Just a little more info for all the swimmers and potential swimmers:
I am told that the current talent pool membership is approaching 500 people but the recruitment team is about to set off to Tunisia to interview a whole bunch of pilots. We understand that it's Nouvelair and if so all the candidates are already typed on 320/321. One would presume that, if they are successful, they would get a start date ahead of any NTR pilots.
There are pilots already in Doha that have been here in excess of three months and not even begun any aircraft specific training, many of these are experienced guys and gals and are just sat around waiting for sim slots etc.
The 787's (first delivery was scheduled for end of August) will probably begin arriving in December. It seems that pilots taken off other fleets for 787 training are now back on their original fleet due to the delay.
As you can see from the above the current situation is less than ideal and I would suggest that swimmers will have a longer wait than originally expected before a start date is offered.
On a slightly more positive note, QR still has lots of new aircraft on order (subject to some degree on the new airport being available in mid 2013) and, for a major carrier, still has an abnormally high number of resignations......for all the reasons listed in earlier posts. Therefore, pilot recruitment will continue for a long time to come, just not at the crazy rate previously seen.
Good luck and best wishes to you all
PL.