A and C
I am with you on this one. I too have been asked in the past to attend one of Jet2's Assessment Days. Great. You have to pay for your own transport and hotel. I can put up with that. Then you have to jump through a few metaphorical hoops to prove that you can add up and interact with your co-workers. What on earth do these people think I have been doing for the past twenty years? I have 13,000 hrs and about 4,000 hrs PIC on the B737. I have lost count of the number of CRM courses that I have attended, some enjoyed, some not. I have been examined by English, Scottish, Irish, French, American, Canadian and Dutch TRI/TREs.
I understand why these type of tests are used for brand new candidates who have little or no experience of flying the line, but to use them for experienced professionals seems completely pointless and a waste of company money. As A and C said a good chat with a couple of management pilots will soon demonstrate your attitude and experience in a much more relevant manner than some hocus pocus codged up by HR people who have no idea what flying the line is about.
Frankly, I find it quite insulting for someone with no flying experience and/or technical expertise to start asking me to prove that I can add up and speak to other human beings. What the hell do they think I do day in and day out flying all over Europe. Beats me.
Yes, if you have never flown the line before, or have very limited experience then go ahead and swot up on this stuff, pass the assessment and get a job. But what does it prove. It proves that if you spend lots of time and money practising this sort of stuff you can get through and get the job. It does not prove that you can fly/manage an aircraft at 400mph, plan the descent in your head (FMCs do make mistakes as we all know), make an approach and land at your destination in an efficient and cost effective way. That's what (some) of the job is about.