Careers Spotlight: Cabin Crew

A career as cabin crew (also known as a flight attendant) is a fast-paced, adventurous job where you are responsible for passenger safety, comfort, and service on flights. It is one of the most popular paths for people who love to travel, enjoy meeting new people, and want a dynamic lifestyle instead of a 9-to-5 desk job.

Core Duties & Responsibilities

A cabin crew member's job is divided into two primary areas:

• Safety & Security: Before takeoff, you check emergency equipment, brief passengers, and secure the cabin. In flight, you monitor the cabin for hazards, administer first aid if needed, and manage any disruptive passengers. 

• Customer Service: Welcoming guests, helping with luggage, serving meals/refreshments, conducting duty-free sales, and ensuring a comfortable flight experience. 

Key Entry Requirements

A university degree is rarely required. Instead, airlines prioritise personality, health, and practical capability: 

• Education: A minimum of 5 GCSEs (grades 9 to 4 / A* to C) including English and maths

• Physical Criteria: Most airlines require you to be at least 18 years old (sometimes 21). You must pass a medical check, have a specific arm reach or height range (often between 5'2" and 6'2") to access safety equipment, and be able to swim 25 metres unassisted. 

• Logistics & Vetting: You must hold a valid passport, have the right to work in the airline's host country, pass enhanced background/DBS checks, and live within 90 minutes of your assigned home base. 

• Experience: Prior face-to-face customer service experience (hospitality, retail, or nursing) is highly valued. 

Career Progression

Starting as a junior cabin crew member can lead to several long-term career paths: 

1. Senior Cabin Crew / Purser: Managing the cabin team, supervising service standards, and acting as the liaison to the flight deck.

2. VVIP/Corporate Aviation: Working on private jets for elite clients, royal families, or government officials, which commands higher compensation.

3. Ground Operations: Moving into airline management, recruitment, safety training instructing, or crew controlling. 

Ways to become cabin crew

• a college course

• an apprenticeship

• applying directly

College

You could do a college course like an introduction to cabin crew, or study a cabin crew module as part of a broader travel and tourism course.  Both West Herts College and Oaklands offer courses that can lead to becoming cabin crew.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Cabin Crew Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

This will take around 12 months to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Direct Application

You could apply directly to airlines for a cabin crew job. Airlines set their own entry requirements, which can vary.

You'll be expected to have a good standard of spoken and written English. You'll also need to show that you have great customer service skills, so experience of working directly with the public is useful.

Some airlines and private training providers run short cabin crew preparation courses, which may help your chances of getting a job, though these are not essential.

If you want to learn more about becoming cabin crew click on the links below

Boosting your CV

So what is a CV?  CV is short for Curriculum Vitae and is a short document which summarises your unique skills, character, experience and achievements.  

For students it can feel difficult to know what to write as you haven't had the time to build up the experience that employers always seem to want.

In this section we will look at ways of making your CV stand out for future employers so you can get that dream job and in an ever more competitive job market it is never too soon to start thinking about shaping your CV.

Get involved in extra-curricular activities:

You might not be aware of it, but we have a large number of activities that you can take part in that will help you gain valuable experience. Some of the best activities to consider signing up for include:

• Sports clubs (shows you’re a team player).

• Other clubs such as model making club or art club (shows you want to develop your skills and are happy to put in the extra effort)

• School Council (shows that you have passion).

Above all, what these activities show is that you have initiative. Most employers are aware that young people find it difficult to get their first break and will appreciate the effort you’ve taken to gain as much work experience as you can.

Unifrog

In keeping with our commitment to provide students with outstanding careers education information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and tailored support when choosing their next step after school. We have invested in an online application called Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform. All students in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 now have access to this excellent website.

The Unifrog platform is designed to support learners in making the most informed decisions about their futures and has a range of tools that are suitable for all year groups. Each student has their own personal account that provides a wide range of information related to their interests and aspirations.  Key features of the platform include:

Exploring Pathways – personality quizzes, career and subject profiles, MOOCs and webinars

Recording – self-reflection about extracurricular activities and key employability skills

Opportunities – search tools showing live vacancies/courses/placements for apprenticeships, universities (in the UK and abroad), FE, virtual work experience and much more

Applications – tools to help students build applications for a range of pathways (e.g., CVs, Personal Statements, Common App Essays)

All students have access to the platform, which is unique to them. They login to Unifrog using their email address and password and they can do so from any computer, tablet or smartphone. We would encourage all students to use the platform at home too, so parent/carers can support their child through the process of deciding their next step

Help for Parents and Carers

When it comes to education and careers, parents and carers have a large influence on a students choices. As an adult you are expected to have all the answers, but in a constantly evolving world it can be a struggle to keep up with the latest options out there.  In this section we will highlight resources that will help keep you up to date with careers and the choices available to young people.

This month we look at what options are available once students leave school.

Can my child get a job at 16 and start working?

Yes, but in England, it is a legal requirement to stay in some form of training or education until the age of 18. So the employer would have to offer training with the opportunity of gaining a qualification.

What are the options at the end of school?

At the end of Year 11 students can choose between

• Full-time study in a school sixth form

• further education college

• sixth form college or 

• an apprenticeship with an employer

At the end of Year 13 students can choose between

• Getting a job

• An apprenticeship

• Higher education at either a university or college

Which pathway is best for my child?

• There is no single answer to this question.

• The best route will depend on the final target career, what motivates your child and their preferred style of learning.

• The key is to research all options and discuss these with your child.

Talking Futures have a website and lots of resources to help parents talk about careers, click on the image below to find out more.

Careers in Hertfordshire: Retrofit

Retrofit is the improvement of existing buildings to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

As demand for retrofit solutions accelerates, the county’s skills capacity is still developing, creating a unique opportunity for local businesses and tradespeople to secure new contracts and expand their services while offering residents a pathway into a high growth, future-focused career.

To support this transition, Hertfordshire Futures is focusing on training and schemes to help businesses and residents upskill or retrain and enter the retrofit market.

The Retrofit Challenge

The majority of Hertfordshire’s housing stock in old, built circa 1945. 3 in 5 Hertfordshire homes possess an average Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of ‘C’ and there are more failing certificates than passing in most districts. The retrofit roles most needed to improve these dwellings relate to the installation of energy efficiency measures, including:

• double or triple glazed windows and doors

• improved wall and loft insulation

• internal energy management systems

• smart heating controls

• modern heating technologies such photovoltaics, heat pumps, geothermal etc.

There is strong demand for both technical roles, e.g. retrofit assessors, installers and heat specialists, and non-technical roles, e.g. project managers, customer service and finance professionals.

For more information please go to www.hopinto.co.uk/ 

Current Opportunities

This month we have opportunities to learn about careers in the NHS, and the army.

Get Into Medicine Conference 

Over recent years, thousands of students have attended our Live Virtual Get Into Medicine Conferences to gain a clearer understanding of the medical school application process.  

For aspiring Doctors: FREE LIVE VIRTUAL Get Into Medicine conference dates:

- Saturday 19th September from 9am - 1:30pm

- Sunday 20th September from 9am - 1:30pm

- Sunday 27th September from 9am - 1.30pm

Students and parents can register for free at this link: https://medicmentor.org/get-into_medicine_conference_signup/

For aspiring Dentists: FREE LIVE VIRTUAL Get Into Dentistry conference dates:

- Saturday 26th September from 9am - 1:30pm

Students and parents can register for free at this link: https://dental-mentor.org/get-into-dentistry-conference-sign-up/

All aspiring doctors in years 10-12 / S3-S5 / NI11-13 are invited to register.

These conferences offer tailored advice for medicine and dentistry, covering a range of crucial topics:

- Tactically choosing universities

- Personal statements

- UCAT

- Medical & Dental school interview skills

- National Leadership Programmes

- Awards Programmes

- Extracurricular activities

- Work experience

- Applying for scholarships

We encourage both students and parents to participate in these invaluable sessions.

Spaces are competitive and limited, so students should register as soon as they can using the link below.

Medicine registration link: https://medicmentor.org/get-into_medicine_conference_signup/

Dentistry registration link: https://dental-mentor.org/get-into-dentistry-conference-sign-up/

Our mentors and current university students look forward to welcoming your students and parents/guardians at the conferences.

Warm regards,

Dr (Prof) Dhakshana Sivayoganathan

Medical Director of Medic Mentor (part of Mentorverse)

Visiting Professor of Medical Leadership and Innovation at University of Greater Manchester Medical School

British Medical Journal (BMJ) Clinical Champion

Mentorverse is a General Medical Council (GMC) Designated Body for Doctors

Associate Member of the NHS Confederation

NHS Providers Insight Partner

Creating Future Healthcare Leaders for the NHS 

Careers in the army - an evening for parents

Dear Parents & Guardians,

If your child is considering a career in the Army, you may have questions about the opportunities available, the application process and what support is available along the way.

Join us on Thursday 01 October, 17:30 - 18:15 for a free webinar created specifically for parents and guardians. Hear from two parents as they share their experiences of supporting their children through their Army career journey, from initial conversations through to joining.

During the session, we'll discuss:

• Safety concerns and the realities of deployments

• How parents can support their child through the application process

• Support and resources available to parents and guardians

• Real experiences and testimonials from parents and carers

• Answers to your questions from our Army Careers team

Our team will be on hand throughout the webinar to answer your questions and help you feel informed and confident about your child's next steps.

Reserve Your Space