"It became clear: teaching is probably too stressful for me." A teacher from Belarus decided to change her life and became a flight attendant

"And then I thought: why not go to Dubai?"

Viktoria started maintaining her Threads account recently. Here, she talks about herself and her job as a flight attendant. She writes exclusively in Belarusian on her page.

— I really want to add more Belarusian language to everyday life and make it heard more often, — the girl admits in her first post and promises her subscribers to talk about her life in Dubai, her work, and her trips.

Unlike this social network, her Instagram account has more posts about the pre-Dubai period of her life. Here, it is indicated that the girl is from Baranavichy and graduated from the Belarusian State University of Foreign Languages in 2025. On Threads, she admits that she studied to be a linguist and an English language teacher. In parallel, she also learned Spanish, but, she jokes, she practically doesn't know it, so she hardly ever talks about this skill.

— During my internship, I worked at a school for half a year and quite quickly realized: teaching is, apparently, too stressful for me. Then I decided it was worth trying something completely different. And then I thought, why not go to Dubai, — the account author writes and explains her decision. — This is both international experience and an excellent opportunity to improve my English. At that moment, it seemed to me one of the simplest options.

The girl studied on a fee-paying basis, she didn't have to work off any debt, so she didn't have to wait two years for the idea to become a reality. Another plus was that Belarusians do not need a visa for the UAE. In addition, the author continues in her post, there are many Russian-speaking tourists in Dubai, so employees who know Russian are quite often needed here. Probably taking all these factors into account, Viktoria found a company in Belarus that helps with employment in the UAE. They offered her several options — and in September 2025, the girl moved to another country.

— In Dubai, there are a huge number of people from all over the world, so the main language of communication here is English. Even locals very often speak it, — the Belarusian girl shares her observations on Threads. — Arabic, of course, can also be heard, but in daily life, I encountered it much less often than I expected.

"The most interesting thing is that the invitation for the interview came the very next day"

Павялічыць

In her account, Viktoria says that one of the vacancies offered to her by the Belarusian company was in a hotel. She chose it. A contract was signed with her for two years, but "effectively" she worked there for six months.

— Around the time this period came to an end, a tense situation began in the region, related to drone attacks, — the author writes about the events of the military conflict in the Persian Gulf area, which also affected the UAE. — For business, this meant additional costs and difficulties, so the company could no longer retain so many employees.

Even before quitting the hotel, the Belarusian received an invitation to join the Emirates team. The day she sent them her resume, she calls "especially difficult" at work in her blog. Returning home from her shift, she told herself: "I'll just sit down right now and apply." She opened the website, filled out everything necessary, and sent it.

— Funny, but becoming a flight attendant was never my dream, — the girl jokes on Threads. — But I think it's one of the most popular professions in Dubai. When you come here, you constantly hear about Emirates. The airline has a very recognizable uniform, a good image, and employees are provided with accommodation. And at some point, I just thought, why not give it a try.

Viktoria writes that to apply, at least a year of experience in the service industry is required. It doesn't matter if it's in aviation. Plus, you can add a Cover letter, or, more simply, a motivational letter. In it, you should state why you want to work specifically for Emirates.

— It wasn't mandatory, but I decided to write one, — the girl says in her post and admits that she started praising the company in the essay. — I wrote that when I see Emirates flight attendants, I feel proud of them. That I would like to become part of this team and represent the company and Dubai.

The Belarusian specifies: it's important for employers to see that the candidate is interested in the vacancy, ready to work with people, and develop within the company. And not to think: the person just dreams of "traveling the world for free."

— And the most interesting thing is, the invitation for the interview came the very next day. Later I found out that on the same day, 59 more candidates were invited for the interview , — she admits on Threads. — Currently, the company employs about 24,000 flight attendants (as of October 2025, about 25,000. — Ed. Note) from approximately 140 countries worldwide. But there's one important point: Emirates is based specifically in Dubai, so if you plan to be a flight attendant here, you need to be ready to move to Dubai.

"They were a little surprised, but they really called back!"

Viktoria wrote a long post in her blog about Assessment Day, or the day of selecting candidates for the flight attendant position. According to the girl, when Emirates called her, they offered two dates for the interview. One of them coincided with her day off. The Belarusian decided that "this was a very good sign" and asked to be scheduled for that day.

— Before the interview, I watched on TikTok how other girls went through the casting, read their advice and possible questions, — the blog author says on Threads. — Many said that candidates start to be observed even before the interview itself, even while you are just sitting in the corridor and waiting. They watch how you talk to each other, get acquainted, interact. This is important because on every flight you have a new team and every time you have to work with people you've never seen before .

Along with the girl, 59 other people were applying for the flight attendant position that day. All of them were given numbers that had to be attached to their clothes. From that moment, she jokes, she ceased to be Viktoria and turned into "just number 53."

The "test" consisted of four stages. Everything happened on one day. It stretched from approximately nine in the morning until four or five in the afternoon with short breaks.

— In the first stage, we went out onto a small stage in groups of ten people. You had to introduce yourself, say how old you are, where you're from, briefly talk about your work experience, and answer one question, — the girl lists in detail in her post. — On my day, they asked us to name one thing you would take with you on every trip. We were warned beforehand not to answer "phone" or "lipstick" — too banal, so I said I would take a postcard that my friends signed for me before I left Belarus.

The blog author believes that the commission liked her answer. Apparently, this lifted her mood a little and gave her more strength for the next "tests" — a team challenge, an English test, and an individual interview. Interestingly, after each stage, candidates went out into the corridor, then they were called back into the auditorium and the numbers of those who passed to the next stage were displayed on the screen. After the first round, approximately half of the applicants were eliminated.

— During the team challenge, we were divided into groups of about seven people and given a task that needed to be solved together. Here, it was important to work as a team, — the girl describes the situation in her blog. — I noticed that people who tried too hard to take on the role of leader and control the entire discussion often did not pass further. For them (referring to the commission. — Ed. Note), it seems much more important to see a person who knows how to listen to others, offer ideas, and work together with everyone.

The English test was "somewhat similar" to the Centralized Testing (standardized tests in Belarus), only it was done on a phone. And during the individual interview, people were asked questions to check how truthful everything written in their resume was. As a result, only four out of 60 people reached the final. The Belarusian girl was among them.

By the way, as Viktoria says on her page, appearance was also taken into account during selection. The candidate's skin, for example, must be healthy, without severe rashes. Hair must be one color; ombré is not allowed. If it's a short haircut, it should not touch the collar, and bangs cannot cover the eyebrows. Tattoos are not allowed in visible places. In the comments under one of the posts, someone asked what height a flight attendant needs to be. The Belarusian girl answered that the minimum is 160 centimeters, and hers is 174. This is needed so that the employee can close the overhead bins.

— After this (all the tests. — Ed. Note), we had to wait for the so-called Golden call. It could come the next day, a month later, or even several months later. It is during this call that they inform you that you have passed the selection, — Viktoria writes on Threads. — We didn't know if all four would be taken or only some, so just in case, we created a WhatsApp chat and decided to stay in touch. Rejection, by the way, comes by email.

Viktoria didn't write about how intensively she checked her email during those days. But she waited for the needed call. It happened two weeks later. The girl was at work in the hotel at that moment. She didn't immediately understand who was calling, thought it was a delivery, and asked them to call back. Especially since it was noisy around.

— They were a little surprised, but they really called back! — the Belarusian girl continues in her post. — I started to realize it was Emirates when I looked at the number; it was beautiful and didn't look like an ordinary one at all. By the way, it was not possible to call back independently.

"I can assure you that everything in aviation is indeed very well thought out and safe!"

Павялічыць

In her blog, the Belarusian girl writes that before starting to fly, every flight attendant at Emirates, even if she already has relevant experience, must study at the airline's aviation college. The training lasts about seven weeks and consists of several parts. The first is SEP, which stands for Safety and Emergency Procedures.

— We learn what to do during strong turbulence, decompression, and other emergency situations. After this course, I can assure you that everything in aviation is indeed very well thought out and safe! — the girl notes on Threads. — The college has special simulators. When you are inside, it all feels almost like a real airplane. They explain to us how to act in such situations, how to conduct an evacuation, and how to assist passengers. And we take exams on all of this.

Future flight attendants were taught emergency water landing and medicine. They explained how to perform chest compressions and even how to deliver babies. But, it seems, what impressed the Belarusian most was a short course on how to deal with aggressive passengers on board.

— There are no police in the sky, so such an episode is part of our basic training, — she explains on Threads. — And physical strength is not the main thing here. We were taught how to trick a person, calm them down, and not get hurt ourselves .

The girl writes that her first working flight was at the end of July. She flew to Pakistan. Judging by her posts, she was delighted with both the team and the passengers.

— Oh, how worried I was! But, as it turned out, completely for nothing. Everyone knew it was my first flight, so they helped, answered all questions, and even took photos! — the Belarusian girl does not hide her emotions in her blog. — I felt like a younger sister. They constantly asked how I was feeling and if I had any questions .

The new job brought not only new impressions but also bonuses. Among them, as the author of the posts indicates, is free accommodation in Dubai.

— Usually, two or three people live in an apartment, but everyone has their own separate room and bathroom. The company also pays for the flight to Dubai when moving for work and organizes airport transfer, — the girl lists on Threads. — There are discounts on airline tickets, not only for you but also for your loved ones, on hotels, cafes, and restaurants, and you can even visit some gyms and swimming pools for free.

Among the other bonuses Viktoria mentions are medical insurance and an in-house clinic for employees. By the way, the Belarusian girl writes, people start receiving all these benefits even during training.

— The training itself is also paid for by the company, but later its cost is deducted from the salary, — the Belarusian girl notes in her post. — And after that, the most interesting part begins — the opportunity to travel a lot and work in an international team with people from all over the world. Plus, there's an opportunity for career growth within the company.

"This is how quickly the sky becomes an ordinary part of life"

Павялічыць

Viktoria writes that on average, flight attendants have about 90 flying hours per month. The Belarusian's shortest flight lasted approximately four hours and was to India. And the longest — 14 hours, and they flew to Australia.

— On every flight there's a new crew, so here you meet someone new every working day. Everyone has different experiences, different characters, different countries, but everyone is interested in the flight going well , — the girl says on her page.

In her blog, she also notes that flight attendants spend almost the entire flight on their feet. Therefore, there is a risk of swelling and varicose veins. What helps on long flights are compression stockings. And also, after arrival, you can raise your legs above heart level for 15-20 minutes and, for example, lie against a wall. Judging by the post, time zone changes are much harder for the girl.

— Sometimes after a flight, I can sleep for 18 hours simply because my body didn't understand at all where we were and what time it was, — she jokes in her account.

Viktoria also warmly tells stories related to some passengers on Threads. Once, she and her colleagues noticed a man drawing something in an album at the airport. And then this same person ended up on their flight.

— One of the flight attendants, who herself enjoys drawing, spoke with him, showed her works. And at the end of the flight, he gave her an incredibly beautiful portrait [of her], which he managed to draw in those few hours , — the girl describes the charming situation and moves on to the next one. — Another day, a passenger long told a sad, emotional story about a relative, and then quite seriously asked if they could be reseated in business class. They weren't reseated, of course, but it was a good try.

The Belarusian girl also draws attention to a completely "not-funny" situation with passengers.

— When turbulence begins or the plane hasn't stopped yet, and someone tries to stand up or retrieve things, it's no longer a joking matter. In such moments, you realize that for the passengers' usual "just a flight," safety is always the primary concern for the crew, — she emphasizes in her blog. — It's scary to imagine what could happen with incorrect use of the overhead bin. So don't be offended by our remarks. This is primarily for your own safety.

By the heartfelt way the Belarusian girl maintains her blog, one can assume that she likes the unusual work. On Threads, she admits that as a new person in aviation, she sometimes turns to more experienced colleagues with questions — and they always help.

— This is how quickly the sky becomes an ordinary part of life, — Viktoria emotionally notes on Threads and poetically adds that, it seems, not long ago only birds could fly. — And now several times a week, I myself find myself at a huge height above the ground. And every time during landing, the thought still arises: "How did humanity even come up with the idea that a huge machine could just take off and fly?" And every time it's captivating.

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