How to craft an impressive flight attendant resume
Flight attendants play a vital role on an airline team, helping ensure guests have an excellent experience and that flights go as smoothly and according to plan as possible. Earning a job as a flight attendant requires you to write a resume that showcases your top experience and qualifications for the position.
In this guide, we teach you everything you need to know about writing a resume as a flight attendant. Keep reading to learn all about:
- How to properly format your flight attendant resume
- What to say in your flight attendant resume summary
- Which key flight attendant skills to include on your resume
- How to describe your experience in the role of a flight attendant
- What to include when listing your education as a flight attendant
1. How to properly format your flight attendant resume
When writing a flight attendant resume, the first key decision you need to make is what format to use.
There are three main resume formats to choose from:
- Reverse-Chronological: RC resumes are considered the standard format by most employers and place the main focus of the document on your work experience.
- Functional: Functional resumes shift the focus of the document from work experience to education, skills, and unpaid experiences. These resumes are well-suited for applicants who have sufficient education, training, and other qualifications but lack work experience.
- Hybrid: A hybrid resume mixes the two above formats to create a document that focuses on all sections more evenly. This can be a good choice for job applicants who are returning from a break in their careers or those who are changing career paths.
No matter which format your select, it is crucial to start your flight attendant resume with a well-formatted header that is visually pleasing to the eye.
Here is an example of a well-formated resume header
John Doe, Flight Attendant
(123) 456-7890 | johndoe@email.com | linked.com/in/john-doe
2. How to craft an appealing flight attendant resume summary
A resume summary is a short statement that lets the employer know who you are, the basics of your qualifications, and why you are applying for this position.
When writing a resume summary, consider what you can say that will be compelling to an employer. For instance, if you have any key specializations or certifications, this can be a good place to initially mention them, helping you create a stronger first impression on the employer.
Let’s take a look at an example of a well-written resume summary
Reliable and socially adept flight attendant with a passion for travel and more than 10 years of experience serving first-class guests. Seeking a position with a top-class airline looking for enthusiastic flight attendants with extensive industry knowledge.
Why is this effective?
This summary is effective because it uses compelling language, specific details, and information tailored to the employer’s needs. At the same time, it is concise, comprised of just two sentences and three lines of text.
3. Which key flight attendant skills to include on your resume
On any good flight attendant resume, an employer should find a list of your relevant skills.
When deciding which skills to include, make sure you differentiate your hard (technical) skills from your soft (interpersonal) skills. Technical skills are better displayed in a list format, while soft skills are more well-suited for use as descriptors in your work experience section.
Here are 5 examples of technical skills for a flight attendant
- Flight boarding procedures
- Sanitary airline practices
- Post-flight cleanup
- Conducting safety checks
- Filing incident reports
Here are 5 examples of interpersonal skills for a flight attendant
- Clear verbal communication
- Guest conflict management
- Collaboration with other flight attendants
- Leadership (always include your exact leadership style)
- Efficiency
4. How to effectively describe your flight attendant experience
Once you are ready to begin filling in the work experience section of your flight attendant resume, you will want to start with your most recent job first.
The only scenario when you would want to put an older job before a newer one on your resume is if the older job is much more relevant to the job you are currently applying for. Otherwise, you should list your most recent job first and work backward from there.
Remember to include highly relevant and detail-rich descriptions for each work experience entry!
Here is an example of a work experience entry from a flight attendant resume
Flight Attendant | American Airlines
Atlanta, GA | January 2018 to June 2022
- Completed more than 4,000 hours of international and domestic flights, providing service to 300+ guests per flight.
- Assisted guests with boarding and carry-on luggage storage, helping my team to achieve a 20% increase in boarding efficiency.
- Ensured passengers followed all safety protocols and were educated on the proper steps for evacuation if an emergency landing were to occur.
5. How to write a great education resume section as a flight attendant
The final step for writing your flight attendant resume is to properly list your educational credentials.
An education section is typically placed toward the bottom of a resume unless you are using a functional format. If you are using a functional resume format, your education may be listed higher up on the document and include descriptions of relevant student experiences, such as internships or assistantships.
Here is an example of a well-crafted education section on a flight attendant resume
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) | Appalachian State University
- Major: Hospitality & Tourism
- Graduated: 2016