Although I find it hard to believe that our CP would get into a discussion like this; it does sound like it could have come from the big man himself. Wizz is a place where you need to know very well in advance what you are signing up for financially and if you can cope with it, because the pay after deduction for the TR bond is tricky to survive on if you have a debt from flightschool from the west of Europe. However, everything "captdmorgan" wrote is not only "just about right", but as far as I am concerned exactly right.
To sum up; the pay is not great, the people you work with and the atmosphere in general are, HQ really does leave you alone and planes are really maintained to a great standard. It takes some getting used to if you're from a more "traditional" background when it comes to aviation, but contrary to what others have professed on this forum I have never been lied to, cheated or otherwise treated in a poor fashion by this company. The only thing I personally really had to get used to was doing everything yourself. That means uniform measurements, it means your paperwork for the CAA after simulators, it means entering flight data after a duty, etc, etc. Simple stuff that will never cause you a problem if you don't know otherwise. I simply didn't have to pay attention to anything before and this has personally caused me some inconviniences whilst getting used to the way things operate here. But other than that, I got exactly what I signed up for and don't regret it.
With regards to pay what "Syntax Error" says was wrong at the time that I joined and I have not heard of it being changed in the last two years. The difference (i.e. 20K to 25K) is supposed to distinguish a normal FO and an SFO. You become an SFO if you have 1500 hours factorized (which you would clearly have if you have 5K jet time) and no negative feedback from your base captain. In reality; as soon as an FO hits 1500 hours factorized and is not a raging looney he becomes an SFO and at the time that I joined I know people have joined directly as SFO's. Whether the salary is "reasonable" or whatever really isn't even relevant; that's the offer, take it or don't (if you get it). As for recruitment as far as I know it's all been settled for 2013, but I'm not exactly in the know as I'm obviously not paying too much attention to it.
That's my two cents, good luck. And as a last reminder; be careful with taking advice from people that are clearly resentful (over the internet!) or regret their decisions. Sure their reasons for being frustrated may be legitimate, but I personally find it highly doubtful these facts were not known in advance of joining this company. It's a tough world out there and things may not always be or seem fair, but all we can do is try to get on with it with dignity.
Last edited by drfaust; 26th Aug 2013 at 01:05.