New Year. New You. Time to Review Your Purpose for 2017.

What is your reason for wanting to become cabin crew?  Not the reason that you might tell a recruiter or write in your cover letter.  No, what is the real reason you want to take to the skies?

The truth is, it doesn’t matter what that reason might be.  Your reason is just as valid as anyone else’s.  It might be because you want to travel (and get paid whilst doing it).  Or perhaps you want to completely change your life or escape what seems like the seemingly mundane reality of your current career.

Whatever the reason, it is worth no more or less than anyone else’s reason.  But it is the reason behind why you want to become cabin crew that has given you a purpose – and that is what is important.

As we welcome in a new year we also face the harsh realism that cabin crew recruitment has dramatically slowed (and even stopped in some cases) at some of the biggest airlines in the world.

It is at times such as this when the thought of achieving our dream of becoming cabin crew seems almost impossible.  A distant, ethereal existence that is beyond our capabilities of ever realising.  But this is a fantastic opportunity – whether it has been forced upon us or not.  A time to reassess, reprioritise and take action to make our dreams come true

Dr Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist, spoke to Business Insider and explained a process to finding purpose and direction in your life.  He said:

“Your life has meaning if you give it meaning.  If you define what it is that is important to you…  Purpose comes from you.”

He recommends doing a simple, yet powerful exercise every six months, especially around New Year.  Sit down, take some time and write down your top three values in life – What are the ones that are most important to you.  Once you have identified your values you can craft a short statement of purpose.

Dr Micahelis explained:

“It’s very simple.  100 hundred words or less which just says what is important to me right now and how am I going to use my activities and my time on this earth to live out my values”

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This process is not about finding alternatives to realising your dream of becoming a flight attendant.  After completing this process it is very likely that you will be surer than ever that a career as cabin crew is the one for you.

But what can you focus your efforts on as you wait for the recruitment process to start at airlines such as Emirates, Qantas or British Airways?  How can you prepare your resume and application?

What will make your life better and give you fulfilment?  Is there an activity you have longed to do or a training course you have dreamt of doing that will give you lifelong experience and knowledge?

By taking some time now to reassess your purpose you stand a better chance of gaining experiences and skills that will propel you to the top of the resume stack when the recruitment process finally opens again.

As Dr Michaelis sums up: “When we look at what we value it can be very clear to make your purpose – ‘This is what I am living for now‘ and it helps to direct your activity and direct your life.”

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Mateusz Maszczynski

Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for a well-known European airline. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism.

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