Check Airman
If you are new to the bus then what you say about FMA is nothing short of blasphemy. Don't get Boeing in when flying airbus they are different design philosophies. With AP off when you pull thrust levers back what happens to Boeing doesn't happen to Airbus. Jet star Australia decided that during a go around FMA to be checked only after gear up. In poor visibility approach in Melbourne during GA pilot accidently stopped short of TOGA. PNF waited for +ve climb, PF waited to order gear up before calling FMA and the aircraft came to 40feet. Another airline with same SOP went to 14feet in IMC before ignoring FD and pulling up then following FD and again going down because FDs didn't transition to GA. They were incidents which could have been accidents and all those airlines changed back original SOPs. You may have put the switch on but you got to confirm the bulb has lit up. Unless seen on FMA it hasn't happened. Sometimes AP doesn't engage when you press so you need to check on FMA. And there is no need to set an altitude when not ready to descend.