| Graduating from college? The sky is the
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| | 9 to 5, you typically get more time off
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| limit
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| | than at a typical job, and you very
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| Attention college seniors: I am the voice
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| | rarely see any kind of a supervisor or
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| of your not-so-distant future. I was once
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| | boss. Plus, working holidays may mean
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| where you are now, sweating and worrying
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| | having a hotel room in Times Square on
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| about my future, forced to answer the
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| | New Year's Eve!
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| never-ending question from family and
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| | Landing A Flight Attendant Job Is
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| friends: "What are you going to do when
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| | Difficult
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| you graduate?"
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| | Landing a job at one of the major
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| The Onset of Panic
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| | airlines is very tricky since the number
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| I can relate. But you do not want
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| | of applicants far outweighs the number of
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| sympathy; you want advice. The best
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| | positions. There is good news though:
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| advice I can give you is to relax. You do
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| | most airlines are growing and hiring more
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| not have to figure out the rest of your
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| | flight attendants than ever. And a
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| life in the next six months. You have a
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| | college degree does carry weight. While
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| lifetime to sketch out those dreaded
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| | no carrier I know of requires an
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| career goals. In the meantime, take a job
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| | applicant to have a degree, many of the
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| you can enjoy: teach in an under-served
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| | flight attendants I know have
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| school system, try your luck in
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| | undergraduate degrees. A few have even
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| Hollywood, work your way across the
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| | pursued advanced degrees while continuing
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| world, or do as I did, and take to the
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| | to fly.
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| skies -- become a flight attendant.
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| | Some airlines actually recruit on campus,
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| Peace Corps Volunteer or Flight
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| | though many conduct open interview
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| Attendant?
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| | sessions around the country. Consider
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| I joined the "real world" just over a
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| | applying if you've harbored that steward
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| year ago, after four unfocused years of
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| | ess dream since your first plane ride, or
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| college. The flexibility of my psychology
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| | if the job sounds fun and you do not know
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| major allowed me to explore my many
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| | what else you'd like to do. If you are
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| interests, from Latin-American music to
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| | headed to grad school but want a break or
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| the social constructions of health. I
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| | need to save some money, think about
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| studied abroad for a year, wrote for the
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| | deferring. Airlines do not require
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| college newspaper and conducted HIV
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| | minimum commitments; you can fly for a
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| education programs. By senior year, I was
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| | month, a year, or 30 years. If you only
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| confused. I did not know what to do
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| | want to fly temporarily or decide it is
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| following graduation -- which of those
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| | not for you, no problem. You are not
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| diverse paths to pursue. My senior year I
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| | locked in. JFK-based JetBlue even
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| took the minimum course load (12 hours in
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| | designed a limited one-year program with
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| the Fall and an awesome 8 hours in the
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| | recent grads in mind.
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| Spring) in order to devote most of my
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| | As I mentioned earlier, competition for
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| time and energy to the job search. I
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| | these jobs is intense, and I recommend
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| spent most of those days in the library,
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| | checking out AirlineCareer.com's online
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| glued to a computer screen, combing
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| | resource (forgive me for sounding like an
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| through every imaginable online job
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| | advertisement). This will give you the
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| listing. There were jobs I wanted that I
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| | best opportunity to get hired. Of course,
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| never could have gotten and jobs I could
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| | you could just wing it, but I can almost
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| have gotten but never wanted. Graduation
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| | guarantee you won't get hired without
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| day loomed, and I was freaking out.
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| | some assistance.
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| All was not lost, though. I had two very
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| | Why It's All Worth It
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| real possibilities. The Peace Corps was a
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| | The benefits that come with an airline
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| definite interest. I could experience
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| | job cannot be beat, especially for those
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| some far-away place and contribute to the
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| | of us just starting to make our way in
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| betterment of the world. The other idea
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| | the world. Considering the work involved,
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| emerged from my closet obsession with air
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| | the pay is decent. But it is the free
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| travel, which I finally managed to do
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| | travel that lures many into the industry.
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| something about. Along with the Peace
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| | No matter how long you've worked for an
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| Corps, I applied for a flight attendant
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| | airline, it is undeniably cool to be able
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| position. I know…it seems strange to
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| | to hop on a plane and go anywhere on a
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| mention being a Peace Corps volunteer and
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| | day off. This past year alone, I spent
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| a flight attendant in the same breath.
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| | Thanksgiving in London and New Year's in
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| But both captured my overwhelming love of
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| | Frankfurt. For fun, I vacationed in
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| travel. It was not an easy decision, but
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| | Thailand. "What are you going to do when
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| in the end, I decided to put the Peace
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| | you graduate?"
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| Corps on hold and take the job as a
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| | Thousands of Cabin Crew around the world
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| flight attendant. It was time to have
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| | enjoy having an exciting and varied
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| some fun and fulfill an old dream.
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| | career which gives them the chance to
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| Is It Right For Me?
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| | travel, meet people and use interpersonal
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| You would not be reading this article if
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| | skills every working day of their lives.
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| you weren't at least mildly interested in
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| | This is the reason why we receive
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| an airline career. But how do you know if
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| | hundreds of calls and emails from people
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| it is right for you? I have friends who
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| | asking for assistance in achieving their
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| often get frustrated with their 9 to 5
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| | dream job as Cabin Crew.
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| office jobs and toss around the idea of
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| | The job entails performing safety and
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| joining me. After we get past the
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| | service duties which ensure that air
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| benefits (which are fantastic) and get
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| | travellers are flying in a safe
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| into the actual work, their interest
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| | environment, whilst receiving excellent
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| sometimes waivers. It is a demanding job,
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| | standards of friendly service.
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| and it takes more than a "people person"
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| | With the continued expansion in the air
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| to solve crises - both large and small -
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| | transport industry airlines are seeking
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| in such tight quarters and with very
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| | thousands of applications from good
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| limited resources. You must possess good
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| | quality people with the right knowledge
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| self-esteem and the sense not to take
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| | and character for the job of Cabin Crew.
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| everything to heart cranky passengers and
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| | Finding good quality applicants, who
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| crewmembers throw at you. You have to be
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| | adapt well to airline training courses
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| able to work strange hours, including
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| | and the demands of the job is certainly
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| nights, weekends and holidays. But of
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| | becoming harder. Airlines receive
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| course, there are many advantages: you do
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| | hundreds of applications and normally few
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| not have to go to work every weekday from
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| | are successful.
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