug test is also done…

If I fail on training, what happens?

You resit or go home.

Where can I get some documents and videos about training for courses?

No documents or videos have leaked from the training center. Those are confidential documents so it is unlikely you’ll find them.

I applied online back in September and registered for a Liverpool Assessment Day around that time…..I was a bit gutted that I didn’t receive an invite and I guess I sort of thought I would wait until another Assessment/Open Day in Liverpool or Newcastle But I received an invite for Glasgow and thought why not? I travelled down the Glasgow on the Saturday and stayed in a hotel on the outskirts. Before I went to bed I looked over a few things on the Emirates website and I knew from this forum there would be some scenarios. I thought about times I’ve given good customer service, times when I have had a difficult customer and times where I have being critised etc. Then went to sleep with a head full of knowledge!!!

I arrived at the Marriot hotel in Glasgow at about 8.30am (the day started at 9.00am) and there were already some girls there. You could tell who was there for the open day by the suits, CV’s and neck scarves!!! Everybody started sitting together and chatting straight away…..everyone is in the same position so don’t worry about being on your own.

About 9am the recruiters called us into a conference room and asked us to take a seat in rows in front of a screen. 2 English girls handled the recruiting process and they were so friendly and nice and had been working for Emirates in Dubai themselves. On the chairs were an information sheet about the cabin crew job…..pay, holiday, discounts, accommodation and things like that and there also a sheet we had to fill in about how we heard about the position. The Recruiters talked and showed us videos all about the job and Dubai. It’s quite an honest approach…they give you information without sugar coating it. They talked about everything from living in Dubai to company progression to the flights themselves. The most important part is that they said that Emirates had ordered many new aircraft I think possibly around 60 and many are the new Airbuses (double decker sort of planes) that take around 30 cabin crew to staff it. Due to this, over the next 10 years they were looking to double the number of cabin crew from 10,000 to 20,000. This was important as they made sure that we were all aware that we weren’t in competition with each other. If we ticked all of Emirates boxes they would take us all. This eased a lot of the pressure and you could stop thinking “Oh, that persons really good, they are gonna get the job”.

They also told us that because 60 people turned up that they could turn the Open Day into an Assessment Day. I think they were expecting a lot more people but this really worked in our favour. I think if it was just an Open Day they would have a quick chat, take our CV’s and get back to us. They asked us all to be available the rest of the day and if we were successful, Monday or Tuesday for a 2 to 1 interview which lasts an hour.

They had 2 tables set up at the front of the room and asked us to come up when we were ready with our CV’s, pictures and the marketing sheet they had asked us to fill in. This was informal just a quick question about something that was on your CV, like “you worked at so and so place, what did you have to do there?”. The recruiters were really friendly….asking how you were feeling and telling you not to be nervous. They asked you then to take off your shoes and reach above a poster that was on the wall behind them. Everybody could reach it and some people were quite small!! It doesn’t matter how you reach it…..on tip-toes or with one arm…. I think the height is 212cm. They also give you a sticker with a number and your name which is how you are separated into groups. After this, you obviously have to wait until everyone has been seen and this is the first of the waiting sessions!!! So again everyone was chatting in their groups waiting for the next stage.

The group was then split in half and each half went in at one at a time. You were split again into 2 groups of about 15. First of all in your group you are asked to stand up and say something about yourself. The other group are talking and doing the same task at the same time so you don’t feel like everyone has their eyes on you. You were asked in your group to come up with a movie, a name for the movie, a plot line, which 2 actors would play your lead roles and what kind of movie it would be. You have 10 minutes and then you have to present it back to the other group. It don’t think its important what you actually come up with just more about how you interact with each other and how you all come to decisions together. When this is done and you have presented back to the other group you are asked to wait outside. The recruiters stay inside and make a decision….they make all the cuts straight after the tasks so even though you’re nervous and just want to know they do it as quickly as possible. They will ask you back in and ask you if you’re not successful to please apply again in 6 months and ask you to collect the letter with your reference number on from a table. Obviously these letters are “Congratulations….” or “Unfortunately….” I think from this round they cut about 20 people.

The people who made it through were then split into 3 groups and given times to come back at in the afternoon. I went for dinner with some of the guys who made it through. Everybody got together really quickly it was so nice that everyone made friends straight away. Anybody whose 1st language is not English or hasn’t been to an English high school had to stay behind to take an English test. I didn’t take the test being from England but I do know it’s because all the training and the notes and text books is conducted in English in Dubai. There were about 5 people who took the test and I think only 2 people passed so I think it was quite difficult as the people who took the test all spoke excellent English and most actually had been working in the UK for many years. So it was surprising.

So after some lunch (even though I was too nervous to eat) we all returned at our designated times. Again it was a group scenario…..we were given 8 descriptions of passengers and asked to choose 6 to downgrade to Economy even though they had booked business class. Again it is to see how you interact with each other and support each other and I think most importantly all come to a conclusion you all agree with. During these group sessions a recruiter will walk around the circle just monitoring what is being said…..to be honest I didn’t even notice they were there. In this round the recruiters asked us questions such as “why did you pick this person over this person to be downgraded?” just to see how you justify and explain. The point of the exercise is that there are no right answers. They might say “Don’t you think you should of picked this person instead?” they are not saying you have got it wrong you just have to justify and think of all angles. And again you were asked to wait outside. They of course gave the other groups letters but our group was lucky and told us we were all through the next stage. I think this proves that they will in fact take as many people who are suitable – they have no limit. Thinking about the people who were unlucky I would advise other cabin crew hopefuls to not speak a lot and offer lots of good ideas…..the important thing is how you all interact not the actual information you decide upon. Wait and let people speak and make it clear that you are listen and don’t be afraid to re-centre the group if you feel they are wandering of the mark or too many people are talking. Offer encouragement to other members of the group and try not to disagree with other members, try offering alternatives. You will be surprised by who they cut because you were probably thinking that they were the most likely to be accepted. So everyone has a chance – just be yourself and smile!!

By this time it’s about 6pm, you’re all knackered even more so by the fact you’re nervous and shaking constantly. So we are sat all waiting for the next round and we have been advised that it can go on until 8 or 9pm. They call us all back into the conference room and advise us we have all made it to the final interview stage!!! We are all so happy and it’s unexpected as there is about 15-20 of us…….3 of them are guys. There are some cabin crew, some with customer service experience and some without. It goes to show that it really can be anyone and you just need to tick the boxes (NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THESE ARE!!!). But I obviously did tick them that day. They had invited more people back to the final interview than expected as they had to conduct the interviews over 4 days rather than 2.

We are then given a final interview pack….there is some forms to fill in and return at your final interview. You know the normal stuff…..name, address, passport number, schooling, employment etc. We are told there are some things that we need to bring to the final interview or send to London within a week. We need 1 full length professional photograph (you are also given a list of how to stand what to be wearing etc), 6 professional passport size photographs, 2 casual photographs (just make sure your not drinking, smoking, wearing inappropriate clothing. You can be with other people on the photos just not people the same age or sex as they need to be able to distinguish you easily), photocopies of your passport and highest schooling certificates. So guys in answer to the ever reoccurring question “do we need professional pictures?” – ONLY AT THE FINAL INTERVIEW STAGE. If you do need more time to get these things together you can ask but the sooner the better. After this we did a personality test answering questions like “It’s true I would rather be an architect that a counsellor” and then answer true or false. It was a bit weird really.

After this we were given times for our final interviews. We weren’t really given much information as to what would be asked only that it would ask three quarters of an hour to an hour and to be ready 10 minutes before. And then we were free to go……at 8.30pm!!! I was so tired and brain was fried from being so nervous and constantly on edge….I have never felt so worn out but I guess they are testing your stamina!!!

Luckily, because I wasn’t from Glasgow I manage to get my interview for the day after. And this is when all the questions I had revised came up. To me it feels as if they are trying to find out your work ethics, limits and views on customer service and how you receive and give criticism. The time flew past and I was out before I knew it!!! I have to admit I was relieved it was over….I could just breathe!!!

Just advice to everyone even though I know if wont make a difference is ……RELAX!!!! It really isn’t as bad or stressful or competitive as I thought it would be!! I stressed myself out with my nerves but I am proud of myself for getting this far and excited as to what possibly could happen……

I know I’ve written a lot but I feel this will help as you all know what will happen!! If you have any questions please let me know and I’ll try to help. I’m joining the rest of you in waiting for the golden phone call!!! I’m off to try and find a professional photographer now!!! Good luck everyone!!!

Emirates will hold an open day for cabin crew recruitment on July 5 at the InterContinental Malta, St Julians.

The activity starts at 9 a.m. sharp and will last for most of the day. The information session will include a presentation by two Emirates’ recruitment officers, followed by interviews. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend further assessments and a final interview, which will be held between July 6-8.

Candidates must be 21 years or over at the time of application. The basic requirements are an education up to at least Matriculation level and fluency in written and spoken English. The ability to communicate in other languages and previous experience in customer service and hospitality are considered added advantages.

Interested candidates will have the chance to meet the recruitment team and present their curriculum vitae together with a full length and passport-size photograph in business attire. Alternatively, candidates can complete the application form online and attach the required photographs at www.emirates.group careers.com as from now.

Emirates said it offers an attractive tax-free package, furnished air conditioned accommodation and 30 days annual leave. Other benefits include first-class medical care, transport to and from work, airline flight benefits and end-of-service gratuity on completion of a three-year renewable contract.

Successful candidates will be located in Dubai.