Expert: D. Norkus - 1/20/2008

Question
HI Dottie,

My name is Nidhi. I am a graduate(BA) from India, currently living in USA. I m 23 yrs old. I want to start my career in airlines. But I need some information and guidance on this. I am working in a bank currently. I like serving people. I have been in customer service for a long time, over years. Somebody told me that I should start my career as in-flight attendant. I want to know, does it need to go to any school to start career as an in-flight attendant, if so are there any scholarship programs for such candidates who cant afford? And also what is the base pay for flight attendants. What else I can do in this industry? I mean what else customer service skilled jobs are there in this field that I can think to go for? Can you give me some websites to get more information regarding this.I have an experience in computers for almost 9 years. I hope that will be helpful too. I really have so much going on in my mind right now. Thanks.

Regards,
Nidhi

Answer
Nidhi

Having a background in customer service and using computers would serve you well in any ticket agent (also customer service agent and gate agent) or reservations agent job. Of course, if you enjoy being in customer contact but want to get away from computers you could also become a flight attendant. All are entry level jobs. The airline will train you.

The career direction you should go depends on the kind of lifestyle you want. Do you want to travel for work, spend 10+ nights per month in hotels and be away from home for 15-20 days per month? If not, then being a flight attendant probably is not for you and a ground based position is where you should start. I think the best way for you to get a better idea if which careers would suit you best is by going over the job descriptions and then investigating what interests you most. To do that, visit these links:

1) Careers in Aviation videos (Courtesy of Southwest Airlines)
"Ever wondered what kinds of jobs are possible in the aviation industry? The following streaming videos offer a brief introduction into the many high-flying aviation careers."
http://www.swagov.com/programs_services/adopt/video_library/

2) Aviation and Aeronautics Career Guide
"Explore careers in Aeronautics and Aviation with the following links to job descriptions, which include information such as daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required.  To learn more about the Aeronautics and Aviation Industry, follow the related links below the career descriptions section."
http://www.khake.com/page41.html

3) Aviation Career Salary Ranges
http://www.avjobs.com/salaries-wages-pay/index.asp

Regarding a flight attendant career specifically:
Here are the general requirements (they vary slightly by airline)- http://www.flightattendantcareer.com/faq.html
If there is a specific airline you are interested in, go to their web site specifically and look under their "careers section" to see requirements and job openings. Airlines also list their career fair or job "open house" schedules there.

There is NO need to attend any special school or take any training prior to getting hired. You don't need a scholarship for anything. The airline will train you once you are hired. Do NOT buy into the so called "flight attendant school" programs. They are a waste of money.

Starting pay? Fairly low start but some pay more than others. It is not uncommon for new hire regional F/As to start at well below $20K/yr. Read this for some more details about pay-
http://www.flightattendantfacts.com/flight_attendant/flight_attendant_salary.htm...

This is a site that hosts a message board for the exchange of info between current and aspiring F/As. It requires a small membership fee but may well be worth it- http://www.flightattendants.org/

Once you digest the job descriptions above, I think you will be better able to find out what airline career will be best for you. Let me know if you have further questions about specific jobs.

Dottie