In this post, I will tell you how I started in the job itself.
The open/assessment day, what I needed to take, the time from open day to getting positive answer, grooming and other documents.
It was May 2012 (8 years now) that I went to an open day from Ryanair. It was in Lisbon, Portugal and I went from my city (Coimbra) with the train. 200km and 2 hours to reach the hotel where I would stay. The open day was in another hotel, therefore, it took me a bit more time to reach it.
What is then an open day? When airlines recruit, they have different methods. One of them is an open day. In this day, you register yourself online (normally, some airlines do not require it. Is more for controlling how many candidates might appear) and wait for a further email giving you instructions. They can also mix an open day with assessment day. Assessment day is when they will evaluate certain aspects that are required for you to perfom your job and from there, decide if you are a good candidate or not.
With Ryanair, it’s an open day, with an assessment day. It is important to arrive ealier than the time it was proposed. Meaning, if you read to be there at 10am, you show at 09.15am. It is 45 min before, but will allow you to calm down, correct your make up, go to the bathroom, interact with other people (or not, you do not have to talk to everyone. I will explain that further) and any other aspects that is better for you.
What is then the open day and the assessment day? In the open day, the company will give a presentation from the company, will inform about salaries, conditions, growth opportunities and take time to answer any questions that might arise. In an open day, you might also give away your CV and that will determine if you go to the next step or not. The next step can be a separate assessment day, interview, tests. It will depend on the airline, as they will send you information and instructions regarding. In Ryanair, after the company’s introduction, will go through a english test. You will need a certain pass mark to go to the next phase. After the english test, you will have your interview. Some airlines will also do group evaluations, meaning, after determining that your CV is good enough, you will be selected to a group phase. There, you will be given play roles, simulations and you will be evalulated according to your perfomance in the group. How you react, what you say and even if you are just still. So, it is always good to be proactive.
In my interview, several questions were made, that goes from our plans, analysis from our personality, giving time for us to make questions and express ourselves. After so many years, what I’ve learned is that you need to be professional, however, be really yourself. If you are asked your hobbies, do not be afraid to tell them. If you are curious about salary and growth opportunities, please ask. There is no need to go home without answers that do not satisfy you.
How do dress accordingly you would ask? Upon receiving the email with more information, you will also be provided with a dressing code. Airlines expect a high level of grooming and going as you please will show that you are not serious about your job and your intentions are to make the recruiters lose their time. Follow the indications given and use them wisely. There is plenty of tutorials on youtube helping you how to make the best out of your outfit. But know this, in general, you need to use a skirt right above your knee, stocking (probability is skin colour but you might get information on that) black high heels shoes, blouse/shirt and blazer. Hair with ponytail, discreet make up. Make sure your nails are clean, well taken care of, and discreet nail polish. That goes from french manicure to transparent colour. If you are a man, the perfect grooming also applies. If in your email was said to shave, then you have to shave. Not every airline will allow beards. When I started in Ryanair, beards were not possible, now, men can use it as long as it is trimmed and well taken care of. Speaking about grooming can be a very delicate theme; we were taught that everyone and anyone should love us by our personality and not by our looks. Aviation is a different world. You need knowledge and looks. Above all, you need to love it. If doing it for the money is you only motivation, is a wrong motivation.
I received my positive answer in August 2012, with October the month to begin the course. From August to October, there were a lot of formalities to be fulfilled and prepared. I received a pre-pack course that I had to study and learn from it. I needed to find reccomendation letters, make sure my passport was up to date and in case I did not have a passport, make one. It was also necessary to have a criminal reccord and fill and the forms that the company had already sent. Those forms contain your academic path, reference people,(can be people you worked together, you studied. I gave previous work and teachers from the university) your bank details, photography and all relevant information. Be aware that this was back in 2012, Ryanair might be doing it differently today and every airline will do it with different forms, documents and informations. Two things I know it is common is your criminal reccord and medicals. You will be required to present how your health is. That can happen before you join the training course, or during your training course, but that must be done.
With 2 months to prepare myself, I packed, filled and sent my forms and studied. Everything was organized for the day and 22nd of October arrived.
I was traveling to Hahn, Germany to start my initial training course for Ryanair. The next post I will be telling you about the course. What was included, how did I do, how did I study and how everything went.
Stay tunned!
