Friday, June 3, 2011

Have I lost my mind? Part 2


Update to previous post about the flight attendant Open House I attended. 

Well, I didn't get selected.  But what an eye-opener this was!!!  I wasn't told why I wasn't selected.  But we were told if we were selected, we would be required to attend a 23-day class in Memphis, TN that starts on June 21st.  Your air travel to/from Memphis was provided.  Lodging and meals are NOT provided.  There were about 150 men/women at the Open House.  We had a brief overview/slides giving us information about the airline and the flight attendant duties, how the assignments were handled, and a brief overview of the company benefits.  All of that took about two hours.  We were given a break and told names would be posted of those who were selected to go through to the next session - those blasted interviews I was dreading so much.   I work for the government as a budget analyst.  Congress just sent us our money, and we're in high gear trying to get ceiling letters out and we're already gearing up for this fiscal year to close and the new fiscal year to open.  This is our busiest time of the year, and there will be very little leisure time until probably November.  So I'm sitting there very dejected knowing there is no way I'd be able to go to Memphis for 23 days.  That would have been my first hurdle.

I'm disappointed.  Yes.  I am.  The introduction they gave us was so interesting and informative.  Then part of the way through the overview, I realized it would be impossible for me to have this as a part-time job while still holding down my full-time job.  I had discussed all of this with my supervisor and he said we'd work around the schedule the airline would assign me.  Neither of us had a clue what that involved!  Not.a.clue.  Like I said, this was truly an eye-opener.

Oh....and during the question and answer session, someone asked if we were not selected today, could we come to the next Open House (which I understand is next month).  Their answer?  No, you have to wait six months before you could attend another Open House.  What???  No reason was given as to why.  But it didn't make much sense to me.  All in all, I guess the bottom line is - I'll need to wait until I'm retired to pursue this dream.  There is no way I could go through the training and the work assignment required.  I now have a new respect for flight attendants.  I never in my life realized they had to go through all this.  Especially for the amount of money they get paid.  It's definitely not a career choice they made to get rich.

Watch out world!!!  When I retire, I'm trying this again.  In the meantime?  I'm going to learn airport codes, and I'm going to try to come up with sample questions they could be asking during the interview.  And if you know anybody that can share flight attendant tips, please send them my way.  I especially need to know sample questions that may be asked during the face-to-face interview. 

Because I am going to be READY for my next Open House.   I want to be as prepared as I can be so if I am fortunate enough to make it to the face-to-face interviews, it'll be a piece of cake.  Mmm...and I love cake.  I think I'll go celebrate with some.  Because after all - this is a time to celebrate.  I overcame my fear and at least went to the Open House.  Yay me!!

1 comment:

quiltzyx said...

Now you know what to prepare for, they better look out when you're back! Good on ya Deb!
I don't know any flight attendants, but I do remember when a friend was studying to work as an airline reservation person, learning all the airport codes. She used to quiz me, to see if I could figure out what they were. Some seemed to have nothing to do with the city the airport was in. But, if she could do it, I bet you can too!