A flight attendant’s in-flight duties keep them on their feet most of the time. They stand, walk, push and pull equipment, kneel, bend, reach, stoop, and lift heavy objects from the floor to above shoulder-level heights. Flight attendants typically need to work quickly in order to finish all their tasks during the few hours in the air. They often serve meals and pour beverages under rough flying conditions. Passengers can be annoying and demanding at times, and it is the flight attendants responsibility to be patient, remain pleasant, and provide quality service.
Flight attendants need a minimum of a high school diploma or the equivalent to obtain a job with an airline. However, many airlines are now preferring to hire candidates with some college background. Some employees look for applicants with a degree in tourism, business, public relations, communications, hospitality, and social science. If you are hired to work on international flights, you may need to be fluent in a foreign language. You may also attend flight attendant school. In addition to education requirements, 1-2 years of work experience with a background in a service occupation (such as hotels or sales) is typically expected to gain employment as a flight attendant.
