It’s never too late to get that dream job. We meet Carol who at 64-years-old decided it was time for a career change – and is becoming a flight attendant!

It’s never too late for a career change! Just ask Carol Weaver, who is becoming a flight attendant at 64.

Whether you’re fresh out of high school, have been out of the workforce for a while, or are looking to make a career change, it’s never a bad time to study at ITC or with Study From Home.

Just ask Carol Weaver, the 64-year-old who had thought about becoming a flight attendant often throughout her life. She has been working as a science teacher and career advisor for Orewa College, which is how she came into contact with ITC in the first place.

Here’s Carol’s incredible story in her own words.

From teacher to trainee flight attendant

“At the “young” age of 64 I decided to have a complete career change. I have at various stages of my life thought about being a flight attendant, but life and children always seemed to get in the way. I am currently a teacher.

I attended an ITC careers advisors’ update date where Qantas came in and did a presentation on becoming a flight attendant. I almost jokingly put my hand up and asked if there was a height or age limit. With no age barrier I started to think about the positives, something for myself to fulfil a long held dream, a fun lifestyle and complete fresh new career.

I talked to cabin crew that I knew through friends, looked at the websites for Qantas and Air New Zealand and asked a lot of questions. I then began the application process and each stage I got through made me more determined to do this. It was a little scary as I haven’t applied for a job in many years, even the CVs are so different to what I was used to but I just took it in small steps and learnt as I went along.

The end of the journey is near as I have just been taken on as a flight attendant trainee. I will have an intense training to work through but I have “googled” study tips and how to improve your memory so I feel ready to take this on.

You are never too old!”

What is Air New Zealand looking for in its flight attendants?

As the travel industry recovers from the pandemic, Air New Zealand and other airlines around the world have been working hard to employ new staff. We have loved seeing many of our graduates, such as Mar Chit, get jobs in in the aviation industry, and we know many of our current and future students dream of working for airlines as well.

So what are they looking for in their employees?

We know that Air New Zealand is looking for customer-focused representatives who can connect with others easily. They must also be resilient, reliable, passionate, unique, and fun!

The airline is always looking for people who will help them share Aotearoa with the world, who have a can-do attitude, and who will be themselves while upholding Air NZ’s values.

If you’re looking for a career change, ITC and Study From Home can help make it happen. Our qualifications and dedicated Employment Consultant could be just what you need to make a move into your dream career.

Contact us today to learn more about studying with us, no matter where you are in life right now.

Study From Home – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.studyfromhome.co.nz/contact-us/

ITC hosts an Air New Zealand open day

Our Air New Zealand Open Day was a huge success.

On Thursday last week, ITC hosted an Air New Zealand open day to connect our national carrier with our current students and graduates.

We wanted to create an opportunity for our students and graduates to learn about the flight attending roles currently available at Air New Zealand, and enjoy the chance to speak to recruiters from the company.

As expected, the day was a huge hit!

What happened during the Air New Zealand open day?

The event kicked off with a 30-minute presentation from the Air New Zealand team.

This gave our students plenty of valuable information about flight attending, what it was like to work in those roles, career opportunities in the future, and more. At the end, students and graduates had the chance to ask any questions they had.

“This is the first time Air NZ have visited a Travel and Tourism college to recruit and share tips for those who are still studying but have cabin crew on their radar. The ITC students and graduates loved their humour and honesty and everyone who interviewed came out of their interviews smiling and spoke about the experience being a positive one,” explained Employment Consultant Sarndra Stephens.

Following the event, students who were eligible for an interview had the opportunity to meet with a cabin crew manager or a recruiter for a quick 1:1 interview. This interview was short but formal, and was specifically for those looking to work as a flight attendant.

Eligible students had to tick a number of boxes to interview, including being a graduate or almost-graduate of ITC or Study From Home, they had to have a valid passport, be at least 18 years old, have prior customer service experience, and have their CV ready to share.

“After a fair amount of negative press about working in travel and Tourism, it was wonderful for an industry partner such as Air NZ to congratulate the students for studying travel and tourism, explain how the qualifications they are studying are so helpful, and let them know they have fabulous jobs to go to when they graduate. As the Employment Consultant I absolutely love working with our ITC students and graduates and helping them realise their dream job or getting them onto the right path for that dream job,” added Sarndra.

What happens next?

Students who were successful in their 1:1 interviews will go on to the next round, in which they will take an online assessment and send through two references. Should they pass this stage, they will go on to do various checks including medical clearance, police clearance, and a swim test.

Successful students will then be contacted for the next available training intake, and we hope to see some of our students and graduates entering that intake in the coming months!

Students who were not taken to the second stage will also benefit from the experience, as they will receive useful feedback on how they might improve their interview skills or CVs for the next opportunity.

Study with us for real-world career opportunities

ITC’s Marketing Manager Mel said this about the day: “Everyone was absolutely buzzing and super excited after the amazing presentation from the Air New Zealand team. With a few ex Air NZ staff in the crowd (ITC Tutors & Staff) we were all so proud to host this event to help promote the wonderful roles available.”

When you study with ITC or Study From Home, you don’t just gain a valuable qualification. We also work hard to provide our current students and graduates with genuine job opportunities. We set up open days like this one, as well as work experience opportunities, and our Employment Consultant Sarndra works to help connect students with available positions in the industry.

If you’d like to study with the college that supports you not just through study but into a career as well, don’t hesitate to get in touch and learn more about our next available start dates!

Study From Home – college@itc.co.nz 0800 TOURISM (0800 868747) or https://www.studyfromhome.co.nz/contact-us/

Want to be a flight attendant?

Thinking of becoming a flight attendant? ITC and Study From Home courses could help make your dream come true!

Being a flight attendant means travelling all the time, meeting new people, exploring new places, and being part of people’s incredible journeys and holidays. It’s no wonder so many people dream of becoming flight attendants here in New Zealand and around the world!

Many students who study with ITC and Study From Home go on to become cabin crew, so here’s a little more about how we prepare our students for these roles.

How studying with ITC can put you on the path to becoming a flight attendant

Earning a qualification in travel and tourism, such as our New Zealand Certificate in Travel and Tourism with a strand in Aviation or our New Zealand Certificate in Tourism with a strand in Tourism & Travel will show your dedication to the industry, and gives you a solid foundation of knowledge in a range of topics you’ll need to know as a flight attendant.

This includes customer service, check-in procedures, international travel documentation, and much more.

Even though airlines don’t typically require qualifications in order to apply, it can give you a major edge over other applicants who have not studied travel and tourism.

Another major factor working in our graduates’ favours is the fact that we help our students to gain part time employment while they study with us. That means many of our students work in travel and tourism roles over the weekend (don’t forget, ITC is only four days per week, which allows our students time to hold down a part time job!).

Experience in a part time role that includes customer service is a huge benefit for anyone applying to become a flight attendant, as this experience is one of the biggest things any airline is looking for when employing new cabin crew.

Finally, studying with us means our Employment Consultant will work with you directly to help improve your CV, teach you tips and tricks for the interview process, and connect you with great potential roles in the industry. We are the only tertiary provider with a dedicated Employment Consultant for our students and graduates.

A shining referral from a major CEO

We offer our students the qualifications, experience, and support needed to work towards their dream careers, and we recently heard first-hand how effective that support really is.

In July, one of our newest students said the entire reason he signed up for the ITC course was because he met the CEO of a well-known airline who told him that ITC was the place to study to become a flight attendant.

It’s hard to find a better referral than that!

Of course, we work closely with many contacts in the industry, and they consistently recommend us to anyone looking to improve their career prospects in travel and tourism.

Try ITC through your high school

We have a fabulous opportunity for any year 12 or 13 student who would like to explore the wonderful world of a Cabin Crew member. This fun and engaging two-day short course is held in our Airport Training Centre and Aircraft Cabin on-site at our Central Auckland or South Auckland (Botany) Campus, and uses real on-board equipment.

This course offers 3 credits at level 3, and will help students walk away knowing what they need to work on to be eligible to apply to be a Flight Attendant. To find out more visit your careers department in school or email schools@itc.co.nz.

Or, you can opt for a level 3 course for a full qualification you can earn in just 20 weeks.

Find our more by booking an Info Session, call toll free 0800 868747, or email college@itc.co.nz.