Airline jobs have long been considered a dream job by many people. Pilot and flight attendant roles were romanticized in the 1940s and 1950s. For small children, being a pilot or a flight attendant is one of the roles they act out with others. For teens, flight attendant jobs are appealing because they offer a way to see the world and visit exotic locations. Even older people wistfully think what it would have been like to have had the opportunity to jet off on trips every few days. Today aviation jobs are still one of the most popular career choices. It is also important for job seekers to remember that there are many other jobs in aviation besides pilots and flight attendants.
While many people may consider a flight attendant job as a wonderful and stress free career, people who are working in the airline industry know how hard this job really is. Working with an airline definitely comes with some great benefits, but it also comes with many responsibilities.
For flight attendants the job requires dealing with the public in a professional manner, and handling food and drink products. Job candidates are required to successfully complete a training program before being hired. All flight attendant job applicants need to pass background checks and must have valid passports. At some airlines, starting pay is around $15 per hour.
Flight attendant jobs include a great deal of free travel with frequent layovers so that you have a little time to explore the area. There are also discounted fares available for these employees and their families.
Airlines also like to promote from within their own ranks. If you have already found an aviation job with one of these companies, you can look forward to possibly moving to a higher position. Virgin Atlantic is one of the companies that believe in advancing those employees who have proven that they are trustworthy and hard working. Many of such airline’s upper management positions are held by employees who have moved up the career ladder.
Flight attendant positions are not the only entry-level jobs in the field of aviation. There are a number of different job possibilities. There are many other aviation careers that may be less competitive and should be considered. Airlines do need pilots, but they also need baggage handlers, reservation agents, airplane mechanics, and customer service personnel.
Airlines are huge businesses, and while flight attendant jobs and airline pilots are certainly two of the most visible aviation jobs, support personnel are always encouraged to apply. You can search airline industry job sites and find openings for flight engineers, cargo agents, freight handlers, and avionic equipment mechanics. Almost every job available in the airline industry requires some type of school certification.
Flight attendants need to have a high school degree, but many have college degrees. Bilingual applicants are also needed by all airlines. For higher-level airline positions, a bachelor’s degree in any field will be very helpful.
All interested job seekers can search different airlines to find out posted information concerning open positions. If you find an opening that you are qualified for, you can apply online or send in a resume by regular mail. Large companies like British Airways, Virgin, and Delta have large websites that you can visit to discover all of the different job listings that are currently open. Some of these positions include people to work at the health and fitness centers that are operated by some airlines to benefit their employees. One of the benefits of using any online site is that you will quickly be able to see all of the openings in your own area and in other countries.
Many aviation jobs online do not have to do a great deal of advertising because these are the kinds of positions that continually draw public interest. Some of the airlines will tell you that their customer support and help desks still routinely field calls from interested and curious job seekers who are trying to contact personnel to inquire about possible aviation careers. While computers and technology have certainly downsized some of the clerical personnel an airline requires, you will still find positions available working at the flight desks and customer help booths at all airplane terminals.
