Lets try this piece of advice
Hey mahito,
I have been CC with EK for 17months now. The question whether to attend the interview in Japan or somewhere else and the pros and cons involving each different scenario is an interesting topic of discussion.
However I'd advise you to shift your focus from where to what will get you the job anywhere, and regarding this I will admit that I do not know the particularities of the interviewing process in Japan (assuming there must be some); to my opinion this is:
-POSITIVE FRIENLDY & OPEN ATTITUDE
People get nervous at interviews (I do). Recruiters are people and know that, nonetheless they expect a certain level of confidence. They would usually allege that if you cant calm yourself for an interview you will not be useful at calming upset pax, managing difficult situations or medical cases, or performing your work with +100 faces staring at you.
So be calm, allow yourself perhaps a bit of nervousness, but be confident.
Once you feel confident dont push it too hard. Keep a low profile but participate. Dont be too eager to shine above the rest but be prompt to stand up, say "good morning everyone, my name is...I am...years old...I come from...and I look forward to fly with Emirates"
-SMILE, GROOMING
Impeccable groomig is a must. I am a boy so there is not much fuzz more than shaving and general stuff but for girls it is. They might look at:
-Make up. EK crew use red lipstick so start from there. Or maybe just take it with you in case you want to apply it later. Use conservative amounts
-Clothes. Use a business attire, like white shirt, black jacket and skirt (no short skirt). Shoes accordingly.
-Hair. Dont have hair hanging, use a pony tail or any similar technique you girls use to tighten up your hair.
-Nails. You probably know better than me.
-Accesories. Have a small watch, silver or golden, like an elegant watch not a sports one. Wear earrings. If you use a necklace keep the same considerations. Girls usually use pearls with their uniform.
-CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Most people have english as foreign language. Regardless of your mastery of the mother tongue of Shakespeare make sure people understand what you are saying and you understand what people say.
In aviation communication is a big issue, it trascends social interaction and goes directly into safety. It is questionable how much of this comes in the interview but keep it in mind. You might find yourself going to a captain and telling him "John, when we took off i heard a strange noise at the back of the aircraft and passengers heard it too..." etc.
What i mean with this: if the recruiters assign you a task and you did not fully understand what they said ask them to kindly clarify.
-TEAMWORK
This is a big thing in this job, and your ability to work around others will be evaluated.
In the interview you will probably be subject to group interaction. I remember sitting in a circle and telling the person on my left things about me and hearing the person on my right tell me things about herself, in order to have everyone introduce the person next to them.
I think I was fortunate enough for one girl next to me to misunderstand the assignment. I politely explained her of her mistake and asked her to reconsider, to look around and see how the group was interacting and told her that we would both look bad if we would not come right with this. Although I was discreet I think the recruiters saw that and it was eventually beneficial for me.
***
I will not extend much more for the moment. I know of people not being successful in their countries and going elsewhere and passing there. If you are from Japan you could try Australia or Singapore.
Also the open day in Japan could be months away and you could just want to apply straight away and so go elsewhere. If you can afford to it could be a good idea. If you have friends somewhere you could visit them and go for the interview.
I think it will not pass unnoticed for you to be the only Japanese. And I think it could prove to be a highlight for you on the day of the interview.
Does that mean you have to fly out of Japan to get this job? I dont think it is necessary to go out of your home country to be successful.
Emirates is an international airline. Wherever they go -it is of my impression that- they will be looking for the same qualities.
I hope this to be useful for anyone reading.
Good luck and success to you.
p.s. check the facebook website for EK crew, you might run into some japanese that could have insights on the OD in Japan.