Tradition dictates that in the quest to become cabin crew with world-class airlines like Etihad and Emirates you need a short and to the point resume.
At a cabin crew Open Day the recruiter would quickly scan your resume and within a matter of seconds you’re entire application could be rejected. To make the job of the recruiter as easy as possible it was in the candidate’s interest to create short, concise resumes.
But, with Open Days now a thing of the past should these super-short resumes also be consigned to the history books? As the cabin crew application process goes online, now is the time to create a more detailed resume and really sell yourself.
Let me briefly explain; as mentioned in other posts such as this one your resume will no longer be seen by a human recruiter when you first submit it. Your resume is scanned by a computer, the ATS, which decides without any human involvement if you should be shortlisted.
The ATS can only make this decision if it has enough information to believe you match the requirements of the airline. In the backend of an ATS, the airline recruiters have already defined what skills, experiences and type of person they are looking for. It is up to you to ensure that the ATS shortlists you against these predefined criteria.
I believe that the best way to do this is to go into more detail – although there is a bit of an art to this!
How much detail is enough?
You need to ensure that you cover all the requirements that the airline is looking for in its cabin crew. Unfortunately, the airlines don’t make this particularly easy. Look at the job posting for cabin crew with Etihad, Qatar or FlyDubai. You’ll find the most basic of requirements – age, height, ability to swim, etc.
But that’s not all that the airlines are looking for. Although outdated, the Emirates careers website gives the best idea of what the perfect member of cabin crew should be.
“Irrespective of nationality, we look for a positive attitude, confidence, flexibility, maturity, a friendly disposition, and importantly a genuine passion to help others and to provide quality service. As the job can be physically demanding, we also look for those with resilience and a determination to continually perform well.”
You’ll also find this
“Are you dynamic and passionate, friendly and empathetic? The Emirates Cabin Crew team is a cosmopolitan mix of young professionals from over 140 countries that collectively speak more than 60 languages.
They are innovative forward-thinkers, travel-hungry explorers who tirelessly exceed customer expectations across 120 destinations over 6 continents on the latest Emirates aircraft. It’s what makes Emirates Cabin Crew unique and a critical part of the Emirates award-winning team, honoured time and again for service excellence.”
Okay, that’s quite a few requirements. Now, think about how a one-page resume could possibly cover all of those skills.
This is your opportunity to elaborate on the incredible achievements you’ve had, the efforts you have made and the fantastic personal interests you hold. No longer, do you have to miss out crucial information that you wish the recruiter could see. At last, you can have a fair and objective chance of being shortlisted with a resume where all your skills shine through.
A longer resume doesn’t mean War & Peace
When ATS systems first became widespread there was a popular thought that you didn’t need to worry about the length of your resume. You could simply include as much information as necessary to hit every point in the job description… If this meant a three or four-page resume there was no need to worry.
However, the ATS process has moved on significantly. Just like a human the ATS will score down resumes that are overly long. I would say that the ideal length of your resume should still be no longer than two pages – remember, once you’ve got past the ATS your resume still needs to be easily read by a recruiter.
Write short, succinct bullet points that match your skills and experiences against the needs of the airline. A good tip is to keep your resume under 750 words in total. Avoid long, drawn out paragraphs in an attempt to hit every requirement and skill the airline is looking for in their cabin crew.
You know yourself better than anyone
I would always suggest writing and editing your own resume before relying on expensive, paid services. Although there are rules as to how a resume should be written you want your personality to truly come through on the page.
If your nervous, unsure or lack experience in writing a resume don’t despair. There are so many free resources available and I’ve listed some of my favourite ones here.