CX Recruitment

[Silver Spur]

Hi All,

Maybe I should post this question on Fragrant Harbour wannabe Forum instead, but I thought I could get a more prudent answer in this forum, pls forgive me for that.

Having passed my first Interview for DESO position, I got a letter from CX back in 2008, stating that I will have my Second Stage in September 2010, do you think it is going to happen? Does CX even consider recruiting DESO at this time? Any advise would be most appreciated.


Many Thanks,

SS

[chinabus]

Hi,
No reason why not. Upgrades are underway again & also command courses.
Obviously not a bad idea to chase recruitment after 2 years to see what they say.
Good luck with 2nd stage.

[Saturn]

Silver Spur, RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN as fast as you can away from this place. Go somewhere where it is fun to fly and you won't be brow beat by these psychos. The morale is at an all time low and people are just sick to death of the management at this place.

Short version, CX Sucks.:ugh:

[BusyB]

Silver Spur,
I suspect you will find that the COS being offered to you will have changed considerably (not for the better):hmm:

[cxlinedriver]

Contact recruitment to see what is happening. From what I have heard from who have done this, CX is not hiring DESO. Instead they are taking people with zero flight experience and putting them into the cadet scheme. This way there is no housing allowance to pay (CX wants to not pay housing to new joiners and to stop paying housing to HKG based crew ASAP. NR has been soft selling the idea for a while now, just as he did with retirement at 65).

In years to come the whole cockpit crew will be ex-cadet - no real flying experience. Safety First? Like f**k. Profits first! Current bunch of managers don't give a toss about safety, provided a crash doesn't happen on their watch. They only care about their bonuses, hence a continuous drive to screw the workers.

If I had my time over again I would NOT come to CX. Of the airlines I have worked for, CX are the worst: Constantly driving down conditions, no respect for my skills, breaching agreements, lack of safety, no training - just checking. A real pack of pricks!

[squidward]

you're flogging a dead horse waiting for SO recruitment to resume.....

I heard the other day that FO recruiting for an aussie base may be on the table again.

[RookieRookie]

For people who have no/very little flying experience, I can understand why they would want to come to HKG with no housing. But I heard some of them who've got through the international cadet interview have 1000 hours of experience. I think they can find a much better package from another airline.

[jonathon68]

If there is nothing better lined up for you at the moment, then why not take the free training, and the experience of life in Hong Kong.

CX is basically now a contract job, which recruits on its former reputation as a career airline. Some people like the lifestyle etc enough to stay long term, or just have no where else to go. :rolleyes:

But lots of people join, and then happily move on to career job after a year or two. Of the 20 or so people I joined, about 8 are left after 15 years. Most of the guys who left, joined from a regional or G.A background, and moved on from CX to happier careers with airlines such as BA and QF.

Good luck..

[TopTup]

SilverSpur,

It'll be interesting to see if the job you interviewed for on Stage 1 is the same job you are interviewing for in Stage 2.

I have many friends at CX. The housing allowance was advertised to be part of the package because CX want and expect you to not suffer a lifestyle loss in moving from your home residence to HK. It appears this philosophy has been re-thought. All hail the almighty bean-counter bonuses.

CXlinedriver: Remember the Brave Heart movie? "If we can't get them out, we'll breed them out."

[yokebearer]

I ran into three guys doing interviews at CX city last week. One had 2500 hrs and was flying a King Air with an ATPL. Both others had 1500hrs +.
They were interviewing for cadet program.
They will go through Comm training again ( shortened ) - then come as SO to HKG for 4 years then wait another 15 years for command - all on zero housing.

Bizarre is the only word I can think of.

[MACH.88]

Perhaps the individuals involved have considered all of the ramifications of joining under cadet SO. Maybe the thought is to suffer through the 4+ years and then take a base. At that point their terms would be somewhat similar to the rest of the company's pilots.

I am not sure how they will do it if they have families in tow, but I know that I would try and dissuade individuals from doing the same.

It is really a shame that the company is going down this road. I know of many qualified individuals that were confirmed for SO or FO and have been awaiting a course date since before the downturn. One can only hope that the parties involved with see the error of their ways. Their is no reason why the company cannot honour their commitment and start hiring other than cadets again.

MACH.88:cool:

[crwjerk]

It is obviously a better deal than what they're getting now, but when they get to HK, it'll be a 500 sq ft dog box in Sham Shui Po, drinking at the new 7-11 in Lan Kwai Fong, eating at any other 7-11....!
It's not what it used to be!!!!!:(

[HKG Phooey]

2 years to get how far????

Jokers

[sicilian]

nothing wrong with drinking beers at 7-11 in LKF!

[iceman50]

Maybe the thought is to suffer through the 4+ years and then take a base.

That is the problem, at the moment some people think they have a right to a base on upgrade - seniority comes in to play, wasn't that what the last vote was all about. The"new" joiners need to wake up!

[jonathon68]

The only way we will ever get any significant improvement to our package is through wastage.

A few years ago, the loss rate at KA hit 10%, which was enough for the operation to fall over sideways. At the same time, the loss rate at CX only just got above 5%. The demise of Oasis ultimately saved the day for FOP Management, with 100 Hong Kong licensed/rated pilots.

Now, with 2500+ pilots, we would need to loose a couple of hundred people per year to have a serious enough effect on the operation.

If the current upturn lasts for a significant period then there will be some crewing challenges for CX/KA.

It is typically short sighted of CX to recruit these cadets from overseas, with significant previous experience. I can imagine someone with experience easily getting into this current Cadet scheme. But once they have got through Line Training, the reality of their situation will sink in.

Imagine shared high rise housing with other cadets, with no real prospect of a housing allowance until Command. Career progress with 4+ years as an S/O and 20 years total to Command. If there are career jobs elsewhere overseas, then many of these Cadets will leave. Good luck to them.

This could be the required career boost for those who leave, plus at the same time the loss of these pilots adds leverage to the situation of those who elect to stay.

[rick.shaw]

Yes - what IS wrong with drinking at 7-11?

As for joining CX these days, all I can say is that if you are joining CX with your eyes wide open, then good luck.

15 years or more(to command) without a housing allowance will take it's toll. You may come up here a single person, but one day you will probably get married and want kids. This is where you will come unstuck if you are not used to the Hong Kong shoebox lifestyle.

I think you should expect at least 4 years as a Second Officer. Remember that Second Officers do not get a full type rating. Your Second Officer hours are rarely counted when it comes to applying to other major airlines(they don't need to count them as many more applicants have 'real' hours in their logbooks). Plan at least 6 years in CX to get enough useable time in your logbook before heading elsewhere if that is your plan. If age is on your side......

[Chingchung]

Any age limit?

[SloppyJoe]

I think 60 is probably a bit old for a cadet if that is your age.