Your Cabin Crew resume is looking amazing. You’ve meticulously written it, checked it, agonised over it and rewritten it over and over again. It could be award winning – if only resume writing awards existed.
But there’s still one thing left to do before you submit your Cabin Crew application – Now you have to write your cover letter. Or do you? Because in most cases you probably won’t need a cover letter at all.
But it would be a bit unfair to simply say: “Don’t bother writing a cover letter for your Cabin Crew application” and leave it at that. There are some occasions when a cover letter is needed and the following tips will help you write a winning Cabin Crew cover letter.
Why You Probably Don’t Need a Cover Letter
Cover letters are a bit of a relic nowadays aren’t day? Nobody sends their resume to a company in the post and it will never be read by anyone anyway. Or so the cover letter critics say. The question as to whether you should write a cover letter or not can divide opinion.
Supporters argue that it shows the candidate has gone the extra mile. They’ve taken the time and effort to personalise their application and reach out to the recruiter directly. It’s polite and shows good manners.
The problem is – there’s nothing polite about modern day recruitment. Here’s an interesting story that demonstrates why writing a cover letter is such a waste of time. An exceptionally talented job seeker created a computer programme to personalise and send off his resume and cover letter. He created two types of cover letter – one that admitted it had been generated by a computer, the other looked like one you or I would send.
The programme applied for a staggering 538 jobs over a three-month period but its success rate was woeful. In most cases, the company never responded – in fact, the normal cover letter performed worse than the computer generated one. Not even the Applicant Tracking System was ‘reading’ the cover letter.
If the Airline Doesn’t Ask for a Cover Letter Don’t Supply One
Nowadays, you’ll probably submit your Cabin Crew application online. If the airline doesn’t specifically ask for a cover letter then there is no need to supply one. On some airline job sites like Emirates and Qantas, you’ll find an area that you can attach supporting documents.
Your resume is a required attachment (as are your photos for Emirates) but you are free to attach anything else you wish. Unfortunately, there’s little benefit in attaching your cover letter and it will probably never be read. In fact, it could do more harm than good.
Remember, Cabin Crew recruiters are looking for applicants who can follow rules and pay attention to instructions. By making the extra effort to write and submit a cover letter, you’ve broken the rules and not followed the application instructions. You could actually be hurting your chances.
Do I Need a Cover Letter for a Cabin Crew Open Day
There is no need to bring a cover letter to an Open Day or Assessment Day. Unless specifically stated, the recruiter will not want a cover letter and if you do bring one, it will never be read.
Why a Cover Letter Could Be Useful
When you submit your Cabin Crew application online, the airline’s recruitment computer (known as an Applicant Tracking System or ATS) will scan your attached documents. It then uses keyword analysis to determine whether you match the requirements of the role and decides if you should be shortlisted.
Submitting a cover letter can, therefore, give you ‘two bites at the cherry’. In theory, the ATS will scan both your resume and cover letter – giving you more space to include relevant keywords that will improve your chances of being shortlisted.
However, this trick might only bring a small benefit. Some ATS systems don’t scan cover letters and those that do won’t format the results correctly.
When You do Need a Cabin Crew Cover Letter
You only need to include a cover letter when the application specifically asks for one. There are very few airline’s where this is the case although Etihad Airways does ask for a Cabin Crew cover letter.
The Etihad cover letter requirement is most likely a default setting on the ATS system they use but you should still put time and effort into this element of your application.
You’ll find lots of cover letter examples online and many are designed for different purposes. However, I’ve found that this cover letter formula works best:
- Introduce Yourself – First, introduce yourself and explain that you are excited to be applying for the role of Cabin Crew.
- Highlight Knowledge – Then briefly highlight what you know about the company to show an understanding of their business.
- Describe Key Achievements – From this point forward, explain two to three key achievements. You can go into a little more detail than on your resume so use the extra space to elaborate and explain details.
- Highlight Key Skills – Summarise your key skills and explain why they would benefit the airline.
- Polite Ending – Thank the recruiter for the time and explain that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
This way of writing your cover letter will work whether you have Cabin Crew experience or not.
Cabin Crew Cover Letter Sample
Dear Sir / Madam,
I am incredibly excited to be applying for the role of Cabin Crew with Etihad Airways. Please find my resume attached. Etihad Airways has truly reimagined flying. As an award winning airline, Etihad Airways has pioneered and innovated within the aviation industry.
This forward thinking and class leading airline has forged a healthy market share and continues to go from strength to strength. In my professional career, I strive to lead by example, going above and beyond to deliver an exceptional service and exceed customer expectations.
As you can see from my resume I have a wealth of skills and experience that make me an ideal candidate for this role. I would love to bring my dedication, passion and work ethos to help Etihad Airways achieve further success.
<Achievement One> – Customer Service
<Achievement Two> – Team Working
<Achievement Three> – Resilience
My strong background in customer service, combined with my excellent team working and communication skills make me an ideal candidate for the role of Cabin Crew with Etihad Airways.
I am passionate about your airline and would strive to improve the brand and its success in everything I do. I hope to have the opportunity to speak with you further about how I can be an asset to your airline.
Best Regards,
<Full Name>
