Queensland Frog I agree with 404 on this. It was about CoS. What we have now is the company doing what they have been doing since 1996 or earlier. Theoretically, cause i know there is some admin b*s involved, no SO should be disadvantaged financially...that doesn't mean to imply you won't be disadvantaged in how long it takes to get the window seat though!
I don't feel comfortable in this position, and I assure this is my opinion not some management spiel, but I could argue that the employment of DEFOs could speed up your upgrade. Why? Because the system is currently training course limited. so every DEFO pretty much saves a course...but with a time lag. I mean that whether he joins as SO or DEFO he has a course...but 3 years from now, the DEFO doesn't need an upgrade to FO course.
The reality....if I was a mean businessman running the company, with no regard to my personnel, I would recruit almost non stop DEFOs and keep upgrading SOs until the last minute...years from now.
Lets hope that they don't take the pure business approach.
404
you have brought in housing...I could bring in that education can cost more in hkg(after subsidy) than back home. I think the best way to sort this is for you to remember there were lots of CPAs running Enron and almost no MBAs running anything...then make sure we have a decent overnight and sort it out over half a dozen beers:-)
Look forward to it...and if you convince me, I will pay for the beers;-)