How to Pass Your Qantas Cabin Crew Interview + Questions

It’s one thing to go online and apply for the job as a Qantas flight attendant, but it’s a whole different ball game when you attend the interview.

If you didn’t know you had nerves then, you’ll definitely know during the interview process!

Luckily, there is just one day of interviews before you move onto other parts of the hiring process.

The interview day is also known as the recruitment day and includes an introduction, group activities, and one on one interviews.

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Qantas Cabin Crew Interview Process

The Qantas interview process is divided into 4 main parts.

It will take place with a bunch of other candidates, and you will all be divided into two big groups.

The class will be led by a recruiter who was most likely once a flight attendant themselves.

Another member of the recruitment team will be in the classroom observing all of the candidates, and answering questions.

You may find that one or more of the recruiters will be in uniform for the purpose of showing everyone what it looks like and how to wear it correctly.

🕒 If you’re curious to how long the actual Qantas recruitment day takes, it generally starts at around 9 am and ends at 3.30-4 pm. You will get breaks in between, and a chance to eat or get a coffee during this time.

1) Introduction

The first part of the interview process will involve being split into two groups, into different classrooms.

There will be an introduction to Qantas as well as introductions of every individual at the recruitment day.

You will be asked to present your name, if you’ve had previous airline experience, and likely what has attracted you to the job as a flight attendant for Qantas.

The lead recruiter will then discuss the aircraft you’ll be trained on should you be successful in landing the job, and briefly discuss the Qantas company, the type of hours you’ll be working, salary expectations, and the service onboard.

🚨 It’s advisable that you listen carefully, and don’t talk to other people during the time that the recruiter (or anyone else for that matter) is speaking to the group.

You should also avoid looking at your phone or taking phone calls unless it’s an emergency.

➡️ Remember this – even if you think the recruiter isn’t watching, the other one in the room always is, and this is where they make their first impressions of you.

2) Classroom Activities

The second part of the interview process involves group activities with other candidates.

This is usually done by dividing the class in four, and giving everyone paper and a pen to share amongst their group.

The recruiter will ask all of the groups to draw something as part of a puzzle or to do another activity involving the paper and pens.

⚠️ The goal isn’t to get the answer right or to make the best drawing, but rather to show the recruiters how everyone works in a team.

In other words, this is one of the deciding factors as to who will make a good flight attendant for the company.

It’s worth mentioning that the activities are carefully timed, and once the time is up, the group will nominate one person to talk about it in front of the whole classroom.

➡️ In order to succeed, make sure you’re engaged, involved, and attentive.

This is the time when the recruiters can really see how you work in a team, and how you interact with others.

Make sure this impression of you is impressive!

👉 Another tip that is just as important is to SMILE😊.

Part of being a flight attendant is smiling to all of the passengers onboard, so the recruiters want to see this early on to get a sense of how you’ll be when you’re onboard!

3) Presenting Documents

After the group activities are finished, which usually takes about an hour, the lead recruiter will ask you to hand over documents that you’ve been previously asked to bring along with you.

These include IDs, such as driver’s license, passport, and medicare card.

These documents will be signed and dated by the recruiter and given back to you for a later date.

It’s very important that you have these documents ready and stored away the night before your recruitment day. This is because you’ll be nervous on the morning and more prone to forgetting to bring something.

4) One-on-One Interview

The last part of the recruitment day/interview process is the one-on-one interview with a hiring manager. While this may seem daunting, it’s actually very brief and your last chance to show her or him what makes you the perfect fit for a flight attendant for Qantas!

It’s worth reminding you that these hiring managers have interviewed hundreds of potential flight attendants, and know that people ARE nervous.

👉 The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath, believe in yourself (as cliche as that sounds), and think carefully before you speak.

Remember those interview answers you practiced at home the night before?

Now is the time to speak them aloud.

The hiring manager will ask you generic interview questions that could range from, “Why do you want to work for Qantas”, to “What do you think would make you a perfect fit for this job?”

💡 Hint: Have all of the possible questions and answers prepared in your head in advance, and don’t overthink it too much during the actual interview.

If you stuff up, or mumble too much, don’t let that throw you off, just keep going.

I mumbled on too much at my interview out of nerves but didn’t let it get me down. Instead, I smiled, and kept going!

After the recruitment day finishes, you’ll be contacted only if you’re successful, and this usually occurs the following morning or afternoon.

Questions Asked at Qantas Cabin Crew Interview

The questions the hiring manager will ask you at the one on one interview should be predictable and easy to answer.

They could be any of the following:

Customer Service Related Questions

Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult customer and how you handled the situation

👉 How to answer: Think back to your previous job, and how you dealt with someone who was difficult. What did you do? How did you ensure the customer walked away happy and/or satisfied? Make sure you highlight your strengths and customer service skills, e.g.

“I dealt with a customer who complained about how long it took to be served, so I apologised and attended to him straight away, also giving him a free snack with his drink, and checking on him for the rest of the time”.

What does good customer service mean to you?

👉 How to answer:

“Ensuring the customers’ needs are met, ensuring the customer walks away happy and satisfied, doing more for our loyal customers so that they keep coming back”

Talk about a time you went above and beyond for a customer?

👉 How to answer: This question warrants a challenging situation you may have had, or a situation with a tricky customer. You could say something along the lines of:

“A customer came into the clothes store I was working at, and stated they didn’t have any plus size clothing on display. It was already an extremely busy day, and I had a lot of things on my hands. However, the customer was clearly disappointed and I emphasised with her. So I put the other tasks on hold, went to the back, and found a selection of plus-size clothing for the customer. The customer was delighted about not only the fact I found clothes for her, but that I had made an effort to find them”.

It’s important that you emphasise on:

what the customer’s current mood was
what you did to help or improve the situation
what the outcome was.

Skills Related Questions

Tell us about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it

👉 How to answer: This is the opportunity to give them a deeper look into your work abilities (resiliency, teamwork, ability to work under pressure…).

Explain a challenge you had at your past work or even personal life, and what you did in steps to manage it and get a successful outcome.

Some examples of challenges could be learning a new skill, solving problems between colleagues, dealing with difficult customers…

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

👉 How to answer: Talk about strengths that may benefit your position as a flight attendant e.g. your ability to work well under pressure, and your great teamwork skills, and then elaborate on these through talking about past examples.

What attracts you most about working in Customer Service?

👉 How to answer: Talk about how you are a people person (I mean, you wouldn’t want to be a flight attendant if you weren’t!), and give reasons, e.g.

“I love to talk to people and engage with them on a deeper level”

“I love to make people happy, and my current customer service skills enable me to do that”

Common Interview Questions

Why do you want to work for Qantas?

👉 How to answer: Make sure you don’t mention how you love traveling, or anything else rather generic, instead, for example, talk about how you want to expand your customer service skills at Australia’s best airline.

Bonus brownie points if you can throw in a fact or two about Qantas whilst explaining your answer, as this shows you have researched the company before attending the recruitment day.

What do you know about Qantas Airlines?

👉 How to answer: Research the Qantas company in the week leading up to the recruitment day, so that it’s fully memorised. When you talk about what you know about Qantas, talk about things that you’d only know if you fully did your research e.g. how long the company has been around, or who the CEO of the company is.

What makes you the perfect candidate for this role?

👉 How to answer: Talk about your customer service skills, examples of such, and how you go above and beyond for customers. This is what the recruiters want to hear at the end of the day!

Tips to Prepare for the Qantas Cabin Crew Interview

A few of the most important tips to prepare you for the interview:

Make sure to show you’re punctual by arriving 5 minutes early on the day,
Socialise with other candidates from the moment you walk through the door (this shows you’re friendly and sociable).
Have all of your documents ready the night before the recruitment day,
Pack snacks and a bottle of water to stay energised on the day, and in case there isn’t a cafe nearby,
Don’t interrupt other candidates during the group activities as this will show you aren’t respectful of others and will leave a negative impression of you to the recruiters.
Show off your pearly whites throughout the recruitment event, aka SMILE 🙂
Thank the recruiters at the end of the day to leave an impressive and favourable last impression.

How Long Is the Qantas Cabin Crew Recruitment Process?

The Qantas cabin crew recruitment process can be a few months or could take up to a whole year.

It depends on a number of factors such as how long it takes to get your police check, your medicals, your swimming test, and other internal factors such as if Qantas have positions immediately available or whether you have to wait for one.

In this case, you’ll be placed in a holding pool, which could take up to a year.

Patience is a virtue here, and will be worth it once you land the job!

Conclusion

The first impression and the last impression you give at the cabin crew recruitment day are important, but everything in between is just as critical.

Make sure you are prepared fully before you attend, and when you do – arrive early, making sure to smile and socialise with everyone at the event.

The best thing to remember is that you are not in competition with anyone else, but you are there to show the recruiters why you will make an excellent Qantas flight attendant!