🧳 Fly Emirates Careers: Open Positions & Hiring Tips for Freshers

🧳 Fly Emirates Careers: Open Positions & Hiring Tips for Freshers

My friend Sarah got hired as Emirates cabin crew last year, and honestly, watching her go through the whole process was wild. She’d been working retail in Manchester, barely making ends meet, and now she’s posting Instagram stories from Singapore and Tokyo. But here’s the thing – it wasn’t as glamorous as it looked from the outside.

I decided to dig deeper into what it’s really like to get hired by Emirates after talking to Sarah and a few other people I know who work there. If you’re thinking about applying, this might save you some headaches.

Why People Are Obsessed with Emirates Jobs

Look, I get it. The Instagram posts make it look incredible – fancy uniforms, good destinations, that whole jet-set lifestyle. But talking to people who actually work there, the appeal goes way beyond the travel pics.

Take my neighbor Ahmed, who works in their IT department. He moved from Cairo three years ago and says the biggest thing for him wasn’t the travel perks (though those are nice) – it was the fact that his entire salary stays in his pocket. No income tax in Dubai means he’s saving money for the first time in his life.

Sarah mentions the housing thing constantly. Emirates put her up in a shared apartment in Bur Dubai, and while it’s not luxury, it’s clean, safe, and she doesn’t have to worry about rent. When you’re 24 and trying to build a life somewhere new, that’s huge.

But here’s what really surprised me – the training. Sarah spent six weeks learning everything from wine service to emergency procedures. She said it was intense but actually made her feel confident about doing the job properly.

What Jobs Are Actually Available Right Now

I’ve been checking their careers page pretty regularly (research for this piece, obviously), and some positions keep popping up more than others.

Cabin crew is always hiring. Makes sense – people leave, routes expand, planes need staff. Sarah got in with zero airline experience, just her retail background and what she calls “good people skills.” You need to be 21 though, and they’re picky about appearance standards.

Ground jobs are everywhere. My cousin tried for a check-in position at Dubai Airport. Didn’t get it the first time, but they called him back six months later for another opening. These jobs are less glamorous but more stable hours.

Office jobs are the hidden gem. Ahmed says most people don’t even think about applying for regular corporate roles, but Emirates Group has marketing teams, finance departments, HR – all the normal business stuff. Less competition, decent pay, and you still get some travel benefits.

Call center work is constant. They need people who can handle frustrated passengers in multiple languages. My friend’s sister does this – she speaks English, Arabic, and Urdu, works weird hours, but says the pay is fair.

The Reality Check

Before you get too excited, let me share what Sarah wishes someone had told her before she applied.

First, the competition is amazing. She went to an assessment day in London with about 200 other people. They narrowed it down to maybe 20 for the next round. It’s not personal – they just get thousands of applications.

Second, Dubai is expensive. Yes, they cover housing for cabin crew, but everything else costs money. Sarah says she spends more on groceries than she ever did in the UK. Going out, entertainment, even basic stuff adds up fast.

Third, the work is hard. Those Instagram posts don’t show the 14-hour flights, dealing with difficult passengers, or working Christmas Day because that’s when people fly. Sarah loves her job, but she’s honest about the tough parts.

How to Actually Apply (The Stuff That Matters)

I watched Sarah go through this process, so I know what worked and what didn’t.

Get your paperwork sorted first. This sounds obvious, but she almost missed her assessment because she was running around trying to get documents. Have everything ready before you start applying.

Your CV needs to be different. Sarah’s retail experience became “customer service in high-pressure environments.” Her part-time bar job became “multitasking while maintaining quality standards.” She wasn’t lying – just framing things in a way that made sense for airline work.

The group assessment is weird. They put you in a room with strangers and give you random scenarios to solve together. Sarah’s advice: don’t try to be the leader, but don’t disappear either. They want to see how you work with people.

Be ready for weird questions. They asked Sarah how she’d handle a passenger who was scared of flying. They asked Ahmed about a time he solved a problem creatively. Think about your answers beforehand.

What It’s Actually Like Living in Dubai

Sarah’s been there a year now, so I asked her for the real scoop.

The good: It’s incredibly safe. She walks around alone at night without thinking twice. The weather is amazing from October to April. There are people from everywhere, so you never feel completely foreign.

The challenging: Summer is brutal. We’re talking 50 degrees and humidity that makes you sweat just walking to your car. The social scene can be expensive – a night out costs more than a week’s groceries.

The surprising: It’s not as culturally restrictive as she expected. She wears what she wants, goes where she wants, lives her life pretty normally. But she’s also respectful of local customs, which goes a long way.

The Money Talk

Nobody wants to discuss this directly, but I’ll give you the honest numbers from what people have told me.

Cabin crew starting salary is around 9,000 AED per month (about $2,500 USD), but remember – no tax, free housing, and discounted food. Sarah says it’s roughly equivalent to earning £35,000 in the UK when you factor in what she saves.

Ground staff and call center jobs start lower, maybe 4,000-6,000 AED, but again, no tax makes a difference.

Office jobs vary wildly. Ahmed won’t tell me his exact salary, but he bought a car within six months of moving there, so clearly it’s working out.

Should You Actually Do This?

Here’s my honest take after watching people go through this process:

Apply if you’re genuinely interested in aviation, customer service, or living somewhere different. Don’t apply just because you want to travel – there are cheaper ways to see the world.

Be realistic about the competition. Sarah applied three times before getting hired. Ahmed got lucky on his first try, but that’s rare.

Have a backup plan. Dubai is expensive, and if the job doesn’t work out, you want options.

Sarah says the best part isn’t the travel or the salary – it’s the people she’s met and the confidence she’s gained from handling a challenging job. That’s worth more than any Instagram story.

The Bottom Line

Getting hired by Emirates is possible, but it’s not easy. The people I know who succeeded treated it like a serious career move, not just a way to travel for free.

If you’re thinking about applying, go for it. But do it for the right reasons, prepare properly, and be ready for both the amazing parts and the tough reality of starting over in a new country.

Just don’t expect it to be as glamorous as the brochures make it look. But then again, most jobs aren’t.

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