Caulfield,
Sorry old chum but there is a big point to be made here, and it's not psychobabble. It comes down to a simple equation for the company:
Applicants>job positions=entitlement to ask what we want and pick the best
Trust me the applicants in this case far outweigh the jobs. Why? Doesn't really interest me as to the individual motivation however, if you go to a job interview, be it with Wanadogo airline or BA you must do your homework. This is competition here and everyone has the same starting ground of a little CPL/ATPL book so its nothing special and in reality means nothing.
The HR people or even if its only the Chief Pilot assessing will be doing just that, assessing. They are bound to ask some of the stock questions like 'So, why do you want to join our company?' and an answer of 'coz its got big shiny airplanes and loads of money' won't really pull it in the face of other applicants who have researched.
During my interview nobody asked about my flying experience, they had my log book and knew what was in it. They wanted to know about me, who I was, how I ticked and was I really interested or just cruising the field. A little research, look smart and be positive is good advice for ALL INTERVIEWS. Go in with a negative outlook from the start and you start on the back foot.
Good luck to all who attend the interviews, it's a pain of a day but worth it if it gets you the job you want irrespective of which company/banana boat you work for.
