07 Jun Iolanda, former student, now WizzAir cabin crew

Iolanda is now part of the WizzAir cabin crew family and we are so proud of her, how far she’ve come. One sure thing about our student is her determination in following the dream of becoming a fligh attendant. Never stop trying! Never stop dreaming! Take action towards your dreams!

Who is Iolanda and how would you describe her if you were her best friend?

From this perspective, I am often described as an ambitious person, capable of achieving any goal, no matter how impossible it may seem. In addition to ambition: kindness, the desire to help all the people around me, but also the high resilience, helped me to evolve and reach the point where I am now.

How did you activate the “microbe” of flight in you? How and where did this happen? How did you come to dream of a job in the clouds?

I can say that the “microbe” of flight was activated through the idea that I can combine the useful with the pleasant. The useful, in that I can help passengers by solving different situations and work in a team, together with my colleagues on board. The pleasure for me in this job has always been the chance to travel, to always be up to speed and to have a different way of living.

How did you go from desire to action? What steps did you take to get this job?

I didn’t know exactly when the steps started to be made towards fulfilling this dream. I had to finish my studies in college, go through the Covid-19 pandemic and continue my master’s studies. I remember that I didn’t quite resonate with what I was doing in college during the master’s period, and I felt that something was wrong, especially when I received the eternal question from family and friends: “What do you want to do after you finish college?”. I was still hesitating to answer this question, because my mind was telling me that I had to give up aviation for good and go safe in the teaching field, or choose with my heart and become a flight attendant. The thought of being a flight attendant scared me at that time. I wasn’t giving myself any chances. It’s just that, at some point, thanks to a close college colleague who was a student at the “How to be Cabin Crew” Academy, I found the courage to enroll myself. This was my first step to reach the clouds. I wanted to find out if this job is what I really want. And you, as a team, confirmed  me that this is the environment I resonate with. After finishing the courses, I started applying to several airlines. During this process, I always sought perfection in my way of being as a candidate. Therefore, I was practicing my English quite often with my younger brother, writing notes on everything and reading numerous personal development books. And in the last phase, a very important element that contributed to my success was the experience in customer service.

     How many airline interviews did you attend before you were victorious? How did you stay motivated when things didn’t go your way?

Honestly, I attended many interviews. I always left the hotels where the recruitments were held, disappointed. I didn’t understand what exactly I did wrong. I told myself that I was ready, that I had all the necessary qualities to become a flight attendant, but I was always rejected. The strongest motivation came from me. Even though I received frequent encouragement from family and friends, there were still moments when they asked me if I had a Plan B. For me there was never “NO”. I saw myself victorious and I tried to always be optimistic, even if things were not that pink.

     How did the interview with the Wizz Air airline go? What did you think was the most difficult part of the interview? How did you manage to get through everything and overcome your emotions?

For me, the Wizz Air interview was the most difficult of all the recruitments from the airlines I took part in: Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Ryanair. But this time, everything felt different. If in the previous interviews I was more emotional, now I was more relaxed and confident. I overcame my emotions by working with people as a hotel receptionist. I often encountered dissatisfied customers I and was forced to find the best solutions in a short time. These situations changed me enormously and had an extremely strong imprint throughout the interview at Wizz Air. Another aspect, which helped me a lot when I went to the interview, is that I didn’t tell anyone. My parents only found out after I confirmed the training date in Budapest.

     Why do you think the recruiters chose you? Which quality mattered the most?

I believe that the recruiters chose me because of who I am, but also because I knew exactly how to face all the challenges of the interview, with a smile on my face. I knew how to be myself, but I showed professionalism at the same time.

     Did you prepare with our team through a preparatory course at the How to be Cabin Crew Academy? How did you find it and do you think it helped you duing the interview?

The How to be Cabin Crew Academy represented for me the launching pad towards this beautiful dream, which became reality. Through you I realized that the impossible can be possible and that the biggest failure is actually giving up, not failing an interview. You gave me an extra level of preparation for the interview, which was felt in all the stages, but especially in the teamwork exercise. You helped me finding my personality and act like a flight attendant even before I was recruited.

     What advice would you give to the How to be Cabin Crew readers who want to follow your example and work as flight attendants?

The path of each of us is different. Many times I met candidates who went for interviews and were chosen. These situations demoralized me enormously and I couldn’t figure out why in my case everything is so much harder. My advice to future candidates is to have the mindset that everything happens for a reason. Even if for some of you the path may be more difficult, may you manage to enjoy it. And how you pick yourself up after a missed interview is extremely important. Also, to have around you people through whom you can evolve, to select your sources of inspiration. Even a single person can influence your destiny. At the same time, aviation is a very tough field and that’s why recruiters select the most confident and prepared candidates, ready to face all situations on board. So leave your emotions at home, do whatever it takes to succeed, and the most important tip: if this is really your dream, DON’T GIVE UP!

A message for the How to become Cabin Crew team 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the motivation to keep going and keep going for interviews until I succeed. It was very important for me that you were with me every step of the way. Continue this way with each learner. In addition to the training you gave us during the course, the motivation which is also very important. You were the mentors I really needed!