A Career as a Flight Attendant: Q&A with Princess Mpofu

A set back led to a setup that has seen Princess Mpofu (PM) take to the skies as a flight attendant for one of the leading international airlines. She speaks to Nompumelelo Damba (ND) about her career so far. Be inspired!

ND: Can you tell us who is Princess Mpofu?

PM: l was born and raised in Bulawayo. I studied and graduated with Honors degree in Journalism and Media studies an NUST. I have experience in TV presenting and Events Coordinating. I am currently working as a flight attendant.

ND: What is a flight attendant is, what do you do as a flight attendant?

PM: Flight attendants are in charge of the cabin in an aircraft, and are responsible for the safety and comfort of the passengers. They spend more time with passengers than any other airline employee, and try to offer the most personalized service possible to each and every passenger for the duration of a flight. Flight attendants can either work in first-class and provide elaborate service to a small number of passengers, or can work in economy class and provide less elaborate service to a large number of passengers. Service includes taking care of a wide variety of needs and requests, and flight attendants only have a certain time that is allocated to them during the flight in which to offer the most personalized service possible to each and every passenger

ND: You said you studied Journalism and Media, how did you then find yourself as a flight attendant? Tell us about that journey.

PM: Becoming a flight attendant was accidental for me honestly. I never planned that l want to study to become a flight attendant. I had lost my job as an events coordinator and l needed a job so my mom’s boss sent me a link to apply for cabin crew and that's how l ended up working as a cabin crew.

ND: Are you going to find yourself in Media someday or this is it ?

PM: I sure hope so because thats what l am truly passionate about. So l hope that eventually find my way back

ND: What are the qualifications needed for one to be a flight attendant and where can they study in Zimbabwe?

PM: To become a flight attendant you only need your high school education. That means you can qualify with your O or A level. You don’t need to have studied to be a flight attendant. in Zimbabwe l am not aware of any flight attendant schools. You need to be 21 years and above.

ND: After applying what requirements that you followed in order for you to be part of the cabin crew

PM: When you apply, you will get an invitation to attend what is called an open day. Where you being your cv and get to meet the recruiters in person. They will take your height measurements. If you are successful, you will get invited to attend assessment day, where you will do group activities to see how well you work with a team, and also write an English test. When you go through this process and you qualify, you will be invited for a final interview. This is a one on one interview with the recruiters which will determine if you will get hired or rejected. When you are hired, you will have to move to the country the airline you applied for is based in. This process can take from 1 - 3 months.

ND: where did you apply, and which countries offer these opportunities for Zimbabweans?

PM: The application is done online, the career website for that airline. I was based in South Africa at the time so l attended my open day there. Qatar Airways, Emirates, Saudi Air, Etihad… these are some of the airlines that you can apply to.

ND: What are some of your career highlights as a flight attendant?

PM: Well the traveling is the best part of my job. And l think the most exciting thing for me when l started flying was that l flew to 24 different countries in 3months. Everyday is an exciting adventure. You get to learn different cultures and understand working in a multi cultural environment.

ND: Wow that is quite an adventure and experience. Can you take us through your day as a flight attendant?

PM: Ohhh that’s exciting. Okay so generally, we work no more than 12 hours per day, but may in some cases (especially in the event of oversea international flights) work 14 hours or more. Attendants also work on holidays and weekends and typically fly for 60 to 120 hours per month. one hour before each flight, we are briefed by captain. Weather conditions, possible turbulence, flight duration, and other factors that may affect the upcoming flight are discussed in detail. We are also briefed on safety details and emergency equipment supplies relevant to the aircraft they will be flying. A list of passengers is verified and attendants are notified if any special needs passengers, small children, or VIPs will be boarding the flight. Once passengers are called to board, we assist with the boarding process. We aid any special needs passengers, children, or VIPs to ensure they receive the proper care while boarding. Tickets and seating positions are verified, and attendants check for both accuracy and possible fraudulent or stolen tickets. We help passengers load carry-on baggage. After all the passengers have boarded and are seated on their responsibility seats. We play the safety video which is approximately 5. min long. After that we secure the cabin, making sure electronic devices and cell phones are turned off, carry-ons are stowed correctly, seats are in an upright position, and tray tables are stowed. The entire procedure, from boarding to takeoff, is known as pre-take-off service.

ND: Sounds like a lot 😅 How do you then balance your career and personal life.

PM: It is really difficult to balance because you are traveling all the time. So its very important to have a very good support system. Friends and family that will understand your nature of work.

ND: What advice would you give anyone who wants to be a flight attendant like you?

PM: Apply as many times as you can, and to different airlines. Always keep watch for airlines that are hiring so that you don’t miss on opportunities. Don’t be discouraged when you don’t get selected the first time. Almost every that l know applied 4 to 5 times before they were selected. So don’t give up.