Exposed: SIA Interview Criteria

Update!! Chanced upon this article about being an SIA Stewardess, you might want to check it out before deciding whether this is your cup of tea! Click here to read.

Does the thought of travelling for world sound tempting to you? Is the idea of getting paid for that even better? How about adding on some perks like staying at 5-star hotels where-ever you go? It is no wonder that most girls dream of becoming an air stewardess.

For me, more than the pay and perks of staying in luxurious places, being an air stewardess encompasses the value of freedom and love. Freedom to do whatever I like during my free time, stay in the room all day, read a good book, and write some reflections. Love for people, to provide them service, and bring a smile to their faces. I will also get to meet people from all walks of life and be inspired by the stories they have to share.

However, my parents and boyfriend thought otherwise.


They thought that it was a lowly job; one of a high-class waitress. My boyfriend objected because of the promiscuous, materialistic and complicated lifestyle he witnessed in some of his stewardess friends.

I was caught in the middle. On one hand, I really wanted to be an air stewardess, and on the other, I want to maintain good relationships with my loved ones. I know I will regret if I do not give it a shot. Like what they say, 10 years down the road, you will regret things you did not do, not the ones you did. I am relating my experience to you as you may be able to relate to it if you are in a similar position.

THE FIRST SIA INTERVIEW

In June 2012, I took a brave step. I decided to JUST DO IT. I had an argument with my boyfriend the night before as a result. I was not in a good shape. My attire that day was a nice top and jeans. JEANS. I have not worn jeans for years, and suddenly during the interview, I wore jeans?! I wonder what I was thinking at that time!

Anyway, the interview was at Sheraton towers. I met my friend Janna. She was smartly dressed in business attire. And I realized most people were dressed that way. Suddenly, I felt under dressed. 

We arrived at the place at around 9 am. I was shocked to see a long queue already snaking down the stairs. The registration was supposed to start at 8.30am. The registration was quite fast. After submitting our registration forms, we were ushered to a waiting room which was already filled with people. They were all waiting for their turn for the first interview. There was a Singapore Airlines corporate video playing to help us pass time. The wait was around 1 hour. 

Tip #1: During the wait, it gets boring and nerve-wrecking and therefore it is good to mingle and make new friends. It is also a good time to get tips on what to expect for the interview. 

Finally it was time for the first group interview. We were escorted to a separate room with two interviewers. There were 10 of us. We were each told to introduce ourselves and recommend a mobile application, in one minute. I recommended TED talks. It is a useful app. that allows us to gain first-hand access to great thinkers from our mobile phones.

At the end, only 6 out of 10 got through to the next round.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT CHECK

The next round it was for height and weight. They are actually quite stringent in this category and people actually get eliminated here too. If you are close to 158cm, you are at risk! They actually have a red tape mark on the wall which you are expected to reach over in order to pass.

One friend made during the interview actually said she has a similar mark at home and practices jumping everyday. She is 158cm and barely hit the minimum. But I really admire her determination and will. I was really happy for her when she managed to clear this round. She had failed that this round during her previous attempt.

Tip #2: If your height is close to 158cm, practise stretching at home. If may give you the additional stretch!

CHECKING OF EDUCATIONAL CERTIFICATES

For me, I brisked through this section. The next one was on checking of Original Educational Certificates.

Tip #3: Be sure to bring all your educational certificates and have them ready to be checked. 

With over 1000 applicants vying for that few hundred positions, they will have no problem turning some away if they did not bring the necessary documents. Interviewers here are usually grumpy and angry, so beware.

SKIN CHECK ROUND

The next stage of the interview involved skin check. We were told to remove all our jewelleries. Upon entering the room, a bright white light will be shined on your face to determine how perfect your skin is. Sometimes the interviewer will also hold conversations with you. Do remember to reply eloquently and with a SMILE. You never know, it may be part of the test too! They will also check your hands and neck for any scars.

Some people get eliminated at this stage without reason. I witnessed a really pretty and sweet girl get kicked out at this stage. Her skin looks flawless too. I guess, sometimes it really depends on your luck to see whether your examiner is lenient or not. The interviewer I had at this round was really nice though.

FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW
If you manage to get this far, you will reach the first proper interview. My 1 on 1 interview was scheduled after lunch. That wasted a lot of time because that meant more waiting. Besides, you may lose the momentum you have built over the past few stages. We took the MRT and went to ION Orchard for a 2 hours lunch break.

The guy I had for my interview was an ex cabin crew. He really loves his job. After having a family, he retired as a cabin crew and is now managing the cabin crews. He was really fun and nice to talk too. Probably his customer service and friendly side trained from being a cabin crew kicked in.

The first question he asked was when I decided to come for this interview. He asked because I was the only one who wore jeans for an interview. I realized my mistake and tried to explain myself. He seemed convinced and continued asking me questions like why I want to join SIA given my qualifications. Then he continued asking what I know about being an air stewardess. Why I want to join SIA. Usually they will try to scare you, telling you that life as a cabin crew is not as glamorous as it seems. Take note to continue smiling and confidently assure them you are not turned off by that. Usually conversation will flow depending on what you say. 

There will also be a scenario based question. There will be 4-5 slips of paper faced down in front of you and you will have to choose which one you want to answer. I took the shortest one. 

The question I had was about how there was this couple on honeymoon who was supposed to sit together but the ground staff made a mistake and they could no longer sit together. On a full flight, how would I handle the situation. ( Apparently they recycle questions because when I went for the interview the second time, I took the shortest slip as well and it was the same question!)

I think there is no right answer, they just want to see how you reason and think things through. Your problem solving approach. They already have a certain set of crew in mind during interviews.

Tip #4: Just appear enthusiastic and smile a lot! Be really confident and sure that you want the job! This is an important thing I learnt. Just keep emphasizing how badly you want the job.

I learnt this lesson the hard way. I failed this section because of my lack of confidence. I was not confident enough of what I wanted. I allowed my parents and boyfriend's opinions to affect my space and I carried over the doubt and negativity to the interviewer. 

My friend, Janna, got through all the stages and she is now training to be an air stewardess now.

3 months later...

THE SECOND SIA INTERVIEW

I went for the interview again. I was amend-ant about my mistakes. I decided to try again! After all, who gives up the first time they fail?

This time I arrived at 815am. I felt proud of myself to have arrived earlier than expected. To my horror, the queue was even longer than before. I saw Eunice, and she told me that she came at 7 am. When I saw her at 8 plus, her interview was already over!

Tip #5: If you are interested to go for the interviews, do come a lot earlier! Never 15 minutes before or after the registration as this is usually when the crowd comes. 
  My question is time was "introduce yourself and your hobbies."

It was so simple that it stunned me. Besides, whatever I waited to say was said by the person before me. I stuttered through and gave some really crappy answer. I thought I would be kicked out that round.

When the results were out, I was shocked to see some who spoke really well were sent home, while others who were so-so go through. So I believe more than how you present, they are looking at your vibes at this stage.

Tip #6: Try not to sound too assertive, domineering, confident...even showing leadership qualities is bad because they are looking out more for followers. A pretty and outspoken entrepreneur was rejected during the first round. I was shocked but thinking back it now all makes sense.

ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW During the one on one interview, I felt more distant to the interviewer as compared to the previous interviewer. I got the same question because both times, I chose to question the question from the macro perspective. This time, I expressed loads of enthusiasm, fun, love and joy, and energy comes back to you. 

I passed the interview this time.

The next interview was on the next day at the SIA Training Centre in Changi. The nearest MRT station would be Tanah Merah.

The place is very inaccessible. 

MANAGEMENT ROUND

The management round consists of 3 parts.

Directions from the gate: When you arrive at the training centre on Sunday, walk into the carpark, cross the bantry, turn right, and continue walking straight all the way till you see the SIA centre entrance. 

The first thing we were asked to do upon arrival was to declare our medical history. They are very strict on this and every slight medical history may result in you being stripped of your eligibility to become a SIA girl. 

After that I waited for around 1 hour.

The interview was conducted in 8s. There are two interviewers in this round. 

The first is introducing your partner and recommending her to explain to others why she would make a good air stewardess.

After that, there was a debate on whether social media is a "boon or a bane" We were supposed to discuss in threes. It was not too bad because everyone was given a chance to discuss in a group before speaking up.

After that, it was the reading of a passage with some difficult words.

I got through. 4 out of 8 got through. 3 girls and 1 guy. Me and another girl had to show the interviewers how we look like in Kebaya before they can decide whether you are suitable for the job.

For one girl, the judges just passed her without asking her to parade in Kebaya. I was really surprised because she was the girl I thought would be eliminated since she did not perform well. Her English was bad and she was submissive.

KEBAYA FITTING

For the Kebaya fitting, we were given 5 minutes to choose a Kebaya of our own size, dress up and get ready. It was all done in a room. There was a mad rush for Kebaya. I grabbed one and just slipped it on. It was rather tight but fitting.

The quality of the Kebaya was not very good, which was surprising because it looked so nice. The Kebaya was rather easy to don.

We were then ushered to another room where they did another thoroughly check on any scars on the body as well as the way you walked.

I failed the Kebaya stage. Somehow the interviewers did not like my walking style. Or I am probably too skinny. Whatever it is, I was this close because after Kebaya fitting, it would be the signing of contract.

I was less threatened by this stage because I thought nothing could go wrong with parading in Kebaya. I was wrong. It is important not to let your guards down at any stage of the interview because they may just send you home unexpectedly.

Tip #7: One important tip I want you to take note of is the type of individuals they are looking for to take on the role. They want someone servile, submissive, and docile. So, unlike fighting for a corporate office job, fighting to say the most during team discussions will not guarantee you success. You will have to really show the most gentle, helpless, yet intelligent side. This is the kind of people they want.

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I guess, I am not their cup of tea. There must be something greater for me out there. After 2 failed attempts and 2 weekends wasted, I think I have finally given up on the idea of becoming an air stewardess. 

I really applaud individuals who come back time and time again for interviews to get the job. When they really do get it, they really earned it. Because such interviews are very nerve-wrecking experiences. You will feel your adrenaline level fluctuating like crazy depending on which stage of the interview you are at- waiting to enter the room, entering the room, and getting results.

If you are really passionate about becoming an air stewardess and know this is your life path, ALL THE BEST!!! Please do not give up. Try and try again. Because I have heard of air stewardess who went for 16 interviews and finally got in on the 17 one. Sometimes all you need is sheer luck ;)

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I am dozing off as I am writing this entry. Hope you learnt something from this article! Thank you for reading till the end!