Joining a tight-knit cabin crew can be a hugely rewarding career in Singapore. You’ll get to commute around the globe to far-flung destinations, interact with people from varied cultures and provide outstanding customer service.
With the world’s best airlines offering their cabin crew members excellent career opportunities – not to mention great travel discounts – being a part of this industry can be the right decision for you. Check out these essential skills to understand the role and potentially land a job.
1. Communication
Exceptional communication skills are vital to achieving success as a flight attendant. Whether you’re relaying information to the pilot or other members of the cabin crew, you need to do so clearly and effectively. This way, your flight will depart on time and arrive safely.
Many passengers find flying a stressful experience, so you’re bound to encounter some anxious people on board. If the weather turns south, you’ll also need to keep these people calm to ensure the safety of the crew and the surrounding passengers.
2. Customer service
Whether people are flying for business or leisure, they typically expect a high level of customer service. As part of the cabin crew, this means warmly greeting passengers at the gate and providing an in-flight experience that lives up to the cost of air travel.
With many airlines staking their reputation on the service of their cabin crew, going above and beyond for passengers ensures management looks favourably at your work. For example, the Singapore Airlines cabin crew is rated as one of the best in the world for their service excellence.
3. Stress management
Considering you’re spending much of the working day at around 35,000 feet, having the ability to deal with stress is crucial for all cabin crew members. Although encountering an emergency is unlikely, you must be ready to spring into action immediately if the situation calls for it.
For example, rough weather can cause nervous passengers to panic. Keeping calm under stressful conditions ensures you know how to get them through a bumpy flight. Additionally, composed communication with your team ensures you can resolve a potentially dangerous issue.
4. English proficiency
The ability to converse in multiple languages is a key skill for cabin crew members. In fact, the Singapore Airlines website specifies new applicants must speak fluent English and have received a GCE O-Level for the subject (alongside four others).
As you’ll be speaking with passengers from around the globe each day, this expertise only makes sense. However, being conversant in other languages is advantageous in securing a cabin crew position, as you would be able to better serve non-English speaking passengers.
5. Cultural sensitivity
Just as conversing in multiple languages is an impressive skill, so is an appreciation for cultural sensitivity. With people from various walks of life travelling on your airline, knowing how to deal with issues discreetly is imperative.
For example, it helps to learn about inclusive language, everyday religious practices and other sensitive topics that come up regularly. Plus, the ability to escalate a situation at the right time is another useful skill for airline workers.
6. Confidence
Airlines expect cabin crew members to provide exemplary customer service at every turn. When you’re responsible for potentially hundreds of passengers hurtling through the sky, you can’t allow a rowdy person to interrupt the flight for everyone.
This means cabin crew members must have a high degree of confidence that enables them to deal with difficult passengers. Whether someone is ignoring safety regulations or disrupting the experience of others around them, taking an assertive position is sometimes crucial.
7. Swimming ability
You hopefully never have to use your swimming skills when working for an airline, but you won’t be able to become a cabin crew member without it. If your plane crash lands on water, it’s your job to enact emergency procedures to keep passengers and crew as safe as possible.
During your training, you’ll undergo mock exercises that teach everything from ditching procedures and slide-raft boarding to navigating open sea conditions in varied weather. While this probably sounds daunting, being a confident swimmer is imperative to success.
Become a cabin crew member today
Ready to join a world-class cabin crew? Building on these essential skills ensures you’re fully prepared to apply and interview for a rewarding role. If you’re looking for a different position in the aviation industry, check out how you can establish a flourishing career with a sought-after job as part of the ground crew.
