Hey all,
I've been watching from the wings so to speak as this thread has developed, thought i'd share my experience of the last few weeks.
I'm a CTC graduate, finished training there in June. Saw ad for jet2 mid Aug, applied, and had email saying to apply thru the jet2 website when it opened. I dutifully waited for the website to become live, and filled out the app for inexperience FO, non-TR.
I have 260hrs total time, MCC and JOC on 737-300. (last flew 12th August, finished training in June). Got a call about Sept 1st, to organise a phone screening. Phone screening Sept 3rd, this consisted of a 10-15min chat with a 737 captain, mostly seeming to confirm availability and whether i could/would pay for a TR, and whether i would take a 70% contract. 14th Sept I got a call confirming whether I had a JOC, asking how many hours in the sim I had for MCC and JOC.
Thurs 16th, I had a call to arange a selection day in Leeds for either Mon 20th or Wed 22nd Sept.
Attended selection on Wed 22nd, the introduction stating that there were over 650 applicants for the inexperienced non-type rated application band. there were about 20 at my selection day, a mix of newly qualified modular guys, a few oxford int guys, a guy from cabair, a guy from fte, a guy currently working as an instructor...so contrary to pprune rumour, a good mix of backgrounds and experience being looked at.
During the interview at the selection day, I was asked about availability again, as the first TR course was pencilled in for Oct 4th. Things appeared to be moving very quickly with this round of recruitment.
We were told that we'd get a call today, and right enough I got a call about 1400 to thank me for my time, and that i should be pleased with how far I got, but that unfortunately they thought I wasnt quite experienced enough, and invited me to re-apply next time.
Obviously, I'm gutted. However, this was my first application that went somewhere, so I wasn't really expecting anything to come of it. I was shocked i was being contacted, let alone considered.
So why this post? I watched with frustration as people posted "applied, been a week, heard nothing, sorry guys, they arent taking 250hr cadets"
and "they are only taking Oxford guys" and "how dare they not contact me, its been a week, they could have the decency to get in touch" when things couldnt be more different. I felt things moved very quickly, and clearly with over 650 for this band alone, they are going to contact people they are interested in first, and physically cant contact everyone to explain whats going on.
Take what you read on here with a pinch of salt. Alot is rumour and opinion-bear that in mind. I've tried to keep to the facts here, and hopefully you will see that it can be you. Go for it, apply, you never know how it will go.
Good luck all.