Originally Posted by
joblessPilot
I went to the interview but fail the HR interview.
Everything is not hard. The theory I had was basic, like what is the emergency transponder code and whatnot. There is a personality question and a group exercise. Just speak and participate. Not hard. The sim assessment is not hard it is the same as what they give you in the briefing documents. Don't break the minimum. Have the GS and LOC capture and remember the call outs.
The second day is the ICAO English exams, which you have to pay (for me it was bull**** as I did it already in a different country). I should not need to do it but I paid and got the level 6 again. There is the most invasive medical you would do in your life, well compared to Europe standards. In the medical, they have the basic things like piss, blood tests, and all the normal initial medical tests. The odd part is the hair cut but the insane part is they check your balls every renewal of your medical. EVERY TIME. But, who knows you might get the young female doctor if you are lucky. Feel a bit violated to have a guy to squeeze my balls after the medical. There is a chest x-ray for some reason...
Anyways the interview. OMG, the worst interview ever. they will ask anything. ANYTHING. even if you have zero jet hours or no type rating. The technical part, they have asked me what engine on X plane and how much max thrust on this X plane. Stuff that you could find on the internet but the answer is impossible AS THE ENGINE THRUST INCREASE OVER TIME DUE TO IMPROVEMENT like different blades. For example the GE90-94B vs GE90-110B1. I found that out afterward. The guy asked for an exact number. He even asked for a company route. I had HK to LA. He asked me how would you fly that and how long or something like that. Going is the easy part but the return part uses the polar navigation, which I would not know unless study all the company routes, which there are a lot for all the company destinations. He even asked me the range of the 777 and here is a trick question as CX has 300 and 300ER which have a different max range for both. Soon, they will have the 777x. There are more very specific type rated questions. Zero question on my training or pass flight experience. Absolutely zero.
On the other hand the, HR part of the interview is much nicer. It's normal. Nothing insane.
Not related to anything but just want to point out that CX has more foreign pilots than hong kong Chinese pilots in my experience and more than what I expected. In my flight to and return to the UK, in the HQ CX city, I did not see any Hong Kong Chinese pilot. There is a lot of Asian cabin crew though. You would have guess a Hong Kong based company would have a bit more Hong Kong pilot with a cadet program for Hong Kong citizenship only. They are even interviewing the people in the cadet program on the shipload. In both days I was at CX city, there were about 2 to 3 different groups of people in the cadet program that I bump into the recruitment lounge. I spent limited time there. In the medical area, I get to talk to some really nice an Australia pilot (which there are a lot) renewing his every 6 months medical. He told me the medical is not covered by CX and need to be paid by the employee every time you go to CX HQ to renew the medical. What I am trying to say is, it's a bit disproportion ratio of local and foreigner and really odd. Maybe Hong Konger doesn't want to be a pilot or something. Maybe the cadet program is very new.
The experience leaves me a really odd feeling about CX.
For those that is wonder how long is the SO to FO, it's about 3 to 4 but maximum 5. Well, that is what the lady told us in the "benefit briefing". In the briefing, they even give you an estimate on rental in HK and as a SO, you are looking at spending around 1/3 to 1/2 of your annual earning on it (depend on where and size). Not easy to live there. Not including food or any other necessity. They gave us a document on how promotion works and for SO2 to SO1 you need 3000 hours of on type flight time. It is different for 747. SO1 to FO2 can be ANY amount of time. It will depend on CX. If you do the Maths, you will be in the SO for a really long time before they will even consider you to be FO (like more than 5 years unless you work 900 hours every year then maybe). Also no type rating for SO, just some P2X rating.
Still for a first job is not bad, still better than being FI in my opinion. If you could, join as direct FO. You will get a full type rating and the pay is much more reasonable and liveable in HK.
On the bright side, your initial medical is on CX house. Free of charge. They will even send it back to you for free.
Good luck to you guys