Introducing Kyleigh Mooney

Kyleigh Mooney, new ITC Recruiment Advisor. She joins ITC with a wealth of experience in the airline industry.

Kyleigh is our new Botany Campus Recruitment Advisor. She joins ITC with a vast experience of airline knowledge and flight attending experience tells us about her exciting career in travel and what she is looking forward to at ITC.

My career in the airline industry started over twenty years ago. I completed a Diploma in Travel and Tourism at AUT and that launched me into a dream career in aviation. I started out at Ansett New Zealand as a reservations consultant in the call centre. Ansett New Zealand was launched as a fresh new way of travelling in New Zealand. The airline was innovative and a true game changer in the way New Zealanders travel. The company introduced aerobridges, valet parking and first class lounges to the airline experience and Kiwis loved them for it. It was exhilarating to be a part of a start up and bring something wonderful to newfound loyal customers.

After a while I wanted to do something that allowed to me to meet customers face to face, and becoming a flight attendant was the perfect way to achieve that. Before I knew it I was in flight attendant training school learning how to inflate emergency slides, evacuate an entire aircraft, put out fires, swim in overalls and survive in a life raft. I quickly learnt to serve a hundred passengers a pre-meal drink, a hot meal and a cup coffee on a 55-minute flight: all in high heels with a look of calm serenity on my face.

The lure of working for our national carrier Air New Zealand was enticing. Eventually, I became a long-haul flight attendant with them. Every day was different and it was a work environment I would thrive in. I never knew who was going to be on a flight and that kept the role interesting. Looking after famous movie stars, the Prime Minister or a winning sports team were all in a day’s work. I got so much satisfaction from it that I spent the next twenty years working at 37,000 feet. I had to earn my stripes to get promoted so I did my time in economy class and then made it through the curtain to first and business class. Providing customers with a seamless in-flight experience sometimes felt like I was acting in a theatre with all the cast and crew working together to create a very special customer experience. There were certainly tough aspects to the job, too; lack of sleep, missing out on family milestones back home and wearing a winning smile at 3am in the morning all had their challenges.

My role here at ITC as Recruitment Advisor allows me the opportunity to inspire new students to get qualified and launch into greatness. I couldn’t ask for a better purpose. My advice to ITC’s students is to pour everything you have into your learning experience here: by becoming qualified you just may end up in your dream job, travel the world and get paid to do it! There is greatness in you… let it shine.