A flight attendant is the person who takes care of passengers during an airplane flight. Before takeoff, flight attendants demonstrate how to use oxygen masks and life jackets, show where the emergency exits are, and make sure everyone has their seatbelts fastened. During the flight, they bring food and drinks, help passengers find overhead bin space for luggage, and assist anyone who feels sick or worried.

The job requires staying calm during turbulence or emergencies, being patient with nervous flyers, and working long hours while standing in a narrow aisle. Flight attendants might serve breakfast over the Atlantic Ocean, lunch over the Pacific, and dinner back home, all in the same week. They're trained in first aid, security procedures, and how to evacuate an aircraft quickly if something goes wrong. That cheerful person offering you a pillow is also trained to fight fires, perform CPR, and organize passengers in the event of an emergency landing.