One year ago today, I jet-setted off to an intense 5 hour interview, not knowing that at the end of the day, I would be walking out with an on the spot job offer, and a year later, having the career I have today, and the memories and adventures that have come along the way since then. Life as a Flight Attendant has been quite an adventure, and a lifestyle change, but a good one.

 

 

Here’s a little recap of what happened that day, and how life has been since then:

 

Monday, October 11th, 2016:

Of course everything happens for a reason. And it just so happened that this day happened to be Columbus day, meaning ALL the local libraries were closed, and it just so happened that my printer at home decided to break, and I needed to print off paperwork to bring to my interview. I spent all day running around town trying to find a place where I could print these papers. The libraries were all closed, so I went to Office Max/Office Depot. Neither of them could print anything. I called friends & family members asking if I could use their printer. With responses of ” I don’t have one” or “mine isn’t working either.” At the end of the day, I finally was able to find someone with a working printer. Let’s just say it was quite the day, and I still wasn’t able to get all my paperwork printed.

Tuesday, October 11th, 2016:

I stayed at a friends so I would be a close drive to the airport.

5:00am my alarm goes off.

Time to get up, get dressed, and head my way over to MSP Airport to hop on my 7:00am flight!

To become a flight attendant, it’s important to look the part, right?

So I threw on that day my black pencil skirt, a white collared button down, a black blazer, a pair of nylons, black heels, and pulled my hair back.

I felt sooo weird being so dressed up going to the airport! (Usually I’m wearing comfy sweats, jeans, your typical comfortable travel clothing.)

When going through TSA security, security there already thought I was a flight attendant! Definitely a good pump up before an interview.

On my flight down, I was looking over my notes, paperwork, possible questions I would be asked, getting prepared for this intense day.

Once off the plane, I had to get an Uber/Lyft to where my interview would be held. I landed at gate 30 (which was at the END of the airport, and not close to baggage claim/ curbside pick up at all.).

When I got to the information desk to ask where I needed to get picked up, I had realized that my folder with all of my paperwork, my resume, etc was no where in sight. And I had no idea where it was. Having a quick panic attack, I tried to retrace my steps as to where I could have left it. I walked back to a coffee shop where I had ordered a coffee. Nothing there.

A few minutes later I was getting a phone call from a Georgia phone number. I answered it, which I found out it was a flight attendant from my flight down and that she had found my folder ON THE PLANE!

She informed me she would hand it over to the gate agent for me to pick up.

So I rushed my way back to the gate. And by the time I got there, my feet were already hurting, and blisters were now forming.

I stopped at the nearest convince store I found to buy a box of bandaids.

Want to know how much bandaids at the airport cost? $9.00!!

I didn’t even look to see how much they were when I brought them to the counter. The cashier said “that will be $9.00” and I was like ” say what!?”

My feet were hurting so bad, that I was willing to pay the ridiculous price.

So I buy band aids, head into the bathroom to throw them on all over my feet/ back of my heels, and now had to power walk ALL the way back to the baggage claim/car pick up area.

11:30am, I made my way into the waiting room with 50 other candidates. The interview would begin at 12:00pm sharp.

Overwhelmed by how many people were here, and how nice and put together everyone looked, I kept thinking to myself “he looks like he could be a flight attendant, oh she looks like she would be a good flight attendant” and so on.

I won’t go into detail on how the interview process went.

But I can inform you on reasons why I thought I wasn’t going to get this job:

• The whole entire plane ride down, I thought I wasn’t going to get this job, because I thought I was too short. ( And heard rumors that there would be a height test).
• I was missing some paperwork because of my printer fiasco from the previous day.
• During the interview day, I had to write down if I had any speeding tickets. ( Which I had gotten my first back in June). I then started thinking “great I’m not getting hired because I have a speeding ticket”.

The cherry on top of my day of why I thought I wasn’t going to get hired:

• I had an interviewee come up to me half way through the day asking if I was ok. I replied that I was fine and was curious as to why he was asking me this. He then informed to me  ” Oh you look like you have been crying”

WHAT!?!?

I knew I was tired, and probably looked it a little bit, but CRYING!?

I immediately ran to the bathroom to see how I looked, to freshen up, and now thinking “great here goes my chance at this job.”

At the end of the day, and 5 hours later, we were all informed that we would be hearing from the company in a week or two receiving an email if we had gotten a job offer or not.

 

Before heading my way back to the airport. A man from my one on one interview came up to me, saying that I needed to stay back because there were some issues with my paperwork.

Again, I start to freak out, because I actually thought there were issues with my paperwork because of my fiasco from the other day.

Myself, and five others were all brought into a room. All thinking we had issues with our paperwork. Not knowing that a few minutes later, we all would be receiving on the spot job offers!

I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!

I just got a job offer with a top airline company, and all day I thought I wasn’t going too.

 

A few months later, I was sent down for an intense two months of training and hotel living.

 

Training consisted of early mornings, late nights, stress levels up the wazoo, LOTS of coffee/caffeine, new friendships that were made, and many memories that were created.

 

 

 

It’s crazy to think that I have now been flying for over Six Months, am off probabtion, and yesterday/today flew my first flight/trip as Flight Leader! ( That person who first greats you hello as you step onto the plane, and is in charge of the flight/trip from start to finish, & gets paid a few extra per hour as well 😉  ) – Thanks scheduling and Adays.

 

 

While this career has been a huge lifestyle change: (gone for three days, home for 2, early morning wake ups at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00am and so forth, and starting flights at 11:00pm and midnight, getting re-routed, airport sits, water sometimes leaking from the airplane ceiling, working a lot of weekends and holidays) I wouldn’t change anything in the world for it.

Because of this career, I have gone on some amazing adventures, met so many amazing people, and have learned to make the best out of the bad days/long days.

 

If you love to travel, are sick of that 9-5 job, and want to see the world and all of it’s beauty, meet some amazing people who some turn into your friends/family, then I think you should consider being a flight attendant. Even if only for a year or so.

It’s only been six months that I’ve been flying, but I can assure you that time has sure flown by since then.

I can’t wait to see where else this career will take me, and what other memories, learning lessons, people, and other opportunities I will encounter along the way.

 

Are you interested in becoming a Flight Attendant, and have questions or concern’s as to what this career and lifestyle is like? Please feel free to send me an email at: contactcarryoncarly@gmail.com

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