I remember like it was just yesterday.
The day I was sitting in my office when I got that phone call that I was invited to Initial Training for a major global carrier. I was ecstatic, yet when that excitement passed, I felt uneasy. My anxiety was through the roof.
I didn’t know what it would be like and what to expect. I would hear stories of how intense it was for many people and I didn’t know where to start. So many thoughts were racing through my mind:
“Are you crazy to leave a great paying job and stable career to start all over?”
“Will you be able to remember how to study again, how to prepare notes?”
Yet, despite all the worries that started taking over me, I knew this would be an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that I needed to take. I felt deep down that this would be worth all the nerves and that I would be able to take many new experiences and skills that I would gain in the program with me throughout my life.
Would you like to know what happened?
Come with me on the journey of how to prepare and what to expect while you prepare for the journey of your life!
You finally got that magic call that you have been waiting for… you were chosen!
You will now (hopefully) be a future flight attendant. Your story is just beginning — the hard work, the seven-week training program all in hopes of being able to travel the world and creating memorable life-long experiences that many only dream of.
How will you make it? What do you need to do to succeed?
After the excitement of realizing that you are going to Initial Training, it is now time to prepare for the intensive training program which many flight attendants that have been through it —myself included— will say is like boot camp. For myself, although it has been many years since I passed initial training, I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was stressful, exciting and an eye-opening experience all around. An adventure to put it best, one that no one can really prepare you for. You just have to live it and immerse yourself in every moment.
Below are just a few of my own personal tips and advice for succeeding and earning your wings 😉!
BEFORE THE TRAINING
Spend as much time with family and friends
Being a flight attendant is definitely an exciting and adventurous lifestyle. Yet, keep in mind it keeps you away from loved ones, friends, and family for extended periods of time. You will miss many special occasions: including weddings, birthdays, Christmases (just to name a few), but for many it is worth the experience — at least for some years.
I feel the aviation industry prepares you for this starting at initial training. This is why before you head out to the training program, my advice is to try and organize your evenings, dinners, and events with your family and friends as much as possible.
Prepare your clothing
There is definitely a “way to look and be” when talking about the flight attendant image even though that depends heavily on the aviation company in question.
For my company at the time, we weren’t allowed to wear the flight attendant uniform which is why they had a strict training program dress code. They called it “business casual”: a white collared shirt, or top, black business-like trousers, black polished heels, and a neat low sitting bun — usually a chignon. For five days a week, you had to be in this polished look with no “ifs” and/or “buts”.
So my advice is before you go to training be sure to have a small clothing “kit” of white shirts and black pants to be able to change throughout the week as necessary.
Prepare important documents
You will need a valid passport, photocopies, and originals of your birth certificate, IDs, photos, etc. There is a long list of documents the company will provide you with that you will need to bring with you to training so that they can start the process for you for obtaining your security clearance. Make sure you bring the documents as well as many photocopies with you to avoid any potential stress.
DURING TRAINING
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Even though training will be extremely long and exhausting, you need to make sure you are getting proper rest. I know it is easier said than done, but trust me, you will not be able to focus in class or on exams unless you are rested.
Prepare your clothing and class items the night before
Yes, there will be days you will sleep in accidentally. You don’t want to be rushing to pick up from the hotel and not prepared with your study items. My advice is to get your bag ready with your books, study notes, ID badge, as well as your clothing (which has to be ironed) the night before so that when you do wake up later than expected you don’t have to fumble around searching and wondering If you have everything you need
Weekends are for studying
Having a social life and making time to meet new people during training is vital to staying mentally healthy and surviving the intensive training. Your classmates will become friends for life, there is no doubt about this.
Yet, I will advise on keeping your weekends for studying as much as possible. You will be bombarded with many exams, on various topics like Aviation First-aid and Safety and Emergency Procedures. It will feel like information overload for seven weeks. Trust me when I say this! And you will learn a lot about yourself and your study techniques during the Initial Training, which will help you greatly either in your career as a flight attendant or if for some reason you decide it is not the career for you, as you will be able to take these preparation skills to your new job.
For me personally, I would devote some time on Friday nights to going out with classmates for dinner or a movie. That was my “me time’. The time I needed to decompress from the stressful week of learning, learning, and more learning. My weekends though were entirely devoted to studying my airplane chapter and “grids” and trying to get ahead of the lesson plan as much as possible so I was prepared for the next week.
You will find what works for you the best, this was just the technique I used to pass the program.
Don’t Procrastinate
As I said above, you will have a lot of things to do during training. A LOT! I will say for me, believe it or not, I had more things to accomplish during Initial than I did during obtaining my Master's degree abroad.
Just take it one step at a time and breathe. Be sure not to wait until the last minute for anything. This mentality won’t enable you to succeed in training or life in general. Don’t procrastinate to prepare for that airplane exam you have the next afternoon. I promise you will not be able to remember it and you will add unnecessary stress.
Breathe
You may chuckle but I mean it: remember to breathe and take a few moments for yourself and your wellbeing during Initial Training.
You will have many exams… per day. Like five a day. Lots of assignments you will need to do both individually and collectively with your classmates. Classmates will fail exams, sometimes making them have to leave the program. You will have to do live emergency evacuations and drills in front of your colleagues but also training instructors. So during all the madness, remember to take a few deep breaths and be in the present moment as much as possible as it will all be over in a blink of an eye.
At least it was for me.
Enjoy every moment!
Initial Training is the experience of a lifetime. An experience you will never be able to relive again.
Real life will be much different from training. Make sure to take advantage of every moment. Take many photos with classmates. Talk to them, share your experiences, be there for them when needed and let them be there for you. In a blink of an eye, you will graduate, earn your wings, and it will all be over.
For some, you may never see these people again. You were in one room sharing tears and laughs and before you know it, it’s over. You will relocate to your base, and you will be in different time zones, hectic schedules which will make it harder to organize a time to see your classmates again. So my honest advice is to enjoy every moment as much as possible!
✈ CONNECT WITH ME If you are about to graduate, or even thinking of joining this career, send me a message and let me know your story. I love hearing about these experiences. And if you need more advice or coaching, feel free to connect with me and we can work together!
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