CX/KA recruitment suspension

[quadspeed]

CX has announced a suspension of all recruitment by both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair.

[MilPilot]

Is it clear who is in and who is not? Have they just stopped interviewing or are all future classes going to be put on hold?

[flyingsheep]

take it this is just for DEFO and SO?? or does this apply to the cadets as well?

[TO/GA]

CX has announced a suspension of all recruitment by both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair.

Quadspeed - Please let us know where you are getting this information from? In CX careers web site it still looks like business as usual.

TO/GA

[Fly747]

TO/GA, this info comes straight from "the top", the Friday telex. Blanket recruitment ban company wide CX and KA. I don't know but I would guess that means all courses that haven't started yet too.

[Team America]

So what happens to all the aircraft on order? Do they just park them up?

[WhatThe?]

Does anyone know if there is anyone currently in Australia doing HKL conversions for SO. And if not, when was the last group put through?

Just waiting..........

[dinoburner]

I'm sure the company line will be released soon, however my contacts have told me:

"...the deal is that we are not recruiting any more DEFOs for 2009, and all the DESO positions for 2009 are full (ie. as CX allocates on a first-come first-served basis, the hold file currently covers the 2009 positions available). Hence, the first available spot would be in 2010, with initial interviewing for these 2010 positions occurring in mid-2009."

Just received the monthly 'Job Search Agent Results' email - Cadet Pilot, Second Officer, First Officer and Direct Command positions all advertised on Oct 9.

[edawg]

So what's that mean for those sitting on 'yes' letters for DESO?

[howitzer]

Wonder how this will affect the recent interviews. was there just last week, still waiting to find out.

[Sleeve_of_Wizard]

Great...... let's hope the DEFO recruiting stops FOREVER.

[dinoburner]

The information I have is that those with 'yes' letters and those with final interview dates are included in the 2009 DESO positions. However it will be interesting to see what the official line is.

[missjunelai]

I think that the cadet pilot programme selection process is still going on; some people got calls from CX yesterday to invite them to their stage one interview [i.e. after having passed the initial tests] next week...

[felixhokc]

I heard from another forum that there is a guy who received the call for first interview of CX CPP yesterday. I am not sure if the process of this batch is still going on or suspended.

Anyway, for the ones who received the calls of CX CPP recently, when did you submit your application?

I submitted my application in May and then I sent email to CX to ask in August. Got the reply that he/she just asked me to wait. I have been waiting for another 2 months already.
No reject letter nor invitation phone call, do you know what's going on?

[missjunelai]

Have you done your intial tests? I applied in March, sat my initial tests on Sep 24 (there were tests before then, but I wasn't in HK). Got a call a week later to say I passed the test, and had my first interview on Oct 8th (still considered as 'stage 1').

That was two weeks ago, I'm waiting to hear back to see if I get through to stage 2 (HR told me they will get back to me within 1 month - fingers crossed).

If you applied in May and your application is successful, they should have invited you to initial tests by now (I think they say if you don't hear back in 8 weeks then it's generally a 'no')...

[felixhokc]

MissJuneLai,

This is not my first time application. I failed last January in Stage 2 interview. I submitted my application in early May but I still haven't had any news including initial test nor Stage 1 interview.
I sent an email to ask early August and got a reply to ask me waiting. Another 2 months.... Don't know what's wrong. If I fail, I should have received reject letter, am I correct?

[Waterskier]

Midweek update from Director of Flight Ops says recruitment freeze does not apply to pilots.

[missjunelai]

felixhokc

My understanding is that if you failed and reapply, you go straight to the stage that you left off from (i.e. in your case, you should go straight back into Stage 2 without having to redo the tests of first interview). That is, providing they accept your application this time.

I am not sure about rejection letters...this is my first application. I would think that 2 months is a pretty long wait - perhaps you might want to contact HR again to check your progress?

Best of luck.

[m3tty]

felixhokc,

You said that you participated in the Stage 2 interviews in January. Was this January '07 or '08?

[takamasa]

Waterskier

thanks for the update!!

from what i saw from internet, that makes sense. all openings are gone except for flight operations.

[felixhokc]

I did stage 2 interview in Jan 07. So the 1 year freezing window passed.

[felixhokc]

Waterskier, you are great. Yes, I just found that only Flight Ops jobs there, other jobs are gone!!!

m3tty, I did my second stage interview in Jan 07.

[dinoburner]

Back to the thread...

Director of Flight Ops (DFO Nick Rhodes) announced today that the recruiting freeze will only affect ground staff and not pilot recruitment.
The Boeing factory strike will delay all B777 and 74 arrivals by at least 3 months (which will lead to a delay in pilot intake requirements and upgrades) but the company still intends to recruit 100 pilots in 2009 (less than I thought) and 250+ in 2010.

[eagerbeaver1]

Interesting, I had my interview cancelled/suspended in September. I applied for Defo LHR.

Fyi LoCo Captain 4000+.

Sleeze of wizard - If Cathay Pacific did not recruit defo then they would get next to no applications from persons like myself which would mean they would struggle to crew the aircraft. Why? I am not joining as a cruise pilot earning less than half what I do now and a five year wait before I allowed to touch anything. Just the way it is...

[islandguy]

deleted - sold the study stuff

[Cronus]

eagerbeaver1, Cathay has never had a problem finding qualified applicants.

Your 4000+ hours are about on par with the experience of the S/O's I joined with. We enjoyed a 2 year, 8 month holiday before upgrading to F/O.

I'm pretty sure I earn more than you do and enjoy around 14 days off per month.

Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific is not for everybody but perhaps ego is clouding your view of things?

Cronus

[badairsucker]

Eager,

4000 hours, that was below average hours when I joined. 7000 hours with 330 time etc was common.:E

[727 Whisper Jet]

Does anyone know when the one year clock to reapply to CX starts? Is it after your rejection letter or after you first applied?





727WJ

[eagerbeaver1]

Cronus - Ego? No. What I said is a fact. No way someone with 4000+ hours and P1 time would join as a cruise pilot which is what I understand a second officer to be in CX.
"The primary functions of the Second Officer are to act as a cruise relief pilot, to monitor all facets of the operation and to support the crew." - direct from Cathay career website.
I have the book which helps you with the selection process and I have seen the pay scales. I belive I would join on the "O" scale which was not as competitive as I would have thought..

Badairsucker - There are minimum requirements which I meet. I was providing and opinion to the wizard chap who does not like people like myself joining as Defo, which I understand why.

[404 Titan]

eagerbeaver1

You aren’t even here and you are trying to tell us that no one with 4000 hours P1 time would join CX as an SO. “WRONG” You might want to ask and take notice of some that work for CX when they say that +4000 hours is common for SO’s that join CX. When I joined the lowest time guy was about 4000 and the highest was 9000. Most came from other airlines in North America, Europe and Australia. Two of the guys close to my course were ex-military instructors on F111’s and FA18’s. A lot of the SO’s I seem to fly with now are from LoCo’s in Europe and ex-military transport guys.

You may not like it when some SO’s try and persuade some on here not to accept the DEFO path but you have got to look at it from their perspective. To them the company is in breach of their contract because “bye-pass” pay isn’t being paid every time a DEFO is employed. They are having their upgrades delayed and some that had plans to go on a base once they did upgrade have had the rug pulled from under them because the bases are now full with DEFO's.

If you do make it to CX a little humility might go a long way. The experience in the SO ranks is generally considerable and one day most of them will be you captain while you are still an FO.

[FB777]

Heard of a few aussies being told not to go to round 2 due to recruitment freeze and that they'd be looking at a March round 2..
Any others hearing similar?
FB

[eagerbeaver1]

Titan, so you have brought to my attention three people out of how many SO? Hundreds I would guess. These chaps who flew in the RAAF may only have had a CPL or just the minimum civilian experience therefore ineligible for a FO position.

I have no knowledge of CX terms and condition with regards to "bye pass".

Humility/ego? enough.

[Sleeve_of_Wizard]

Eagerpussy.....

If you ever fly with me, be assured that you will be the cruise pilot. Don't care if you've got 4000 hours.... Most S/O's have more than you so button your lip. You ain't touching anything. Be warned, there is a lot of friction here, and a lot of pilots have been disadvantaged by DEFO's and DEC's, so yes, please be humble and shut your mouth. :ugh:

[404 Titan]

eagerbeaver1

You’re digging yourself into a hole here. The RAAF guys I was referring to were fast jet instructors. They had ICAO ATPL’s just like most DESO’s do. That made them automatic candidates as DEFO’s on the freighter fleet at the time. Both of them were offered DEFO positions on an Aus base but declined them for DESO positions in HK.

I find it fascinating you really want to debate me on the experience levels of DESO’s. To me it demonstrates a level of arrogance I haven’t seen for quite some time. For the record when I tell you what the experience level is, it is from direct knowledge having flown with a great number of them and from my time in the recruitment department a few years ago. Your knowledge is based on nothing more than the fact you wouldn’t do the job. That’s all well and good but the world doesn’t revolve around what you would do. You need to understand people come here for many different reasons and one of them is lifestyle and the lifestyle of an SO can be very appealing.

While I think of it, have you considered what the job of DEFO on a base will entail? Don’t think for one minute you will get every second sector. You will spend most of your career here until you get your command as the RPIC, i.e. Relief Pilot In Charge or as some here refer as the glorified SO. You will be lucky to get one sector a month which is not much more that a SO, mind you his is in the sim.

[LM82]

Heard of a few aussies being told not to go to round 2 due to recruitment freeze and that they'd be looking at a March round 2..
Any others hearing similar?

A few mates(aussies) of mine were supposed to be going to honkers in NOV but got an email/call saying its been canned. I am not sure when/if its being rescheduled.

I will post more if i hear more:)

[eagerbeaver1]

Nice try sleeze of wizard. Are you telling me after 2 years and 8 months of cruise piloting you are now able to decide the crew rotation? Hows that lovely jumpseat?

Titan - I agree with you on the problems with recruiting DEC/DEFO.

[Sleeve_of_Wizard]

Ummm....... Yes i can....:ok:.......... Jumpseat is nice and warm for you....

[yokebearer]

Eagerbeaver - just so you know - when I joined as an SO - out of the sixteen guys in training with me 14 had more than 3500 hours and jet time. Several came off 747's but chose CX because of lifestyle and hopefully better career prospects.

So even though some of them are going to watch you fly (and steal their upgrade) while they sit on their hands in the back seat - you are going to wait 15 years till all these guys are captains before you get a CX command - and untill then why don't you pipe down.

And for your information - the ONLY reason CX is taking direct entry FO is because the company grew too fast recently and the training couldn't keep up with the demand - NOT due to a lack of suitable SO 's to upgrade.

[holdmetight]

i think that CX should revert to the old days where they did not have S/Os at all, and hired F/Os only.

how long ago was that?

[yokebearer]

When the SO thing was started - 15 or so years ago - it was a cost saving exercise. All SO's then had to be young and single and it was a huge break for a 23 year old.

Things have changed. SO's in HKG now cost the company the equivalent - or more if they have kids who get school allowances - than a DEFO on a base. Once an SO has done two years and go on the full housing allowance - which alone is about US $ 9000 a month - it gets expensive.
This is one of the main reasons for DEFO. They actually save money on pay/allowances AND they save on training. When you hire a DEFO its is one training course - when you upgrdae and SO to FO you also have to repace the SO which makes two training courses. So its all about saving some cash and saving some training.

In the process career progression and contracts get violated.