Hi,
I've had several people message me asking what to expect at a Virgin Atlantic interview so here's what happend to me when I had my interview on 10th June.
So here goes...
The first thing to say is that surprisingly it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, so you really can just relax and enjoy the day.
Essentially the day is slpit in two with the morning being a group interview scenario, and the afternoon being reserved for one to one interviews with those that make it past the earlier stages.
We all arrived at the Virgin Flight Centre (usually the interviews are held at Virgin Atlantic's head office) at similar times and were taken to the staff canteen. We were told just to talk to one another until we get taken to one of the training rooms. After about 20mins 3 senior cabin crew (who were also the assessors) escorted us to a training room. When we got to the room they introduced themselves and then explained a bit about how the day would work (They also explained that there is NO set amount of people that will go through to the next stage. It could be all of us, it could be no one!!).
We sat in a semi circle around the room and they kicked off with an ice breaker which in our case bagan by us in turn introducing ourselves and explaining what we did in terms of employment.
Next they let us sit down again and gave each person a card with some typed text on it. Basically each card provided a bit of info about Virgin Atlantic's operations. Each person then had to read their card in turn, providing the assessors with an opportunity to see that you can actually read, how you cope reading to a large-ish group of people and giving some basic info to the group.
Next they spit the group in two and provide you with a scenario. Each group represents a team of cabin crew, whose plane has been grounded on an Island due to bad weather. They explain that you will be grounded for the next 8 hours and that you have to entertain the passangers during this time. The in flight entertainments system is off line and no one may leave the aircraft.
They then give each group a pack of about 10 cards each of which has a picture of a different objact on it. Each group is then given 15 minutes to consider what thay could utilise each object for i.e how can you use it to entertain people.
While this exercise is being carried out, each candidate is pulled out of the group and asked by one of the senior cabin crew "why do you want to become a member of Virgin Atlantic air cabin crew?".....A VERY important question!!
Meanwhile, the other two senior cabin crew are walking round the room assessing and making notes on how each candidate interacts.
Finally each group has to present their planned entertainment programme to the other group,who now adopt the role of passengers.
At the end of that exercise you get to relax for a bit while they talk you through the life of a cabin crew member, covering things such as working hours/patterns, wages and annual leave arrangements. They also give an example of a typical working day. Then they give each person the opportunity to ask questions.
They then thanked us for attending and explained that they were now going to make "some decisions". Everyone was then sent out of the room and left to sit around in the canteen for 20 minutes or so.
After a half hour or so the 3 senior cabin crew came down stairs and again escorted us to the training room. There was a fourth senior cabin crew member then and she to thanked us for our time. Eventually they explained they were going to read out some names and that they'd like those candidates to leave the room....
Five names were read out. Mine was one of them. I have to say I was so incredibly nervous and I had no idea what to expect.
We were then told that we had been successful and had made it to the next stage. Unfortunately though, the other 11 candidates were sent home..
Congratualtions if u make it this far because competition is tough, however don't be disheartend as it is just as hard to get an interview in the first place.
If you make it this far you are then required to sit a Maths and English test. Both of which are timed. The English test is more to do with memory, you are given a page of text to read. AFte 2minutes the page is taken away and you are required to tick correct boxes relating to the text you have just read.
For the maths test you are required to answer 12 questions in 10 minutes. The questions cover muliplication division, addition and subtraction, and you are required to get six out of 12 correct.
The five of us were then told if we had passed the tests. If you are successful (which all 5 of us were) you are congratualted and told you are going to attend the final 3 on 1 interview and are given a time to return later that afternoon.
You then have to fill out the necessary security forms so you can obtain an airside pass so that you can work in the airport and onboard the aircraft.
About 2 hours later we each had our interviews. Quite intense but I still enjoyed it. One senior cabin crew is asking the questions, while the other two are writing down your every comment and move.
At the end of the interview you are thanked for your time and told you will be informed as whether or not you have been successful in gaining a job within 7-10 days.
Four days later Virgin Atlantic phoned me and offered me the job! It still hasn't sunk in. I think I'm so surprised beacuse I was the youngest one there and one of the only ones not to have any cabin crew experience.
I start my 6 weeks training on 12th July... So wish me luck!
I REALLY hope this is of some use to everyone attending a Virgin Atlantic interview. Let me know how you get on.
Good luck everyone!! Hope to see you onboard soon!
