How to Create the Best Online Application

Creating a successful online application is the first action step to take to ensure your immediate success: getting called for an interview. By applying the knowledge that I share with you here, you will shortly be on your way to your Assessment Day!

The big airlines such as Emirates, Etihad or Qatar Airways receive about 10.000 applications every month. They will select only 10% of these applicants and offer them a chance to attend an assessment day. 

They will get the best of the best based on how you present that experience as part of your professional life.

Let’s say you work for Funky Pizza where you are a waitress. When you are filling your online application, on the job description you may say:

Waitress – Funky Pizza

• take pizza orders
• bring pizza and drinks to the table
• clear dirty dishes, 
• bring the check and take the money.

Now close your eyes and imagine this person: she sounds bored with her job, doing it mechanically and describing only the physical actions involved. She doesn’t sound like she likes her job.

You may also say:

Waitress – Funky Pizza

• welcome customers to the restaurant and show them to their seats
• present the menu options and make recommendations based on chef’s daily briefing
• deliver the order and check customer satisfaction with the dishes
• ask for feedback and additional orders
• handle the payment using cash, credit card or coupons
• farewell the guests and express desire for business continuation
• tidy up the area and prepare for next customers

Once again, close your eyes and imagine this person. She is smiling, welcoming and knowledgeable. 

Which one would you consider more professional and a happy worker? Exactly! The second one! 

 

Make it easy on the people who read your online application to call you for an assessment and chose the right words when you present your experience.

 

This is how you start creating a successful online application:

Step 1 – Application photos

You are required to submit a passport sized photo and a full length photo. If you can  have these professionally taken in a studio, that is very good. If you can not do that, you may ask a friend or a family member who seems to be comfortable using a camera to take some shots.

A good photo will maximize your chances for a successful online application. Do not miss this opportunity!

Here are some points to keep in mind:

✓ Chose a light background, without furniture, plants or objects of art visible in the picture.

✓ Wear make up. Research some pictures with the airline’s flight attendants and try to copy their make up. Go for neutral colors such as brown and grey eyeshades and subtle application. Less is more, but none is not good enough!

✓ Smile. Do not show a wide 16 teeth display smile, but have a subtle, friendly and approachable smile. While you take the picture, imagine that your colleague is just telling you that you won “the most helpful colleague” title. Look natural and genuinely kind.

✓ Wear a scarf. Nothing says airline crew more than a smartly tied scarf. Chose a strong color such as red, blue or green and opt for a double knot on the left side.

✓ Business attire means: dark colored suit and a blouse, knee length skirt, panty hose and high heels. Your hair should be tight behind in a bun and your baby-hair secured with some hair spray.

✓ Sit straight. Your mother told you so many times and I am telling you once more: Stand tall and proud to show your beauty!

✓ For the full length picture, slightly place your right leg in front of the left, like the models do on the catwalk. Enjoy your photo shoot!

 

DO NOT

✗ Wear fashion statement clothing, such as jeans, T-shirts or boots.

✗ Forget to check the length of your skirt. It will have to be mid-knee or mid-calf. Not longer or shorter.

✗ Apply metallic strong make-up colors such as purple, blue or green. 

✗ Wear your hair loose, especially if its very long. Rule of thumb: if it touches your shoulder, it is too long to be left untied. If you have a bob or a pixie cut, style it smartly. No spikes, gels or overdone fringes.

✗ Wear bulky jewelry such as glass or beads thick necklaces, big earrings or too many bangles.

 

A picture says a thousand words! 

 

Step 2 – Cover letter headline

The headline is a mini application letter. You will have to tell the airline why you decided to go for this job and that particular employer.

For example:

“I have just graduated from college and I would really like to live in a foreign country away from my parents. I am a bubbly personality, everybody tells me so and I am not afraid of hard work. One summer I worked at the ice cream parlor in my city and I served up to 50 customers every day even when it was too hot. I want to work for Example Airline because they fly to London where my cousin lives and I always wanted to visit. Please call me for an interview.”

Even though this is a very honest statement, it will most likely decrease the chances of this person to get called for an assessment. She only expresses what she wants, not giving any reasons to the employer as to why should she deserve to be hired. Hard working is a dull and non-specific statement. And wanting to see your cousin in London is not good enough reason to get hired.

Instead, focus on the skills that you have and might be of use for your employer. Also you have to give a solid example to justify why you chose Example Airline.

You can say:

“Having graduated college in July, I am looking for a work environment where I can apply the theoretical knowledge that I accumulated through school in a practical way. I have worked as a Sales Associate at IceCream LLC where I was in contact  with many customers and I gained experience on how to deal with various customer requirements such as speed of service, making a menu choice and business re-occurrence. I have received great feedback from both my customers and my colleagues. My supervisor said that I was a team player and a friendly and approachable person.

I am also a passionate traveller and I believe that a job as a cabin crew will offer me the opportunity to combine this passion with broadening my experience in the customer service field. 

I am applying to work for Example Airline because it will give me a chance to work among the 100 different nationalities of your staff. I also admire the ambitious and continuous expansion you undertake, as well as your innovative award winning service. 

Hoping you will consider my application, I am looking forward to hear from you.”  

In this example, the person is highlighting her skills that might benefit the employer. Her position in the team, her good relationship with the supervisor. She is honest about her passion to travel, but doesn’t make it as a primary reason why she wants to apply for the position. Researching the airlines and their history will give you an upper hand at expressing why you consider them for employment. Notice her comments about cultural diversity, plans and expansion. With this, she is showing that she is aware of it and wants to be part of the airline.

This is about you, but it is also about your future employer! Talk about them, show them you admire them and want to be part of the team.

 

Step 3 – Experience

When you talk about what your job means, put yourself in your customer shoes. Almost any job, except perhaps automated factory line plastic caps counter, could be expressed beautifully from the customer’s perspective. Avoid stating facts of what your daily job assignments consist of, such as “move tables”, “give menus”, “clean floors” .  Instead use customer words such as “reassigned the restaurant setting whenever necessary”, “distributed menu cards and presented the daily specials”, “follow that restaurant cleanliness was respected at all times”. See the above example from Funky Pizza Waitress and adopt it for your field and experience.

Learn the step by step application process for each airline in ‘How to Become a Flight Attendant for airlines in the Middle East’ Get the book NOW

 

Now that you know the inside secrets, go online to create your account and application and start getting results immediately!

Emirates Online Application

Etihad Online Application

Qatar Airways Online Application

 

 

 

Tags: Online Application