Low-cost airlines are increasingly looking within to fill vacancies. EasyJet’s Helen Buckingham made the leap from cabin crew to marketing co-ordinator
How did you get into the aviation industry?
I joined EasyJet as cabin crew in July 1998 and immediately fell in love with the industry. There was such a great team atmosphere and an exciting buzz of activity in the airport. Before EasyJet I enjoyed numerous customer-facing and administrative roles, but I had “itchy feet” and wanted to experience something totally new.
It was my childhood dream to be an “air hostess” – I was impressed by the way cabin crew calmed nervous passengers, occupied young children and dealt with difficult passengers – always with a smile. They perform several roles all in one, which I felt suited my personality.
How easy was the switch from crew to an office role?
I gained promotion to senior cabin crew after just 18 months and the responsibility really boosted my confidence, so by 2001 I was ready to move on in my career.
I found EasyJet offered much more help than I expected. With the continuous expansion of the company came numerous opportunities to progress into different roles within head office.
I am currently working in flightcrew recruitment and have recently been promoted to a lead co-ordinator role focusing on marketing and communications.
Moving was by no means straightforward and I was certainly put though my paces during interviews, tests and group exercises.
How do the roles compare?
As cabin crew I constantly had to use my own initiative, solve problems and work quickly under pressure – those skills have now been transferred to the fast-paced office environment.
I initially found the change quite difficult, as I didn’t really appreciate how much time off I had as crew, with standbys and the mixture of late and early starts. Even though I was no longer getting up at 4am I felt like I was on an early every day.
It didn’t take long to get into the swing of it and, with a mixture of old and new skills, I was soon running assessment days and dealing with all sorts of paperwork and enquiries. My job now is great as I still get to meet new people and travel a bit too!
What advice would you give someone looking to follow a similar career path?
For anyone interested in making the same move, my advice would be to keep your options, eyes and ears open. Show your interest. If there is a particular department that interests you then perhaps pay them a visit, make enquires and ask if you can shadow them for a day.
Within EasyJet there are ex-cabin crew in a variety of different positions including; training, crewing/rostering, safety & security. If positions are advertised, don’t be afraid to go for them, as you never know where it could lead.
For Cabin Crew jobs please see our airline jobs section or visit our partner totaljobs.com
Source: Flight International
