Ok so I’m going to tell you all the details of my experience with the recruitment process, open day assessment day final interview the whole lot!!
I’ll start with the open day 🙂
So I applied online on Emiratesgroupcareers, didn’t have a specific date or anything just an open vacancy for cabin crewin Ireland.
I received an email a few days later informing me there was an open day in Dublin, my city, and all the details should I want to attend.
The email said business attire, so I wore a black blazer white shirt black pencil skirt (below the knee of course) and a pair of black heels, not too high.
I made it my business to get there as early as I could, so I arrived to the hotel around an hour before it was due to start. I thought id be one of the first there but there was around 50 or 60 people there already!! We all sat in the foyer of the hotel waiting.
Then a queue began to form to one of the rooms upstairs and we were called in and told to take a seat starting from the front row working our way back. Luckily I was sat in the second row 🙂
Our recruiter Julie (we only had 1, there can be 2)then began a presentation on life in Dubai and life as cabin crew, it was really interesting and inspiring and makes you want the job so much more!!
She then said she was going to begin the cv drop, she’d call us one by one and we’d go up and hand in our cv.(this is why it was good I was sat in the second row!!!)
I was called up after about 20 mins, sat down opposite her, said hello handed her in my cv, she asked if I was over 21 I said yes. She asked had I any tattoos I don’t so I said no (if you do have tattoos don’t panic, she has a picture with a boy and girl figures with the areas the uniform covers in black and the areas which it doesn’t in white. She asks you to point to the area if it’s in the black it’s fine if it’s in the white it’s not allowed, there were a few people with them somewhere in between so she just asked to see them and said whether they’d be ok or not!)
Then she said that’s great thank you, you’ll get a phone call by 7 o clock tonight if you’re successful, she’ll only ring once so if you don’t answer you’ll miss the opportunity and that’s that!!!
You only get 2 seconds with her one on one and you don’t really get to say anything at all, to be honest the open day is all about the way you look.
She watches you as you walk away and takes in every detail of how you’re groomed. You could easily pick out the people she wasn’t going to take, girls in short skirts, girls with black tights, messy hair, men with unironed suits. They give you guidelines so if you don’t follow them you’re a goner!!
I got my phone call at 4pm telling me to come back the next day ( having had the phone glued to me all day!!!!)
That was my open day, as I said you really don’t get much of a chance to show much personality or impress and you leave not knowing what to think!!
So here’s a few tips to get prepared:
* Dress to impress.
I can’t stress the importance of this enough.
Girls : Wear a blazer and knee length skirt,(it’s a middle eastern airline they want to see modesty and respect for the culture) I went for black but there were girls in grey etc. and a white shirt. Flesh coloured tights, very important, they need to see you’ve no massive tattoos etc. Wear modest heels, not humongous stilettos you’d go out clubbing in. A simple pair of court heels that completes your outfit is all you need.
Men : You need to look smart, a suit is very much advised. Crisp white shirt and tie with a blazer and matching trousers, everything ironed of course, and good shiny shoes 🙂
*General Grooming
As I said, the emphasis is very much on the way you look at the open day, so get up that bit earlier and make the effort, the Emirates crew always look immaculate so this is good practice 😉
Girls: Make up, Of course you want to look perfect, but having 3 inches of foundation caked on the face is a definite no no.
They want girls who are naturally beautiful, but of course still wearing make up. It’s a balancing act :p foundation concealer powder blusher mascara bit of eyeliner, nothing too heavy, is more than enough. And of course the trademark emirates red lipstick!
You want to look natural, even though it took me an hour to achieve this “natural look” on my open day haha!!
Men: Clean shaven is a must. No stubble, nice baby faces 😛
* Take an interest, don’t overpower
During the presentation the recruiter will ask questions to the crowd, now of course answer but don’t over power everyone else. And don’t say things for the sake of saying them, if you know an answer go for it but it’s not a case of whoever talks the most gets the job. Emirates want team players, don’t interrupt or talk over anyone.
* They’re watching
You are being watched constantly in there, so just remember that. Be alert and interested and do NOT be on your phone or caught looking at the time. You’ve committed to being there it might take a few hours, so don’t make plans for the day. (FYI my assessment day was the day after my open day and Final interview 2 days later, so make sure to take time off work and dont make plans!)
* Smile Smile Smile
Keep that Emirates smile on your face the entire time, my face actually hurt after smiling so much haha. And I don’t mean have a creepy clown grin plastered on, just a nice little smile shows you’re excited and invested in the job.
That’s my experience and tips, I hope it helps. It can be a daunting experience not knowing what to expect, but honestly go in looking good smiling away and you’ll do great 🙂
Marthas Diary Of Adventures In The Sky 