I think you need to be careful with the "Etihad is not great" "but they are the only ones hiring"
2 things spring to mind, firstly what makes Etihad not great in your experiance of Etihad, or are you basing this on the pprune information?
EYZ, maybe I did jump off into the deep end, but if Etihad is watching (they are) then they would know that there own pilots complain. But I do get most of my information from pprune (what's wrong with that), because after all it is for professional pilots and most pilots on here are, and where else in the world can a pilot gain information from current employees of an airline about it's current condition. I especially have become interested in the Mid East section of the pprune forums (during the time after the assessments).
Here are some posts I found regarding Etihad:
This cannot be true is it??? 
Dear friends,
Now that we all accepted minimum rest at home base between 2 night turn-around flights or between 2 european sectors, we will face minimum rest on lay over.
Dhaka has started with 14 hours lay-overs, and as from end of August, we will have 12 and 14 hours lay-overs in CDG, and starting in October, FRA and MUC will follow, as we increase the weekly frequencies to 10 flights a week.
Thus, now, you will be able to fly every 12 hours, whatever in AUH or outside base, without overtime.
Welcome to new age of slavery.
All the promises of coming to an end of minimum rest are fake, as usual.
Let's face it. We don't need any salary increase as we will spend our free time between 2 flights to RECOVER and try not to kill ourselves and our fellow passengers on the next flight. If you have a family, well, take a nice picture of them and bring it along with you on board, coz that will be the best way to see them in the near future.
I'm just looking to get a feel as to how others view 12 hours down route. Currently it seems its EY's Fav thing. There excuse is that the pilots prefer to have little time downroute and more time at home, however there is no requirement to have anytime off after say a 12 hour layover in JNB or MAN.
I suppose the main thing is, is it safe? my guess is not...thoughts?
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@ melvin_arnold
I totally agree with EYZ.
Nice try, you still don't get any points
if the only reason your applying to Etihad is coz they are the only ones hiring i think thats a bit pathetic considering your applying as a cadet
let me respond to this with another point form EYZ that I think you may have missed (BTW spatial orientation, it's important)........
Where would you like to go, an American airline that is in and out of chapter 11, or maybe a european one, who apart from maybe 3 could go bust at any point or maybe an Asian airline on a contract, so that when the going gets tough you are the first one to get going?
i dont think Etihad want cadets who are going just to apply for the sake of getting a kik start in their airline
Who said this! I never want to fly in the US, it's over crowded and the copilots here that fly saab 340's think they are gods. I applied because I love flying an all things realted to it. When I found out that an airline was going to invest their money into making pilots of land people I wanted to be on that line!
rsly mate if you dont think their great dont apply in 6 months coz i sure as hell know if i was sitting in the cockpit with a F/O or Capt and he had that attitude towards the airline i would be pissed off coz i would know how many more other serous applicants out their who rely do want to fly for Etihad not just coz they are hiring.
Thank you, for that I feel the same exact same. But the reality is there are some pilots that are like that. Me not being one of them. I think it is funny that you didn't mention this on the other thread when there were those discouraging cadets from applying. I responded to those posts much the same way you have done to me.
Here is a link to about all things Etihad airways, you should definately read it,
http://www.pprune.org/middle-east/24...need-know.html
@ malirm
Etihad is the fastest growing airline in the region, so its obvious to have them hiring now & in the future...
Tell me please, what is going to happen when the rest of the world's airlines are slowly downsizing and Etihad and other mid east carriers are expanding?
That's not a harsh/unfair question, it is very important to know in fact what to do and thats why companies have boards of directors, I'm am pretty sure this has been bought up many times at airline board meetings all over the Middle East.
I think this isn't the way to speak about your Potential Future Employer
It may sound crazy but I have received my information from a reliable source here at pprune.
Calm Down
Would you believe me if I told you I hadn't said a word?
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We haven't heard from Skhan11 in a while now, some words of encouragement for him and all those discouraged and feeling broken down (after the assessments),
there will always be airplanes, stick around and you'll get your chance