Is there life after cabin crew?

[aviatorgirl72]

Just wanted to know how many ex-flyers are browsing the boards, and what they are doing for employment now?

[Brandy]

I don't know is there ?

Well i was made redundant last week and very quick it was too!
I am looking around for other stuff now but what can i do??
I rang the stansted job centre and i was told " well you are cabin crew there is not a lot i can offer you, how about the staff canteen ha ha !!" I slammed the phone down on the old witch and have resorted to local newspaper now!
Love to have her on a flight, would soon wipe her ice cube round the galley floor!!!!!

So in answer to your question the way i feel today No there is no life after cabin crew !!!

[sweety]

Other jobs

Any job which requires customer service will be a good choice. Don't care what that c*w on the phone said, she doesn't have a clue (obviously). Any jobs in tourism etc.. After I was made redundant last year I was considering finding another job. I was surprised to find out how many employers are looking for Cabin Crew experience. But I couldn't give up flying, love it too much!!

[flapsforty]

Brandy, sorry to hear about your current situation. But I am sure you will easily find another job to fill the time between now and your next flying job! I have very similar experiences to what sweety describes in her post, so take heart.

During the Gulf war, our company implored us to take voluntary leave of absence, so nobody would have to be fired. At the time I was still very company-minded and felt that had to do my bit.
So I took 6 months no pay.
Two weeks later my husband got fired.
Suddenly we badly needed my income, among other things to pay the fees for the international school our kids attended at the time. We could cut back on many things no problem, but to yank the kids out of school in the middle of the year was something we both desperately wanted to avoid.
Within days I had 3 jobs lined up, plus various other job-offers.

Did bus-guide for tourists during day time; great fun & and loads of tip!
Waitressed at embassy parties; the looks on the faces of some of the guests as they recognised me from school was priceless.
Worked 3 or 4 nights a week as barmaid in a start-up café.
F U N
Behind the scenes we had to make procedures and write an "ops-manual" for everything that had to be done; girls had to be trained to actually smile at the patrons, make them feel welcome even if their budget that day only stretched to a glass of water, instead of giving them the customary local scowl.

Behind the bar I finally experienced what it's like to have repeat customers. To see the effect of giving friendly, relaxed service in getting people to come back time and time again.
The satisfaction of seeing the end of the evening tally raise daily was great, even if it wasn't our own money.
Friday and saturday night soon became riotous affairs, with a doorman to keep the line of people trying to get in in some kind of order. With our favourite music blasting from the sound system, beer flowing freely, people dancing in one corner, necking in the other, doing table stripteases and having elbow wrestling matches. The freedom to do exactly as we bl**dy well pleased, and no Bean Counters breathing down our necks.
Customers trained so well that they knew we were "on break & having a small beer ourselves" as soon as they heard the first tones of "Into The Misty".
It was backbreaking work, worse than any flight I've ever done. It was also more spontaneous fun and WAY better paid than my flying job.

At the end of the Gulf war I had saved enough money to keep the kids at the same place until the end of the school year. I had met a lot of fun people from the local theatre and music scenes and had learnt that flying prepares us for a shocking variety of jobs.

Brandy, employers know that. Don't be discouraged, please!

[IFTB]

Some of the larger hotel/restaurant chains often look for training personell.
Customer service is not THE thing in many countries and hotels/restaurants are aware of that and look for trainers. (Most)cabin crew have this as second nature, very valuable.
Free-lance as sales person. Hard job but worth the effort if you hit the right tone and get a good patch.

[Brandy]

Thanks for your words of encouragement 'flaps forty'.

I am sure if i apply the determination and effort you did then i will have no problems in finding a stop gap!!

Thanks again you really cheered me up!!!!

[GalleyWench]

Brandy, When looking for a new job please remember the many skills you have/were trained in as a flight attendant. Our job makes it imperative that you show up for work on time and dressed to a certain standard. This alone makes you a valuable employee in some fields. (waiters/waitresses are notorious for blowing off shifts or being late). You are skilled in " thinking outside the box"- when we are shorted meals,entertainment systems do not work, have problem pax- we find a solution to our problems quickly. You are skilled at working as part of a team. Trained in first aid procedures/CPR and Defibrilator trained. Able to feed 300 people in 2 1/2 hours and evacuate them in 90 seconds. A little creativity will make your CV shine. Good luck to you!

[JB777]

I was made redundant about a year ago. After i stopped crying and started looking for a job i found employment offers all over the place. It seems cabin crew, are highly sought after in the customer service world. I'm back flying now but i was offered a job as ships crew on Disney crew lines in the carribbean.
If your ever at a lose end and can be away for 6 mths, the cruise companies will snap you up.

Air or water turbulance, whats the difference !

[ex cabin crew]

I left BA in 98 and went on a pub management training course - i got my first pub 12 weeks later and then moved to a Rat and Parrot branded pub after that. After 2 years went into the hotel trade as duty manager which i hated. Went back to flying after someone told me I would never get back in!!!! Flew for another 6 months with easyjet then left and bought a pub. It's amazing how many life skills you learn in the flying industry - 12 years of flying helps you learn to deal with people that other people would have difficulty with. First aid and emergency training also come in handy in any other job. So yes there is life outside flying - the only thing i hate about not flying is after a 14 hour day - i am still in the same place and not in a nice hotel room on the other side of the world.