Preparing your photos for the Emirates cabin crew application or Assessment Day can be a daunting task – recruiters will be judging what you look like and candidates who achieve ‘uniform standard’ at this early stage are known to perform better in the recruitment process than less polished cabin crew hopefuls.
That means you should wear the right business attire, apply your makeup in the correct style and of course, wear your hair in the ‘approved’ way as well. But while getting it right can be hard enough at the best of times, it can be even more difficult for candidates with Afro-style hair.
Luckily, we’ve managed to get out hands on the official Emirates guidelines for cabin crew with Afro-style hair. These are the rules that serving cabin crew have to follow and if you want to stand the best chance of success in your application, we would highly recommend following the guidelines below.
First off, there are some general guidelines you need to follow – This might sound obvious but make sure your hair is neat and tidy. Strands of hair should be kept away from your face and don’t allow your hair to touch the collar of your jacket. Just imagine you’re already wearing that famous red hat when styling your hair.
Hair Colour
Acceptable hair colours are black, dark or light brown and dark copper. You can have highlights but these must look natural.
Next up are some specific guidelines for how to wear a variety of approved Afro styles:
Braided Styles and Cornrows
Emirates says these must be either small or medium in size. Large locks are most definitely not permitted. You should choose simple styles as intricate designs are not allowed. The scalp can be visible between braids and cornrows.
Slight curves are permitted and the pattern of braids can be styled to the back or to the side.
Locks (previously known as Dreadlocks)
Locks must be either small or medium sized. Large locks are not permitted. Hair must be neatly and regularly locked with minimal re-growth.
Natural – Short to Medium Hair
Emirates does allow short hairstyles but shaved looks are a definite no-no. Shaved lines are also not permitted although natural partings are allowed. There should be no extreme differences in length and the cut must be gradual and blended.
Natural – Medium to Long Hair
The main problem with medium and long hair is that it might become too high in volume. If that is the case then you should pull the hair back into a puff.
