Snowbirdbrad
I have just finished interviews here in Australia. My observations:
My preparation was 'standard'. Read HTBJ cover to cover, keeping my old ATPL notes handy to reinforce what I read. I re-read my ATPL notes and did some of the practice exams to get me thinking in that way. I got a hold of 'Captain XYZ', which although a few years old and suffering from a few errors in the answers given, was very worth it for the type of questions asked. Went over my old aircraft flight manuals. I did a ton of research on-line about the company profile and operations. I learnt a few simple facts about each type, the number of each operated and where they fly to. I read the past year or so of press releases from Cathay (available on their website) and read a bit on the HKAOA website. I also looked at real estate in HK, as well as a few expat sites for info on lifestyle, cost of living etc. Bought the Lonely Planet guide to HK as well!
First half hour was a 30-question tech quiz. Multi-choice, lots of ATPL level knowledge. Fairly straightforward. While I was doing the quiz the interviewers took my logbook, passport, application update, CV, etc...
I brought everything I was told to bring, including a one-page CV. In my mind, it made better reading than the Cathay application form.
There were two interviewers. One focussed on personal/professional issues, the other on tech knowledge. There was a little overlap between them. They did their best to relax me and make me feel comfortable, and kept their questions direct.
The personal questions revolved around who I knew in Cathay, had I/my wife been to HK, what would she do in HK (a lot of questions about my wife, come to think of it), why would someone in my position want to take a pay/seniority cut and become an SO, had I applied to any other airlines, etc.
I answered honestly, including the fact that I had applied to other airlines. They also asked if I knew about the dispute with the HKAOA, the current situation and what I would have done if I had been offered a job during the recruiting ban.
It was handy brainstorming all of the personal/professional questions with my wife beforehand, anticipating the 'hard' questions, and working on the answers to keep them short and honest.
The tech questions were not too hard. There was a little about Cathay's types and the types you would find an SO flying on, as well as SO duties. This moved on to a couple of aircraft models (B777 & A340) . There was discussion on winglets, swept wing, carbon brakes, GPWS and EGPWS, assymetric thrust. We talked about pressurisation, air conditioning and bleed air. Most of the questions were 'hands-on' knowledge from my previous type, rather than cold theory.
The face to face interview was just over an hour. At the end of the interview they couldn't wait to get me out the door and the farewells were curt and formal. This left me feeling quite negative about the whole experience, expecting the worst. Just today I got good news, with a final interview in HK in June.
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I may be able to help.
Cheers