A guide to flight attendent interviewing PART IV

Interview Practice

Like most disciplines, solid interviewing skills are developed through repetition and evaluation. The following practice techniques are very effective ways to prepare for your interviews.


Live Session:


 By far, the most economical way to practice interviewing is to have a friend or family member play the part of an interviewer. Ideally, you should set up a part of your home to resemble the interviewing environment - perhaps an office with a desk, so you can incorporate as much realism as possible into the interview practice session. The "interviewer" should ask you the questions provided in the Interview Questions section and critique your responses, body language, etc. If you are preparing for an open interview, practice your answers in front of a large group of friends or family members and ask for their feedback.


Tape-recorded Session: 


The advantage of using an audio cassette recorder is that you do not need anyone else to help you. You can dictate your responses to each question and then play them back for analysis. Be particularly attentive to your use of what we call "useless words," such as "You know," "Ya know," "like," etc. These words have no place in an interview setting. A variation is to record the interview with a friend asking the questions. Here again, you can benefit from someone else's feedback.


Videotaped Session:


 This is the most effective form of interview practice that is used by many employment consulting firms, but if you own a camcorder, you can achieve the same results for a lot less money. To be most effective, you should have another individual acting as the interviewer. You should create an interview "set" and go through all the motions you would during an actual interview, from the introduction to the final handshake. The results of your videotaped interview can be very surprising. Very often, you will notice personal negative habits that you were perhaps never aware of. You should repeatedly tape the session until you are satisfied with your performance. Then, the actual interview should be a lot easier.

Creating a Thank-You Letter

Between 80 and 95% of successful airline interviewees write thank-you letters, so be sure to send a thank-you letter after every interview. Your thank-you letter should be sent immediately after the interview and should be addressed to the person who interviewed you. If it was a group interview, you should address it to the supervisor in charge of the open house. The letter should be short and to the point.
Thank-you letter hints:

• Thank the interviewer.
• Restate your interest in the position.
• Compliment the airline.
• Be positive in your closing.

Tip: Download the Professional Thank-You Letter Template from this web site to compose your thank-you letter.
When sending your thank-you letter as part of an email message, convert it to ASCII format first (see Online Resumes). Make sure you obtain the appropriate email address from the receptionist or interviewer.