Becoming a flight attendant can be a great career move for the right person. It is a dynamic, rewarding career, but before you undergo flight attendant training, here are some questions to ask yourself to make sure this is the right profession for you.

Do I fulfill the airlines’ qualifications?

Airlines don’t just make up their physical requirements on a whim—there are valid reasons for each one. For example, if you are shorter than 5’3”, you might not be able to reach high enough to retrieve items from the overhead bins; if you are taller than 6’3”, you might have to bend down while working in the galley. Before you send your cabin crew resume to an airline, check their requirements online to make sure you meet them.

Can I conform to the airline’s appearance code?

Flight Attendants are the face of the corporation and must present a professional look at all times. If you’re a rebel who likes to dye her hair fuchsia, has lots of tattoos that are not easy to conceal, or wears three sets of earrings and a nose ring, this probably isn’t the profession for you. But if you have no philosophical problems wearing your hair neatly cut or tied back, using modest makeup (women), and shaving daily, you might have found your career niche.

Am I physically strong?

Flight Attendants must perform physically taxing tasks. They lift heavy luggage, stay on their feet for hours at a time on overseas flights, and push heavy carts up and down the aisles, just to name a few. If you spend most of your time in front of the computer or TV while eating ice cream, this might not be the right job for you. Fortunately, this is one of the easier problems to solve, start watching your diet and working out daily at the gym or get yourself a set of barbells to use at home, and you can probably get in the required shape in a matter of weeks. Preparing yourself by getting in shape can help you do well during flight attendant training, too.

Can I keep my patience under stress?

If you lose your temper when the person ahead of you in the grocery store checkout line pulls out 25 coupons, you might think twice about becoming a flight attendant. Let’s face it, airline delays are common these days, and mechanical or weather difficulties can keep passengers waiting for anywhere from several minutes to a few hours. A businessman who is going to miss a meeting, a nervous flyer who has had too much to drink, or a mother with a cranky baby doesn’t care that it’s snowing in Denver, he or she just wants to get to the destination quickly and might take out his frustration on the crew. If you can remain cheerful, polite, and calm when you are running late for an appointment and the person ahead of you waits until she gets to the teller to start filling out her deposit slip, you are one step closer to having the perfect personality to be a Flight Attendant.

Can I stay calm in an emergency?

A Flight Attendant’s primary duty is to ensure the safety of everyone on board. It is a huge responsibility and not for those who panic easily. Flight Attendants must assist passengers and other crew members in emergencies ranging from heart attacks to emergency water landings. If you faint at the sight of blood or dropped out of Scouts because you couldn’t pass the first aid test, you might want to think twice about becoming a Flight Attendant. If, however, you are the person everyone turns to for help when the electricity goes out during a storm, then you demonstrate the necessary leadership for this exciting, but often unpredictable, job.

Do I love people?

As a Flight Attendant, you will have to deal with hundreds of people every day. Passengers can sense when a Flight Attendant is grouchy or is having a bad day. It can be difficult to hide your feelings when you are having the occasional difficult time, but if you are constantly in a bad mood and don’t like being around strangers, you should probably choose another profession. However, if you can stand at the door as the passenger's exit and say, “Have a nice day” a hundred times and truly mean it, if you genuinely care about people and their welfare and safety, then you meet the most important characteristic of a professional Flight Attendant.

If you were able to sincerely answer Yes to all of these questions, congratulations! You demonstrate that you have chosen the right career. Look into flight attendant training, do well in your studies, and then, start sending out those resumes to the airlines. It will be a pleasure to fly with you.