SAA interviews
 

Hi all

I am sure that a thread like this is floating around somewhere, I just cant seem to find it :O

Has anybody been to a SAA interview lately?

Any tips on what type or specific questions that can be expected?

Or any links to the most up to date gen on the company?

I know that preperation is key, so any help will be appreciated.

You got invited to an interview at SAA without knowing someone on the inside you could ask this question to in person? That is pretty impressive. Good luck!

Very impressive.


Have heard a rumour that as of end of this year only black pilots allowed to be employed at SAA. If that is true then good luck to all the South African wannabees as they will have to employ non south africans i think.

There's already been a precedent for that and the authority seemed at the time, and the use of the words is judicious, quite happy to validate foreign commercial licences to enable non South African citizens from up country Africa to fly South African registered aircraft based at Lanseria.
One might therefore suppose that such a thing could happen again. Work permits would presumably not pose a problem because the required recruitment would not be able to be satisfied by the local market.
But even were all of this true one might reasonably ask what was wrong with the scheme anyway. It's not as though nepotism had interjected into the recruitment process is it and if true the proposal would surely be nothing more than most egalitarian in its application, advocating as it would the transport of the minority by the masses?

There are even non-SA Citizens employed by the same CAA, so I am sure they will permit as many as required to meet the need. After all, bothe entities are Gov't departments and thus are bound to carry out policy.

its so dissapointing that SAA would hire foreigners to work for them, I remember this one girl from Zimbabwe that worked in Rossair at ops and wasnt allowed to fly because she didnt have a work permit / SA residence etc.... guess where she is now, yip SAA co-pilot... Now what about all the other SA citizens that cant find work, not only in the aviation industry... what can you do hey, at least I earned my stripes, but that doesnt put food on the table... :oh:

Aircrew work in a global marketplace. On yer bike lad, there is always an airline recruiting pilots somewhere in the world.

What is at stake here of course is concern at the potential for the subjugation of a once great airline institution because of the importation of relatively unregulated materiel from sources whose own provenance is less than reliable.
This is the sort of thing that would upset and cause concern to any Jaguar owner were he to discover that his warranted spare part had been produced somewhere south west of Wakistan as opposed to Whitley.

Edit: I quite agree with the sentiments concerning the bicycle syndrome but increasingly for certain smaller groups of people these days the two wheel tandem becomes a penny farthing.

Interview study
 

Hi Figo

Study the ATC section of the Jepp manual (ICAO doc 8168), ACE The Technical Pilot Interview (I forget the author), CRM material, SAA's risk management model (if you can get it), the latest issue of Intercom (SAA Flight Ops internal magazine) and as much info as you can on the aeroplane you are currently flying or have most of your experience on.

I didn't have anyone push my CV through, I knew a few people who worked for SAA (like all pilots do) who helped me apply at the right time (i.e. when the HR wheel started turning) and guided me to study the above material.

Many of the pilots who make claims (on PPRUNE) about what SAA are doing, inadvertently set limitations on others who decide, like I used to, to not bother with an application because "it isn't going to happen anyway." My advice is to make your application and give of your best, it paid off for me. I didn't come from an airline, I never went to the SAAF and I am not related to anyone in the organisation, I did not share any close friendships with anyone in SAA prior to employment, I am not a cadet graduate nor am I a HDI (Historically Disadvantaged Individual). I built my experience the hard way (like everyone else) and I study almost every day to improve my knowledge. In short, I am not special or exceptional and I got in through putting in the work.

The selection process was really tough but conducted in a very professional and respectful manner which are two qualities, I have noticed, are part of the culture at SAA Flight Ops. The airline needs good quality applicants, don't listen to the naysayers on PPRUNE. Also, you can take what the airline says about employing black pilots only with an A340 cargo load of salt too, it is going to take a very, very long time to get what they are after.

Keep applying and studying.

SAA
 

Very,very well said after all the negatives I have been reading.A well balanced view from the inside is invaluable.There are always problems of some sort,everywhere in the World,and it is pleasant to read that good old SAA despite what others may think,is still properly managed employee-wise at least.:D

It's to be hoped that in writing such an excellent letter NextLegUndefined has defined their next leg for many aspirants who should take heart from his words.

SAA interviews
 

What is the best way to apply to SAA? Which channel in other words. I have applied the last couple of years by sending the Excel application with the required docs to a lady called Petra in SAA who I was told receives applications. Then I updated again with her and was channeled to a gentlemen called Steven Ramasodi in HR. That trail has since gone cold. Lastly I applied online through P-Net.

So what I am wondering about is whether these applications the last couple of years have been in vain. I have heard of guys with much less time and worse experience getting interviews and getting in. Some even on their first application.

This also makes me wonder what the odds are of my application ever being seen and considered for an interview.

SAA is still the best operator in my opinion to fly for as a SA citizen and license holder. This personally for more or other reasons than just the money.

At this stage it feels as the SAA dream might be out of reach considering the application is fairly random, I know no one at SAA and I am a white male.

O well, will continue trying! Any application advice will be much apprciated.

I have been off the grid for a couple of days and and only read the replies now.

Thanks a million NLU, I appreciate your invaluable input!

Nice post NLU. My story is much the same as yours. Only SAA is my third airline and I was in well into my thirties with a Boeing command before my first interview. I had no one on the 'inside'. I thoroughly enjoyed my time flying charter and at the other carriers but SAA is kind of special.

NLU I'm sure you are a pleasure to fly with. Perhaps we have already ;)

SAA the Most Racist Airline:ugh:

I love the succinct reasoning expressed by this post, the well couched language, the nuance, the finesse. If only others were to strive for this, this definition of a thinking mans post, swaying all by it's clear logic and elegance, lifting the overall of standards of this thread, nay this entire forum. Epic. (said in Jeremy Clarkson voice)

Or not.

SAA Interviews ... Unfortunately it's mostly a rhetorical question I'm afraid. There is at last the P-Net online method now available but what that really feeds into and how transparant it is I think is anybodies guess. SAA will forever hold loads of question marks on how best to get an interview as there are dozens of differing methods. I'm 42 now and still holding thumbs that I'll get a call but I honestly don't rate my chances higher than 5% at a push.

There is though the infamous rumour that SAA will start looking at outside BEE and BEEEE and BBEEE etc towards then end of the year so who knows, thats purely what I base my 5% on otherwise I would say I have zero chance.

Good luck to all the guys and gals that got in because u surely have a guardian angel looking after you...:{

Its the Reality
 

Shrike200 thanks for the Excellent Post and reply :ok:

NextLegUndefined, you must be very lonely at SAA with thoughts like that.

headb.....never mind.

http://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/...4/facepalm.jpg