Virgin Blue Interviews
 

Does anyone know what Virgin Blue look for in their Cabin Crew??? I have just received my rejection letter from them and immediatly set about ringing up the people I swapped phone numbers with on the day. Well to my surprise not one of these people received a call back either!!!

Now this group of people make up a slightly motley crew --- some young, some old, some quite, some bubbly, some expereinced and some wannabees-- so surely there would be at least one who would meet their criteria!!

So now you can understand my curiosity!!!

I don't need any sympathy over this as I only applied to VB because I heard Qantas won't be recruiting again until the end of next year(is this true??), and they are who I really want to work for!! But still my curiosity runs rampant!!!

Hi Smile,
not sure of the criteria but of the many ex-AN girls who have missed out I finally met a girl yesterday who was successful.She was ex FlightForce(casual) <21yo,not bubbly or over the top,pleasant nature.I will have to say though,she was stunningly attractive.She had one interview & said it was a breeze.
Good luck with QF and the career path it offers.

Smile,

I dare say you are also one of the pretty, talented and ethical people out there who deserve a cabin crew job just like me....I have the same question re virgin blue....the thing with Virgin is that by 2005 they will have interviewed nearly every australian citizen, meaning that for the few positions available they interview hundreds of people and reject them all.

As far as I can tell they are looking for people who can manicure their nails well, face paint, sell virgin merchandise in-flight, sing and preferably have no " credible " customer service experience. It seems they are not interested in anyone who may appear traditionally " professional " in an airline type of way...........it's all about their Virgin culture which they believe cannot be practiced by any other airline staff wanting to work for them.

I still want to work for them and some may call me bitter...and I am ! only because just like you, I have so much to give and get frustrated at how they treat everyone who wants to work for them.

Virgin Smirgin....... :rolleyes:

Sonique thanks for the compliment but.... you forgot to mention that we are also passionate, professional(without being intimidating), and just want to fly.

I was interviewed with a couple of ex-Ansett employees and not one of them made it through. I feel for them as some feel as though they are getting the run around-- they feel that the only reason they are being offered interview positions in the first place is because of good PR. I am not in the position to comment-- but I have become friends with these people and I can assure you that they are some of the most wonderful people i have ever met. Everything I would have thought to be a 'criteria' for Cabin Crew.

Well I beleive everything happens for a reason, so I guess I am not ment to fly for VB-- oh well.

But..... does anyone know when Qantas will start recruting for Australian Airlines??

Smile,

I also heard the same thing " internally " about QF recruitment not being until end of year 2002, it's all a bit crazy at the moment. A close mate of mine who I work with at QF was waiting for 5 months after his 3rd interview to hear something, 2 weeks ago he got his rejection letter after 5 months of not knowing a thing, it's pretty depressing really...But...what can you do !

As for Australian Airlines there will be no recruitment until the " proposal " is approved by QF for the low cost operation, the management team at Australian are still putting the proposal together and when it does come time for the recruitment it will be done by Australian and not Qantas ( I belive the proposal is to be submitted by end october ). I am also told that QF staff will not be able to just simply transfer across to AA as it a seperate airline but just owned by QF - similar to Air NZ and Freedom Air in that you can't just transfer.

Maybe you and I should pack our little brisvegas butts up and try for cabin crew with emirates or something ! It seems VB don't want me either, although.. I was interviewed a long long time ago and things have changed since then with my experience.....but I just can't score a second chance for another interview !

Cabinboy :)

Cabinboy,

If I read correctly you already work at QF. Well then I would gladly swap my job for yours. ( Although I am guessing that you may not work in cabin crew.) Still one foot in the door is better than nothing!!

I'm hoping that when you said that the 'proposal' for AA will be out at the end of Oct you meant this year, because that makes recrutment a little closer that I thought. ( should i guess middle of next year?)

As for Virgin, well I guess i was a little relieved. My dealings with them over the last week have been alittle less than professional. I was willing to put that down to the restlessness in the industry, but a few others have told me this is usual. For example my interview was last Thursday week, my rejection letter was dated the following Monday, but i was called on the wednesday to see if I had been to an interview yet....

Anyway I don't think that red lipstick is my colour!!!! :p

You're probably right smile - red lipstick may well not be your colour!!! And correct me if I am wrong - but facepainting is not what I call a 'skill' - when was the last time you saw this being offered at TAFE???

I imagine with all the goings on in the industry that Australian Airlines may well recruit by the start of next year?? CabinBoy would probably know more, since he's with QF and knows ALL the goss!!

That, combined with the surplus in aircraft by many of the worlds airlines - BA included - could well mean that QF start things up pretty quickly (if you can't get a seat domestically, you may as well go internationally, no???) And why not - considering Australian want to fly to destinations unable to be served by QF Long Haul profitably - such as Greece, Malaysia, and cities like Fukuoka, Jakarta, Shanghai, Vancouver, etc.

Sorry to hear about your experience with VB smile - even I've been through it (twice now) and the people I have seen them take don't have many redeeming features (well, they are very attractive, but who's surprised here??)

One thing I'd like to know - with Ansett in the state that it is, who's going to do the EP training for VB crew? VB crew trained at the Ansett facility (which, dare I say, is closed down till further notice) - so would they in fact train at QF's Melbourne facility? Or is the AN Astrojet Centre still open for business??

Virgin Blue do their own training, including EPs. They don't need other airlines to help them anymore. The only VB school that was trained using the Ansett facility was the initial school over 12 months ago.

Its obviously time for everyone to stick it into poor old Virgin Blue again :rolleyes:

Hi Ditch, this thread isn't a 'stick it to Virgin' thread, so I'm sorry if it came across that way. Besides after being a member on this site for a couple of months now, I feel that each airline gets their fair share of 'sticking to'.

As for the comments about the people who do get through the interviews, it's only natural for humans to compare themselves to those who are more 'successful' (??) in certain situations in order to assess thier own shortcomings. I guess maybe the looks of the average VB cabin crew seem to stick in peoples minds!! :cool:

Smile..I understand that your original post was not directed at bashing Virgin Blue, and my comments were not directed at you. I wish you all the luck in this world towards securing your dream job...If I was a Cabin Crew manager I would give you a job on determination alone. My comments were directed at the usual suspects (2 in particular) that always end up being VERY critical of Virgin Blue with their constant snide remarks, not only on this thread but others previously. TO THOSE SUSPECTS, you may be Flight Attendants, while others are not. Be grateful you are where you are, and concentrate on your career with your airline, and stop bashing someone elses airline who they may be proud to work for.

Try to help those who wish to be where you are, and get it into your heads that you are damn lucky. ;)

Good luck smile with your career. :)

[ 11 October 2001: Message edited by: Ditch ]

Smile,

No-one can really say what Virgin Blue are looking for, but they do have some very consistant features.
1. Most of them are beautiful
2. Most of them are young and silly
3. Most of them are not very bright :o
4. Most of them are willing to make fools of themselves over the PA, sing and dance, scrub the dunny :eek: and sell the tacky merchandise.

A close friend of mine was just offerd a position with Emirates and just before that Qantas...but...virgin sent her out the rejection letter. The mind boggles :rolleyes:

To those of you who missed out on Virgin Blue, don't worry, it's probably a compliment. Besides, alot of people have the feeling they won't be around much longer because their parent company is a basket case. :eek:

I'd be interested to see just how Firewall_999 conducted his/her survey and managed to meet most of the Virgin Crews. I think that perhaps the post should read:

1. Most of them are far better looking than ours (sob...sob...)
2. Most of them are young and eager to explore the world and have fun
3. Most of them are very good at putting people at ease and willing to learn
4. Most of them are here to have fun, undestand what the Virgin Blues target market are after and havent yet been infected with the "screw 'em for all you can get" mentality apparent in other airlines.

Those with a "holier than thou" attitude need not apply it would seem.

[ 11 October 2001: Message edited by: Theo Racle ]

Ditch, thanks for wishing me luck!!! And I too wish that determination was a criteria, I would have been offered a job a long time ago!!!

Firewall, I guess your friend and I are prime examples of the difference between what Qantas and Virgin are looking for in crew. I made it through to the third interview with Qantas earlier in the year ( but I wasn't offered a position), yet I can't get a look in after the first interview at Virgin. Maybe I should just be patient and wait for the airline I really want to work for!! ;)

Hi Smile and fellow ppruners,

Yes I am with QF but only on the ground taking phone reservations. I applied thinking that it may be a foot in the door and a chance to learn a lot more about the industry. Unfortunetly 16 months later it becomes clearer every day that I am transferring no where! I am honestly stuck, and in hindsight I feel as though I may have had a better chance with VB if I didn't have Qantas as a employer beside my name - maybe VB think that I think I am " holier than thou ".......I can tell you I do not think that and get upset at the thought of being stereotyped.

I know I am lucky to even have a job but sitting down for 8 hours a day wasn't the plan, running around madly serving coffee/tea to varied passengers with 3am starts was the plan ! I am 22yrs old and have the food&bev and face to face experience as well as the young funky virgin look, I also have an understanding for the virgin culture and what they are about..

Maybe some VB staff could offer some advice as to what they DO look for, instead of specualtion which is currently being offered on this topic. :)

Cabinboy
P.S - Smile, perhaps you and I can streek naked through the Virgin head office to get their attention or something :D If you are game then I am ...email me !!

Cabinboy

I don't know how many times you tried for
VB, but I do know that people have got in
on their 3rd and 4th attempt, many of their
F/A's are ex Sheraton and other 5 star hotel
employees as well as ex nurses if that helps,
as the old saying goes,"If at first you don,t
succeed, try, try again" good luck in future.

Wirraway

Smile: Don't worry.Just keep trying cos what's meant to be blah blah.I'd been trying for six years to get in as cabin crew when eventually EK of all people gave me a break (ok so it was just after the gulf war and they may have been desparate). Five years with EK didn't mean a jot with BA and others with more experience than myself also got canned. What I'm trying to say to you and cabinboy is DON'T give up!There is always someone who will recognize your talents and make use of them.You don't want to do face painting anyway;the pay's no good. ;)

Cabinboy, If we streak naked through the VB headoffice, will we have the word 'Virgin' strategically placed on certain parts of our bodies.... or maybe pictures of Sir Richard smiling!!! :D

Remembering that I am " male " smile will probably help in the streeking situation ! I think all eyes would be on you girlfriend ! :D

I heard today that DJ are recruiting in MEL and that they receive 200 applications EACH DAY for cabin crew.

No wonder they haven't even looked at my application on the staff.cv website.

Hey guys, well i have just had a Vb interview on tue and i think it went well, but from what i have read on here i don't feel very confident anymore :(
dreams

[ 18 October 2001: Message edited by: dreams ]

dreams - keep your chin up, you haven't been told the outcome yet !....stay positive :D

Dreams do you have previous f/a experience ? Whats your background ?

Yeah Dreams keep your chin up--- someone has to get the job!!! If you are successful and have to move to Brisvegas let us know and we can show you around!! :D

Aww, gee.. Thanks guys. I will let you know as soon as i know the outcome of the int.
I havnt had F/A experience, Ive got a travel course and Loads of customer exp. I've also had 2 Qantas int. B4 also.
Smile, what was your int. like with V/B?? :)

Dreams, my VB interview was certainly different. Very, very casual. It only lasted about one hour and consisted of a 20 minute speil from the interviewers about Virgin, then we did the 'ole introduce yourself, then we were divided into two groups, we had to pick a couple of objects from the table and compose a song to advertise Virgin. Then we were allowed to ask any questions we had!!!

No one checked my certification, (I put copies in my resume though) and other than answering any questions I had, I never got the chance to talk personally to the interviewers which i was a bit disappointed about.

But oh well, I'm just waitng for QF or Australian Airlines!! :D

Thanks smile, mine was very similar, we had the info on virgin, but we didn't introduce ourselves, we split up into two groups and had to do the song, and then we were in pairs and had to find another use for a particular item and they just watched that. Then that was it. There were heaps of ansett girls in our group what about u? Did they let u know how long u were to wait before u heard anything? They told us 2-3 weeks!!! :)

Dreams, they told us to wait 2-3 weeks before we heard from them also, but my interview was on the Thursday and my letter was dated the next Monday. Yeah and there were a few ex-Ansett, out of the ones that I swapped phone no's with none were offered a second interview!! :(

hey smile, Its a bit weird that there not even accepting ansett girls, don't ya think???? Did the other girls get there letters the same day u did. I had mine on tue gone and haven't heard anything yet..but u never know do ya? Have u had any interviews with any other airline..my qantas ones were so different to Vb ones. They were total opposite... Do u know any one that has got further with the Vb interviews. Have you applied to Emirates?? I know a girl that has gone to emirates after the ansett thing and she misses home but loves it!!!
dreams :)

;) where were you all when Mr Seymour was doing the same thing when he recruitted for his NJS girls? And why is it that we dont hear alot about the fact that it was only until app.15 months ago NJS recruitted their first male F/a?? Are we all frightened to admitt the truth, VB crew some of experience, the rest want a start in the industry as did those before did them at NJS before they saw the oppertunity else where.

Smile, hang in there - probably better off not getting into Virgin Blue anyway. Keep bugging EK - you'll get there, persistence and all that. Am not impressed with Virgin Blue. Didn't make the cut after first interview but got a phone call a few weeks later asking me to go for a THIRD interview. Honest little me says well that's interesting since I never had a SECOND interview. After being put on hold for about 15 minutes (no exaggeration) am told I am being considered for a ground position when I specifically ticked "no" in the box on the form asking if I wanted to be considered for ground crew jobs. No apology, no explanation just a very abrupt clueless staffer on the other end of the line. Very unprofessional. Bring back Impulse! :eek: :eek: :eek:

KEM....LOL when I read your message...maybe you were so good at interview 1 that you were instantly progressed to interview 3!!!!! The mind really does bogell huh????Honestly....you have to laugh huh?
BISCKET CHUCKER....Is this true that VB are recruiting again on the 30th? Where did you hear this. I have applied through staff cv, but havent heard a thing...I cant understand why. I thought my application was pretty cool, other airlines have accepted it.

HI Biscuit Chucker, we haven't spoken in a while, how are you going? It's probably true that VB are recruiting again on the 30th. In fact I think that they are always recruiting! Everytime I log onto cabincrew.cv they are doing another search for applications--- I would love to know what their HR expenditure is!!!!

Dreams.... any news on your application. Maybe the fact that they have taken so long to get back to you is a good sign!!!

Cloud nine..... what special thing did you do to your resume on cabin crew.cv to make all the airlines love it? :confused:

Smile..Well still no word..maybe soon...just have to think i've survived another day!!! But then i may get a letter still.

Biscuit where did u see that they are recruiting on the 30th??
:)

SMILE....I have yet to work out a special formular on my staff cv application. ( when I do I will fill u in..lol)I meant all the other airlines have me on file with the same CV ie Emirates,AZ ect. So far I have only applied to 1 airline on staff cv and that is VB. And still no contact....cant work it out??? It is making me a bit worried hearing that basically everyone else in Australia has been to at least 1 VB interview...cept little old me!!!!
If this is true that they are again recruiting on the 30th, they dont have long to contact me!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think the starting wage is only $26,000 for VB. If I ever do get in, I will be taking a MAJOR paycut, and have to change my living and lifestyle in a massive way!!I will do it, but sometimes wonder if I should just hang out a bit longer and wait for QA or Emirates. I have inside info on QA that as of Jan 2001 they are putting 2 new aircraft in the air every month untill there is 15 new planes in the sky. They are mainly focusing on domestic next year. Im hoping they will recruit early next year again.
DREAMS....cant wait to hear how you went with VB, hopefully good news...fingers crossed for you. PS...I am milo747 on the other forum! Just changed my screen name, still the same old desperate wanna be!!!!LOL

Yes... its true, Virgin Blue are interviewing on the 30th, my friend has his interview on that day. He applied for Virgin on the CV webpage on 21/09/2001.

Good Luck Maurice!!! and for whoever else that has an interview from this site... goodluck to you all!!

:) :) :) :) :)

Cloud Nine... when did you put your application into VB. Try updating it and resending it to them, maybe it might be showing up as too old on thier files.

And as far as money issues with them... we were told at our interview that $24000 or $26000 (can't remember which one) is the starting pay with them but it is only for whilst you are trainig. Then when you are in the air you go up to about $36000 plus extras for o/nighters etc. Which isn't too bad. I'm guessing this is the pay structure that QF will take on for Australian Airlines?!?!?!

The starting training wage is only while you are doing ground school I believe. Once you actually start line training you are on the full wage plus allowances so I'm told.

I am assuming you are all referring to recruitment for VB on the 30th of this month in " SYDNEY " ?? .......Smile - looks like you and I are counted out of this one !

Who here, who has applied through cabin crew staff cv has added their photo to the website? Just wondering if this has had any difference ? My friend who had an interview for cabin crew some weeks ago didn't have his photo on the site. I do have my photo on there and much more relevant skills for the position and wasnt invited, still not sure how that works? Anyway, he wasn't selected for a 2nd interview and now they keep calling him up every week asking him to attend another interview for different positions with VB which he doesn't want nor did he ask to be considered for ! go figure !

And yes QF are adding new a/c next year, still don't know if it's going to be the 738's or the A320's.....I received word 2 days ago that 2 new QF f/a schools are currently taking place at this very moment. ( most ex ansett ) ......you care to confirm biccy chucker ?

Hang in there guys, it's coming soon....we'll get there :D

Hey guys..well i hope everyone goes well with there interviews, still waiting i hope they haven't forgot me..i wonder why they take so long to get back to people?
I applied on staff Cv and didn't have a photo and got a interview...i'm pretty sure they did interviews in Brisbane then Melb and now i think its Syd.

Hi all,

All this talk of VB interviews!!! Sheisk!!! I had to call them to see what was the go!!! I rang them this morning, but was only "allowed" (???) to talk with reception. Anyway she said that in the next couple of weeks VB are recruiting fron SYD, for Brizzie based F/A. She said we will be contacted if CV is suitable. I reapplied about 2 weeks ago through staff cv. STILL NOTHING!!!!!! Honestly I cant understand why???? This is so frustrating for me. WHY DONT THEY LIKE MY CV??????? Agghhhhhhhh...."not happy jan!!!!!"

Cabin Boy, you are correct about the current training school that is happening as i am typing this. Though the majority of applicants are ex Flight Force (Ansett) who applied back in March and midyear!

Alot of my ex FF friends are in that school, unfortunately for them, they will be based in Melb. I'd settle for any base!

Also... i am not to sure if anybody could answer this for me, but here goes... back in March i attended the Qantas walk in interviews, i ended up getting through all 3 stages. Eventually they contacted my referees, (who gave me a huge rap) as well as having no problems with my Medical or security check, then to be issued with a letter 4 months later that i was unsuccessful at this occasion. I was pretty heart broken when i recieved that letter, but having said all that... it makes me even more determined for my next opportunity with QF!!!

Just wondering if anyone else has been in that situation, would love to hear your story!!!

Also... good luck everyone who is attending the up and coming VirginBlue interviews!! :D :D

DOOHAN!!!!...I hear you matey! Welcome to the QA rejection boat!! I had my first ever F/A interview with QA in June. Tuff? No way, I was breezing it through,much to my suprise after every interview. I couldnt beleive my luck, and was glad that they could see I have what it takes. 3rd interview, didnt do anything different to interviews 1 & 2, but then was walked out and given "that letter". My heart, face EVERYTHING dropped right on the floor. Devastation hit hard. It was the most awful feeling. So I totally understand how u would have felt, to get to the very very final stage.I met a girl at the QA interview and the same thing had happened to her Yep, twice she had gone and got the medical/police report and then received the "thanks but no thanks letter". How can they wait 4 months to let you know. That is just plain cruel. It shouldnt be allowed huh??? Most annoying thing is we get no feedback. They just say apply in another 6 months. Well correct me if Im wrong, but hey Im still going to be the same person in 6 months, same background, same skills, same personality!!! And same state of health and police history if I eva get that far. I have put it down to, that it totally depends on what interviewer you have on the day. You may remind them of someone that they dislike, so how can they warm to you if this is the case. My third interviewers, were older,very large woman, and I often wonder if sometimes being a slim,young,attractive female may have gone against me just a tad. Who knows???? The mind bogals huh. I dont want to sound paranoid, but the minuete I met the woman that gave me the 3rd interview she stared right in my eyes, and it was not a warm friendly stare. I was their last interview before lunch,mind u they were running 2 hours behind. Who knows, were they a little on edge as they needed a break????Did the big gals just need some re-fueling???I dont want to sound bitter, or like a sore looser, but I honestly believe, I didnt get a fair go. But hey, what can u do cept walk out with your head held high and keep trying.Its all part of the learning process.