Dear all
Could you please stop PMing me. I appreciate a lot of you are desperate to get a heads up and for a job but a couple of points if I may.
1. I applaud your initiative in trying to get ahead of "the competition" but I believe in a level playing field. It also means the best candidate is the best candidate rather than the one who had all the answers beforehand!
2. It probably won't help anyway as the people who are going to look at you are good at spotting bull****ters. They are pilots and are therefore the Kings (and Queens) of Bull**** Detection.
3. Usual advice applies. Be yourself. If you're an experienced guy, don't tell the people that you're not really that bothered as you've got a job anyway or where you think TOM is a crap airline (and ergo the pilot interviewing you is a numpty for putting up with it). I've seen both. Hmmmm, interesting technique. Hiws it going in Air Kazakhstan anyway?
4. Usual advice for the exciting candidates IMHO, guys going for that first job. You'll find TOM pilots genuinely switched on by this. Keen, bright, eager; all the things this job should be about. Don't sweat it when you're drinking coffee with the astronaut at the start of the day. They'll be looking for the thing in you that fits what they want, not the thing the astronaut thinks they want. Be you. "I don't know but I'm willing to learn" will cut it a lot better than "well in my experience the best way to do it is this, (contrary to the TOM SOPs)"
5. This is not rocket science. Can you work well under pressure, follow simple instructions and assimilate information? Are you the person I want sat next to me on a **** night in Corfu (there are no other types of night in Corfu, other destinations are available) when ATC have lost the plot, CBs are all over the place and the aircraft ahead has just lost all its hydraulics on the runway, blocking it?
6. Past selections have included:
A. A flight planning exercise which will require some thought.
B. A group discussion on a fairly random topic that establishes who makes a lot of noise without saying anything and who says nothing at all. Clue, neither are good options. Can you influence people?
C. A technical test that for those operating a TOM type will probably be type specific to some degree. I've no idea how this would pan out for non TR but use your brain, at a guess, applicable ATPL stuff and Perf A?
D. An event based interview. This is pretty much the only time managers or HR get actively involved but again, a pilot's in there too. Think about the obvious questions, what is the core business - customers. HR will watch all the events, they're experts in body language and Billy Big Time Detection. Do not try and scam these people, you WILL lose. What's the key roll of pilots- working together and problem solving. An event based interview is where you are asked to use your own life examples. 2+2=4. New guys, it doesn't have to be aviation based so don't fret if you've no airline experience. I used to like the non aviation ones because they weren't predictable and were interesting. You want to be noticed by being interesting for the right reasons. BE YOU.
So, that's it. No more PMs please and good luck