Being a flight attendant in Nigeria is a noble profession. It’s one of the lucrative jobs that any one can think of. It’s also high paying and has a lot of fringe benefits attached to it. One of them is that you will have the opportunity to meet one on one with business tycoons, celebrities, big politicians, rich investors etc and they may give you contact and connection that will help you in life.
Being a flight attendant means you will be aboard with passengers and render such services like passing information across from the pilot to the passengers, ensuring that there is proper sitting arrangements and decorum in the cabin and and makingv sure that adequate treatment and attention are given to whom it is due.
However, being a flight attendant comes with some necessary requirements and even pressure that if you’re not ready, both mentally and physically, you should not bother to go into the profession. One of the demands is that it comes with no holidays or weekends. In other words, you’re going to go to work even if there’s public holiday or it’s weekend.
You will work on Sundays and Saturdays except on days that it’s off-day for you. You must always be polite and professional in your communication no matter how you are feeling at the moment. You will also need to exhibit high professionalism in handling disputes between passengers. Being a flight attendant means that you’ll be at passengers’ beck and call.
Thus, the first requirements to become a flight attendant is that you must be eighteen (18) years and above. If you are a teenager, you cannot be allowed to become a flight attendant. Age matters a lot because it shows maturity and experience. It shows also that you must have gone through the necessary foundational educational training that qualifies you for the Aviation school where flight attendants are trained.
Another requirement is academic qualifications. You cannot be a flight attendant if you don’t have at least Senior School Certificate also known as WAEC. Other higher educational qualifications are added advantage. The reason for this is because it must be ascertained that you’ve passed SSCE before you can be admitted into the Cabin Crew Training School. This training is being undertaken by the Aviation school and helps to equip prospective flight attendants on the rigors and procedures of the job. For someone to become a flight attendant, the person must have gone through this training and have a necessary certifications from this school.
More so, height is another prerequisite for being a flight attendant. Your height must be above 150cm or 5 feet before you can be considered to become a flight attendant in the aviation industry. Height is very important because you will need to move around and address passengers that may be sitting or standing. If you’re very short, it might affect your visibility and performance. Heights with a corresponding weights are usually looked into before anyone can be employed as a flight attendant.
Moreover, a prospective flight attendant must be physically fit. This is because you will be subjected to physical test before employment. You may be told to stand for hours or do any physical activities that will ensure the comfortability and security of the passengers. Being physically fit means that you’re not looking sickly or malnourished. It also means you’re not physically challenged or having one defects or the other. Sometimes, it also borders on endurance test and the ability to work under pressure. So, if you’re interested in becoming a flight attendant, you should work out often so as to make your weight normal and make sure your body is physically fit for the journey ahead. In addition to being physically fit, you must be mentally sound. You have to show that you have not been to the psychiatrist’s office before. You must not also be susceptible to violent mood swings. In other words, you must not be violent even when provoked. Emotional intelligence is very necessary in becoming a flight attendant. You need to have control over yourself and your emotions.
Furthermore, being a flight attendant requires you to have that flexible nature to work and interact with people from all walks of life. This means that you must not be a racist or someone operating with some crude stereotypes. You must treat all people equally and have basic understanding of human relationships. This implies that you must smile often and make efficient interpersonal communication a pivotal aspect of your existence. You must learn how to talk to people from all cultures with respect and politeness. Disrespect from any flight attendant is a gross misconduct as it will definitely affect the patronage of the aggrieved passenger. Nobody would want to go where he/she is disrespected, except it’s is matter of emergency or there is no other options.
In addition, being a flight attendant means that you must be trustworthy. You must not have connections with terrorists groups or be seen with bandits, whether in physical setting or in pictures. You must be trusted by the airlines to keep their passengers safe and secured until they reach their destination. Passengers should also trust you enough as that’s the only way they can listen to you or talk to you if need be. In terms of trustworthy, you should treat every information at your disposal with the confidentiality it deserves. You must not divulge the information of the crew or the passengers to the press or any individual without proper approval. You must know that it’s safety first in every situation.
Again, you must be someone that will always be available. You have to be dependable at all times that your services are needed. Being a flight attendant means that you need to respond to emergency button or to any call from the passengers. You must also be mentally alert and strong enough to respond to emergency. Availability also talks about being someone that can be count on to deliver on the job.
In conclusion, being a flight attendant is a good job if you can meet up with the above requirements and other ones that may be made known to you while in the training process. It’s actually a job that can take you to different countries of the world without your money or travel tickets and documents . If you’re passionate about traveling or going round the world, consider being a flight attendant.
