Degree holders as Cabin Crew

[rikimaru]

hi there,

would like to know your views of degree holders joining SIA as cabin crew. my friend got accepted by SIA, however he has not decided if he should take up the offer. basically, he is 28, a grad from local uni, currently having a job with a gross pay of approx 3k+ (take home approx 2-3k). having worked in the hospitality industry before & some friends as cabin crew, he is aware of the downside of the steward job like facing nasty customers, limited career growth, politics among cabin crew...etc.

he would very much like to be a cabin crew as the pay is definitely much higher & it entails the opportunity to travel. if he is a fresh grad, it will be an easy choice. however he has already worked for some yrs; if he were to join SIA & quit 2 yrs later, it would be back to square one for him.

but we do agree with him that over these 2 yrs, he can save a amount of money (a couple of our cabin crew friends saved 50k+ in 2 yrs) to allow him to finance his loans, biz startup, etc. the concern is that he is a guy, 28yrs & a degree holder, many are saying he should continue to climb the corporate ladder. on the other hand, there are so many degree holders out there, how many actually made it to the top? in fact, many are still earning less than cabin crew after working for 5yrs.

at the end of the day, whatever decision made is something he should not regret. to me, one cannot be a cabin crew after 30 but he/she can climb that coporate ladder after 30. so guys, what say you?

[Plavt]

Basically he will have to decide for himself by looking at the pros and cons of the job which you already have to some degree in your post.

I can understand why many are saying he should stay where he is and 'climb the corporate ladder' but the point is; is he happy doing that? Another question to be asked is what may happen to an industry in which one is involved in future years. Air travel is and has been getting cheaper introducing more and more competition. As a result the big players such as Singapore Airlines amongst other have to cut their losses which usually means dispensing with staff benefits and at worst reducing pay and that usually starts with new contracts for new staff. I would suggest being wary of what people tell you they have earned and saved it can often be grossly misleading.

The hospitality industry is likely to remain although what future years may bring is of course debatable as it is in all industries. You may wish to consider another possible crisis looming in the Asian region, that of bird-flu (a recent BBC documentary suggests it is only a matter of time before it mutates to a human form).
No doubt you remember the impact of SARS and the consequences for both the hospitality and airlines industries. However, such a crisis may be slightly offset by the fact that the Singapore government has now had the experience of implementing preventative measures. That said there are the regional factors to take into account.

Either industry is vulnerable to external factors beyond yours or control of the government as most probably your or his own business would be. This is basic 'theme' of simple economics contrary to what many believe and it is this you need to consider with which I must say I don't envy you.

Hope this helps and may you and your partner have some success.

[sundaymorningstaple]

This is a bit of a departure for me as I usually leave Plavt to his own devices in this sub-forum.

I come from a slightly different frame of mind in so much as I gave up a damned lucrative position on my 29th birthday many many moons ago (no comment Plavt! ). I was the district director of the largest tax preperation firm in the world in my country's capital with 14 offices under my jurisdiction.

I wanted to do something that "I" wanted to do. I no longer wanted to be "Just a corporate tie" I wanted to do something that was "ME". I woke up that morning, was looking around my office in downtown Washington DC and thought to myself. "For 29 years old you've done rather well for yourself. Are you happy?" My answer was "I'm damned good at what I do and my rapid advancement is testimony of that." To which I replied "Yeah, but ARE YOU HAPPY?" A very quiet response from me was "no!". I called my wife and told her of my self-reflection on this, my 29th Birthday. She replied, "Find out what you really WANT to do and do it!"

I telexed my resignation to the home office that same afternoon and and went on to give up a good "profession" to take up a "trade". For the next 15 ~ 17 years I never went to work. I got up every morning and did what I used to pay others to let me do....... I went diving! That was in 1977, the rest is history, it's led me all over the world, I've dove almost every popular hot spot in the world and other places where you wouldn't even think you could dive. I've never regretted a minute of it.

What I am trying to say it this.......

You only go around once in this world. When you get to be my age (or Plavt's for that matter... ) you don't want to be sitting in the rocker saying "I wish I had done that, or tried that back when I first thought about it." It's too late, you cannot turn back the clock and you will die with those regrets. I regret almost (notice I said almost) nothing I've done and I've tried everything that I've ever wanted to do.

As another Poster here who goes by 'Grim Reaper' here might put it "Just Do It!"

sms

[corines143]

hihi.. wow what an interesting topic to answer!!

well in my point of view...I for one am joining cos of the passion to serve, the lifestyle which I am after. I know ALOT of ppl out there join SIA just to buy time to think of what they seriously want to do for their future and also save money and just to enjoy for a couple of years, but isnt that seriously wasting your time? They feel being a cabin crew is a temporary thing and it is rather degrading to be serving ppl as a career. It looks exclusive when you call yoiurself a CABIN CREW but when you get in on doing the job, some would even serve with attitude and have favourtism when serving then eventually quit cos they cannot work in a team or they just dont wanna 'serve' anymore. Not everyone has a servant-like nature to be of service to many out there.. which is why the high turnover rate in SIA.

This really is not abt possessing a degree however I feel SIA has put it across that Being qualified is their mark now. If you are a degree holder, they will feel proud to take you in as you come across to them as a matured, qualified and educated individual. a fresh diploma graduate would or might be less professional in that sense. However Dont let qualifications and 'paper' hold you back from doing what u want. Like for myself, I am a graduate as well and ppl feel its a 'waste' for me to fly as I am in the FInancial line, they prefer i work towards a Management post but thats not where my heart is. At the end of the day I want to be contented and Happy. so Your friend should go into a career and focus on it, i know your friend is just merely coming into SIA for saving money sake but isnt that a wrong idea altogether ? what if he can save lots but he isnt happy in the job all along and after the 2 yrs it would be more tough to find a job in a field he would enjoy. Maybe he should concentrate and go straight into that field now. why divert and go to airlines?
There are really other jobs out there who can pay him high as well? Banks in relationship management positions. Its just how capable he is i guess. a degress is of no use if you know you dont have what it takes.

For me yes i feel the cabin crew pay is good cos you are literally giving them more than 8hrs per day, lifestyle is good as you can explore the world, i would be able to experience more ppl and learn customer service, i like challenges dealing with ppl of diff attitudes. this is really something i know i can wake up to every morning without feeling GLUM. so i guess he has to be SURE in this way to want to come in. and another pointer is even if he made up his mind to come to SIA. its going thru the many rounds he has to endure and pass. so good luck!!

So i hope you can advise your friend the best thing to do. there are many well paying jobs out there... and his current pay isnt that bad after all. to me the more you earn, the more you spend. BUT what if he doesnt get to save if he gets into SIA. cos he might squander everything into his different lifestyle already? ever thought of that?

[sundaymorningstaple]

hihi.. wow what an interesting topic to answer!!

well in my point of view... but isnt that seriously wasting your time?

What is wasting your time? Slaving at a 'corporate job' trying to backstab your way to the top only to get retrenched at 45 and cannot get a decent paying job because you are deemed too old or too expensive or both. Then you proceed to lose everything you have worked for all those years. Then what do you have left? Only your memories. Are they good ones? Are they happy ones? Probably not! It will take a while longer before the reality sets in that peer pressure and parents ideals are not going to give you a satisfying life or later memories. When you are young you can always start over. Once in your forties, married with young children and getting retrenched - life can be hell. Another reason for not putting off getting married early as well if you think about it. You could lose everything and not have any good memories either.

"Just do it!"

[corines143]

Taking a word, sentence out of context can really be misleading.
when i said "wasting time" i meant if from a point that you choose a job you like and work off from there enjoying it.
but this person you mentioned only wants to get into the airline for a totally different reason and i dont think he will enjoy the big paycheck if he is not enjoying his job. tats what i meant. all the other reasons you stated like growing old to realise you are in the wrong job and peer pressure that is realistic living and a scenario everyone faces in their life. No one is always contented with whatever job they are doing. there always seems to be somewhat imperfection somewhere down the line so yea "JUST DO IT" which is true but also ensureing you dont waste your time to get in to regret and then come back out to the real world to get a deskbound job once again!

[guruvishwanath]

I say "Just Do It". But it must be for the right reasons! Not on a whim or because you are disgusted with life. Doing something you wanted to do but could not do, is usually why people leave high paying jobs and embark on an adventure. I am fortunate to know a few such people for whom I have utmost admiration. Trust me when I say, I can face highway robbers with sticks and knives, I can bungee jump from anywhere without fear but I lack the courage to quit my job and loose my safety net. One day, I may actually have the courage to do it but today I cant and hence my respect and admiration for people who follow their dreams.

My dream is to open a beach bar in a tropical island with lush greenery behind and a beautifu beach in front. And I will be the mostest and bestest bartender. Some day! One day!

[sundaymorningstaple]

....... I lack the courage to quit my job and loose my safety net. One day, I may actually have the courage to do it but today I cant .........

My dream is to open a beach bar in a tropical island with lush greenery behind and a beautifu beach in front. And I will be the mostest and bestest bartender. Some day! One day!

guru,

That was the biggest hurdle I faced as well. As a corporate tie there was no worries about the unknown. Afterwards? The stepping off into the unknown is the biggest thrill there is. Just like the last 24 years in Asia, never though about it, the opportunity presented itself and I said why not (then proceeded to list reason after reason) then I said the hell with it. I gave up the tie to jump into the unknown, the only difference is the location of the unknown - I'll still be diving. Sooooo here I am, getting ready to finally go back to the farm in a couple of years or less. And not regretting any of it!

Just do it!

Oh, just a little something for the future (hopefully near future). If you are waiting until you feel secure and with sufficient reserves, forget about the bar on the beach because you will never have enough where you will feel secure - it's a cop out. Same as peer pressure or what will my parents think, etc., etc. These are cop outs. Good luck with you dreams. I hope the OP has the guts to go with their desires and "damn the torpedos!"

Just do it!

sms

[ria3n]

its best to put corporate ladder first

as crew may seem rosy as u think

do u want "flexible timing " 24hrs , think again

[toygirl]

Well, at the end of day, it is your decision and not ours to make. Weight each side and then come to your own conclusion.

Some prefer climbing the ladder or pushing a cart - At the end of the day, are you happy. That's the end result you're looking for.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Well, at the end of day, it is your decision and not ours to make. Weight each side and then come to your own conclusion.

Some prefer climbing the ladder or pushing a cart - At the end of the day, are you happy. That's the end result you're looking for.

toygirl,

good summation. As I have said, and you have as well: you only have to answer one question. "Are you Happy?" Course you need the cojones to answer it honestly and then act on it!