Originally Posted by
smepc
I'm eager to share my recent 'terrible' interview experience. I use the term terrible not because I didn't achieve the expected outcome, but due to some unsettling discussions. Initially, I thought I would just move on, but now I feel it's important to share my perspective with those who might apply or join this program in the future.
The HR person, named Ada, spent the entire interview process looking down, making me feel like she wasn't interested in our interaction. Additionally, when asked certain questions, I even felt somewhat offended. She came across as arrogant. For example, she repeatedly questioned why I wasn't pursuing a career as a cabin crew member or engineer. It felt like going for a bartender position in a restaurant, and the interviewer asks, 'Hey, why don't you want to be a chef instead?' Moving on, there were instances where she seemed not to understand my points and facts, despite my patient explanations. I was often asked rhetorical questions. It was like being interrogated, 'Are you sure you weren't at the scene?' I simply stated what I knew, and while these things are easily verifiable, I didn't appreciate being questioned this way. Another issue was being asked technical questions during the initial interview. It felt as if Ada, after asking everything possible, still wanted to find something you don't know to trip you up. Imagine living in your house all your life and being asked, 'Hey, do you know how many planks of wood make up the fence around your house?'
As expected, I received an unsuccessful email. It's no wonder there's always been talk about intense conflicts between HR and pilots here. I can imagine why, as even before joining the program, I felt a complete lack of respect. They recruit hundreds of cadets each year, so they don’t really need to respect someone like me. Well, best of luck to everyone else.
I agree with you, smepc. As I shared the same terrible HR interview experience and eventually got failed from the HR interview recently. I can't remember what the HR's name is, but the very first bad impression she gave me was that she was late for around 5 minutes in a 30-minutes HR interview. After having a brief self-intro. She keep asking me why not to apply for the graduate engineer/other job in Cathay Pacific, despite I had said that I won't be qualified for graduate engineer. The HR seems to be poor in understanding English and even worse understanding about her own compony business. As I am graduating this summer, she keep asking why I don't apply for the Cadet pilot after graduation instead, while all engineer student I know (including me) would start seeking graduate job as early as October in their final academic year and no one would start finding a job only after their graduation. Although other questions about the Cadet program was also asked, the previous two make me annoyed about her and don't wanna answer the remaining (still she keep asking me why don't apply for other jobs/ why not apply after graduation then).
I could definitely feel her umprofession in HR jobs. I feel like that even if I could do more to "show my passion in aviation", she would still give vitriol comment like "why don't you do more?". No wonder why so many experienced pilot leave Cathay Pacific and seek their next pilot job in a higher-paid, more respected company environment.
Recent news from Cathay Pacific said they "Pledges No Pay Cuts
" to retain pilot. Not sure why the management team are so ambitious that they could stop the outflowing pilot by offering "no pay cut", while all major airline (in US, not sure what other countries airlines do) are trying to attract pilots by offering a significant raise in salary. Not to mention that pilot salary in Cathay only offer two-step salary scale, while others airline's salary keep increasing every year a pilot working in their company.
Definitely considering training in foreign country and work after CPL training(e.g. CA, US) to accumulate real PIC experience if one could afford a training fee around $1M HKD.