Hi aspiring SIA cabin crew interviewees, I am a male
candidate who would like to share my recent experience at Singapore Airlines’
cabin crew walk-in recruitment held on 11 March 2017 at the Renaissance Hotel
in Kuala Lumpur. I’ve also previously attended an earlier version held at Hotel
Jen in Penang on 7 January 2017, but was unsuccessful at Round 4.
So this article shall be a combined recount of my
experience at both recruitment events. I hope that the detailed information
provided here will help future candidates be more prepared and also to
understand the complex process of an SIA interview and what to expect.
The entire interview is made up of about 5 rounds over a
period of 2 days. Each round consists of a different panel of judges that would
eliminate and advance people to the next round according to how they perform. Passing
one round does not guarantee that you will pass the next or the one after the
next. Hence it is very common to hear people say that all stars must align in
an SIA interview in order for you to survive “not being eliminated” till the
very end and finally given the employment form to fill up.
SATURDAY,
DAY 1
Arrival,
Document Check and Queuing for Number
As advertised on FlyGosh,
candidates can walk in anytime between 9am – 2pm. However, one would realise
that there are already people who would queue up as early as 7am. Usually those
early birds will be processed first and would be able to go through Round 1 of
the interview before noon when other people are still lining up. So if you are
pressed for time, try to come early.
I on the other hand didn’t want to arrive too early nor
too late, so I came at about 10.30am. As I walked into the lobby, there were
already an insane amount of people queuing up for a number. The recruitment in
Kuala Lumpur was so overwhelming that the line was not a straight one. It winded
and snaked through the entire lobby. There were also rejected candidates who
were hanging around on the side in discussion with their friends. These people
have already gone through Round 1 and were eliminated.
While you’re in queue, there will be floor
representatives from the airline who would walk up to check your application
forms and documents. Make sure that you fill in every single field as
instructed, and put “N.A” for things that are not applicable to you such as the
National Service section for non-Singaporeans. If you are applying with your
SPM qualification, ensure that you have a minimum of 5 credits including a B in
English. A few people were sent home because their English did not meet the
minimum B criterion. Although not explicitly stated in the website but do bring
a few passport size photos along.
Your waiting time at any walk-in recruitment largely depends
on the volume of walk-in(s). For the one in Kuala Lumpur, I stood in the
winding queue at the lobby for a good 2 hours. Started at about 10.30am, but was
only given a number at 12.30pm when my turn came. My number was already well in
the 800(s) by the time I reached the process desk and there were still about
200 people in queue behind me. After getting my number, we were told to go for
lunch and come back at 2pm.
The
Marking Criteria for SIA’s Round 1 Interview
When it was my turn to submit my forms at the desk, I
couldn’t believe my eyes when I accidentally saw the marking sheet the airline
uses to judge candidates for Round 1 on the table. They were clipping it with
my application form. Round 1 is commonly known as the Round of Death as the
majority of people often don’t survive at this stage. I have met many frustrating
candidates who have tried many times for this interview, only to keep getting
eliminated at Round 1 without knowing the reason why or how they were being
judged. How can we succeed or win a war if we don’t know what the goal is? So
here it is.
1. Accent
/ Cohesion
2. Complexion
/ Blemish
3. Pleasant
Looks
4. Body
Proportion / Frame
5. Posture
Accent or cohesion refers to the way one speaks. So when
you speak, make sure your sentences are clear, pleasant and have a consistent
flow. Foreign sounding accents such as American or British, or accents that are
too localised to the point of sounding too Malay or Chinese or ethnic should be
avoided. Keep them neutral.
Complexion or blemish probably refers to your facial
skin. Make sure to show up with good skin without any acne or conspicuous flaws.
For pleasant looks, I have a feeling they are searching for warmth,
approachability and also if you look the part of a cabin crew.
Body proportion or frame is something we have no control
over as it falls under genetics. However, we can do something about our
posture. So make sure to always walk tall with your head up high and straighten
your back. A person’s posture or way of standing can change the energy in which
they bring into the room.
I have a feeling a candidate has to score in every one
of the above judging category in order to survive elimination and advance to
the next round. The discovery of the marking sheet also made me realised that
what you say, or the answer you give to the interviewer for Round 1 does not
hold as much weight as the criteria above.
Round
1: Introduction & Random Question
After lunch at about 2pm, my new friends and I were back
in the hotel and the waiting continued. I queued up this morning at about
10.30am, but was only called into the interview room for Round 1 at about
4.30pm. So in total, I have waited for about 4.5 hours if you exclude lunch.
In preparation for Round 1, you will be assigned into
groups of 10 according to your numbers. So for example, candidate numbers 700 –
709 will be in one group, 710 – 719 will be in another, so on and so forth. The
suspense of the wait can be nerve wrecking as you see other groups go before
you. My group and I joked that it is starting to feel like an animal slaughter
house where we as a herd are just waiting to meet our demise.
Once your group is called, you enter a room with 2
judges and 10 vacant chairs, of which you will sit according to the number
sequence. Remembering the marking sheet for Round 1, I made sure I walked tall
with good posture and my back straightened. I have a very strong feeling that
the moment you enter the room, the judges are already observing you and
watching your every move.
You are then tasked by the judges to stand up introduce
yourself and to answer the random question that will asked. The question that
my group got was: “Name one bad thing you’ve heard about Singapore Airlines”.
The entire room froze and everybody’s jaw dropped. The
question was tough and an unexpected one. How do you tell a prospective
employer straight to their face how bad their airline is? The first guy had it
the hardest as he stood up and struggled to speak. Everybody was thrown off
guard with that question, but for us who sat in the middle still had time to
think.
One girl went into complete babbling mode about how she
didn’t hear anything bad about Singapore Airlines, but proceeded to trash
Malaysia Airlines for a good few minutes which was out of topic. That was
painful for everybody to watch.
I answered by saying Singapore Airlines is a very
popular premium airline with travellers and economy class flights on certain
routes can be sold out or unavailable when we want to book and fly with them.
So it is simply a case of inability to keep up with demand. Other candidates
commented on the airfare being very expensive which is very logical, and
another girl mentioned that SIA does not arrange or provide its stewardesses
with housing in Singapore if they are selected.
There really is no correct answer to the questions asked
for Round 1. So just answer them as naturally as you can while keeping all the
marking criteria mentioned above in mind. Other questions I’ve surveyed for
Round 1 from other groups included:
§ “What
was a recent favourite movie you have watched, and what is the lesson you took
away from it that made it your choice?” (my topic for Penang
Interview)
§ What
is your favourite number and why?
§ What
is your favourite colour and why?
§ If
you were given a free ticket, where in the world will you go and why?
§ Tell
us about a favourite drink of yours.
§ Do
you prefer black or white?
My
Tips for Round 1
