Flight attendant pivots in economy shift

The pandemic has forced sudden career shifts for some, but it’s not always a bad thing.

Ashleigh Louis’s stint with Qantas as a flight attendant was cut short after only three months when she was stood down during the wave of aviation redundancies in the wake of the corona­virus ­pandemic. Picture: Britta Campion / The Australian

Ashleigh Louis’s stint with Qantas as a flight attendant was cut short after only three months when she was stood down during the wave of aviation redundancies in the wake of the corona­virus ­pandemic.

Having spent five years living in Dubai working for Emirates, she craved returning to Australia. But the pandemic forced the 26-year-old into a sudden career shift — swapping her airline experience for a return to hospitality.

“I knew I liked hospitality … I love that it’s a social thing as well as work. A lot of my friends work here and I’m friends with the customers here so it’s a very fun environment,” she said.

“I’m also sleeping a lot better because I’m not doing overnight work, which is good.”

Ms Louis is one thousands of Australians finding their way back into the workforce, with ­official figures showing the ­nation’s unemployment rate falling faster than expected to 6.8 per cent in August, from 7.5 per cent in July. The figures released on Thursday by the Australian ­Bureau of Statistics show that much of the lift in employment came from a 74,800 rise in part-time jobs.

Ms Louis now works as a casual gaming assistant at Bella Vista Hotel, owned by Momento Hospitality Group, in Sydney’s northwest. Having previously worked for one of the group’s other venues allowed her to secure her current role through old contacts.

“I feel quite lucky that I did get the job in the middle of a pandemic,” she said.

“I did see a lot of my colleagues that had a lot to lose, like family to look after, and it was really hard to see so many of my colleagues unable to find employment, so I just feel really lucky.”

Since hospitality reopened in NSW, Ms Louis has been working three to four eight-hour shifts a week. The flexibility has allowed her to juggle work with studying HR full-time. Returning to study is a choice she does not believe she would have made if she had not been stood down.

“I had a break and a chance to consider the future and how long this could potentially go on for. I would eventually like to work in HR,” Ms Louis said.

“I feel for my friends overseas who are really struggling and I feel like Australia is doing quite well in that respect. Hopefully by the time I finish my course the pandemic is just a memory and things start to bounce back.

“I think everyone is worried, but I think the younger generations are the ones who are more keen and eager to actually get out there and find work. When you don’t really have a choice, you are pushed.”

Morgan Consulting owner and managing director Andrew Aston said flexibility was key for candidates seeking work in the current climate.

“The advice I give is it’s about lowering expectations because the salary you wanted previously may not be available,” he said.

“A lot of people think why should I have to start again, but they very quickly realise that those who have the ‘willing to do anything’ attitude are what employers want.”