Delta Air Lines, one of the largest carriers in the United States has today announced plans to hire 1,000 new flight attendants over the next 12-months. But you better be prepared – Delta says the competition is so tough your odds of getting accepted to an Ivy League school are actually higher.
When Delta conducted its last recruitment process last year over 150,000 candidates applied for just 1,200 positions. After an initial screening exercise, only 35,000 people were invited to take part in a video interview and that number was then whittled down to 6,000 for in-person interviews and assessments.
The airline says it’s looking for dedicated, service-oriented professionals. You’ll need to love helping others, enjoy a variety of work and have the energy to always be on the go.
“There’s no doubt we hire the best of the best because the calibre of people wanting to work for our great airline is top-notch. They see that what makes Delta different is our people and the unique culture we share together, and they want to be part of that winning team,” explains Allison Ausband, Delta’s Senior Vice President of In-Flight Service.
She says: “After making it through the highly competitive and exhaustive selection process, they put all their previous experience and skills to the test during our flight attendant initial training.”
To help candidates prepare and learn a little more about the role, Delta is launching a new video series called ‘Earning our Wings’. Over the next 10 weeks, new episodes will be released every Monday and Thursday, chronicling the journey of five new hires into the company.
The videos will be available on Delta’s YouTube channel and will follow the trainee flight attendants through the extensive eight-week training programme at the airline’s headquarters in Atlanta.
If this already sounds like the ideal job for you, you’ll need to meet these minimum requirements before you can even submit an application:
- At least 21 years of age (from 1st January 2018) and able to legally work in the United States
- Fluent in written and spoken English
- Minimum education of High School degree or GED
- Able to pass stringent background checks and pre-employment drug misuse tests
- Physically fit and of a weight and size that allows you to sit in a jumpseat with the seatbelt and harness fastened.
And on top of all of that, Delta is particularly interested in hearing from candidates who have been working in personalized customer service or patient care roles for more than a year. If you’ve ever worked as a teacher, military personnel, EMT, firefighter, coach, law enforcement officer, lifeguard or nurse then Delta is also really interested in hearing from you.
Successful candidates will earn approximately $25,000 per year with what the airline calls “opportunities to earn more depending upon schedule.” You’ll also receive health and insurance coverage, access to Delta’s generous profit-sharing scheme and of course, worldwide staff travel privileges.
The training programme lasts eight weeks and is conducted at Delta’s HQ in Atlanta. You’ll receive a training wage, some free meals and company provided accommodation for the duration of the course.
You can apply for the role via Delta’s official recruitment website here.
Prepare for your application by submitting an excellent resume. Check out our tried and tested step-by-step guide and also learn more about the video interview process with our in-depth article.
