Virgin Australia recruitment
I tend to disagree with the above posts. Everyone is focusing on progression, this is based on false expectation. The progression offered at Jetstar and VB/VAA in the last 10-15 years is NOT the industry standard. Take QF for example, yes the pay is good after a number of years, however progression is slow. Look at all the major carriers in the USA, very slow progression. Air New Zealand is the same. Virgin does offer progression, however it is now similar to other carriers in respect to time.
Talk about Job security, Virgin has never made anyone redundant. (Pilots anyway) Remember a few years ago when it was all doom and gloom at QF, there were demotions and offers of LWOP to avoid redundancy.
A 737 first officer at VAA with a couple of years service will make in excess of 160k a year with out really trying. Which is not bad. Additionally being a jr pilot does not affect your lifestyle in terms of bidding for a rosters or ALV like a lot of other carriers.
Yes there is a lot of negativity at the moment, which frustrating and does affect your work and home life. However if you go to work, do your job and not get too caught up in the bullshit you will fine.
If you are young and relatively inexperienced, apply for everything and take what you can get. You don't want to be left in the dark when the music stops, which it inevitably will in the future.
Talk about Job security, Virgin has never made anyone redundant. (Pilots anyway) Remember a few years ago when it was all doom and gloom at QF, there were demotions and offers of LWOP to avoid redundancy.
A 737 first officer at VAA with a couple of years service will make in excess of 160k a year with out really trying. Which is not bad. Additionally being a jr pilot does not affect your lifestyle in terms of bidding for a rosters or ALV like a lot of other carriers.
Yes there is a lot of negativity at the moment, which frustrating and does affect your work and home life. However if you go to work, do your job and not get too caught up in the bullshit you will fine.
If you are young and relatively inexperienced, apply for everything and take what you can get. You don't want to be left in the dark when the music stops, which it inevitably will in the future.
There are pros and cons, to any carrier you choose.
It is not a competition. It is getting a gig and making the most of it.
Green grass will always appear ot be there, no matter where you are...
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As it stands today, with the option of both QF and Virgin recurting, you're better off at QF for so many reasons.
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Virgin is not that good a gig. Tends to be an airline for those who don't make it into Qantas. If someone disagrees with me please tell me, but before you do, think of how many current line pilots you fly with who tell you they didn't get into Qantas. Point I'm making is that Virgin is never any ones first choice.
I tend to disagree with the above posts. Everyone is focusing on progression, this is based on false expectation. The progression offered at Jetstar and VB/VAA in the last 10-15 years is NOT the industry standard. Take QF for example, yes the pay is good after a number of years, however progression is slow. Look at all the major carriers in the USA, very slow progression. Air New Zealand is the same. Virgin does offer progression, however it is now similar to other carriers in respect to time.
Talk about Job security, Virgin has never made anyone redundant. (Pilots anyway) Remember a few years ago when it was all doom and gloom at QF, there were demotions and offers of LWOP to avoid redundancy.
A 737 first officer at VAA with a couple of years service will make in excess of 160k a year with out really trying. Which is not bad. Additionally being a jr pilot does not affect your lifestyle in terms of bidding for a rosters or ALV like a lot of other carriers.
Yes there is a lot of negativity at the moment, which frustrating and does affect your work and home life. However if you go to work, do your job and not get too caught up in the bullshit you will fine.
If you are young and relatively inexperienced, apply for everything and take what you can get. You don't want to be left in the dark when the music stops, which it inevitably will in the future.
Talk about Job security, Virgin has never made anyone redundant. (Pilots anyway) Remember a few years ago when it was all doom and gloom at QF, there were demotions and offers of LWOP to avoid redundancy.
A 737 first officer at VAA with a couple of years service will make in excess of 160k a year with out really trying. Which is not bad. Additionally being a jr pilot does not affect your lifestyle in terms of bidding for a rosters or ALV like a lot of other carriers.
Yes there is a lot of negativity at the moment, which frustrating and does affect your work and home life. However if you go to work, do your job and not get too caught up in the bullshit you will fine.
If you are young and relatively inexperienced, apply for everything and take what you can get. You don't want to be left in the dark when the music stops, which it inevitably will in the future.
You don't choose a carrier. You take the first one that gives you a job. If you're lucky enough to have multiple offers, take the one with the best progression to where you want to be based.
Ultimately aviation is a means to fund your lifestyle. Once you are married and have kids all your priorities change. Moving the family for the left seat isn't an option anymore. Neither is the six months of training to change type and probably move bases.
Right now the opposition is looking pretty good. However it wasn't long ago it was the reverse. Aviation is cyclic and this is no different.
Hang in there and enjoy your non flying life. As someone else said life's too short. Besides you have no control over the company fortunes anyway.
Ultimately aviation is a means to fund your lifestyle. Once you are married and have kids all your priorities change. Moving the family for the left seat isn't an option anymore. Neither is the six months of training to change type and probably move bases.
Right now the opposition is looking pretty good. However it wasn't long ago it was the reverse. Aviation is cyclic and this is no different.
Hang in there and enjoy your non flying life. As someone else said life's too short. Besides you have no control over the company fortunes anyway.
Last edited by The Green Goblin; 26th Aug 2017 at 14:14.
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Every once in a while, the GG speaks some real truths 
I had to make a choice recently between a job offer and in invitation for an interview offer. I've made my choice based on exactly the above.
As stated, the industry is cyclic, wasn't too long ago it was doom and gloom at the rat, people have short memories.....
I had to make a choice recently between a job offer and in invitation for an interview offer. I've made my choice based on exactly the above.As stated, the industry is cyclic, wasn't too long ago it was doom and gloom at the rat, people have short memories.....
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+1 for the above.
If you take a 40k-50k pay cut from regional C&T to join the likes of JQ or VA, you're going to need a narrowbody command before you're ahead of your current package, and that could be 7, 10, even 15 years which is a lot of cumulative earnings lost. Even 7 years @ $40k is $280k in lost earnings.
To paraphrase another poster "the equipment doesn't matter, it's pay and lifestyle that really count".
If you take a 40k-50k pay cut from regional C&T to join the likes of JQ or VA, you're going to need a narrowbody command before you're ahead of your current package, and that could be 7, 10, even 15 years which is a lot of cumulative earnings lost. Even 7 years @ $40k is $280k in lost earnings.
To paraphrase another poster "the equipment doesn't matter, it's pay and lifestyle that really count".
Tiger FO slots opened to internals indicating movement as I mentioned above. These will be taken up by pilots that are fairly junior.
Lot of differences between QF VA group most pretty obvious.
I'd say VA group you will get into a window seat much quicker than QF. However JQ is straight into a window seat so its horses for courses and everyone will have different goals and aspirations.
I don't think a year or two SO VA is a bad thing, you get to look at long haul and enjoy the fruits. It's a long time before you'll see it again.
Lot of differences between QF VA group most pretty obvious.
I'd say VA group you will get into a window seat much quicker than QF. However JQ is straight into a window seat so its horses for courses and everyone will have different goals and aspirations.
I don't think a year or two SO VA is a bad thing, you get to look at long haul and enjoy the fruits. It's a long time before you'll see it again.
Last edited by Berealgetreal; 29th Aug 2017 at 06:04.
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Tiger FO slots opened to internals indicating movement as I mentioned above. These will be taken up by pilots that are fairly junior.
Lot of differences between QF VA group most pretty obvious.
I'd say VA group you will get into a window seat much quicker than QF. However JQ is straight into a window seat so its horses for courses and everyone will have different goals and aspirations.
I don't think a year or two SO VA is a bad thing, you get to look at long haul and enjoy the fruits. It's a long time before you'll see it again.
Lot of differences between QF VA group most pretty obvious.
I'd say VA group you will get into a window seat much quicker than QF. However JQ is straight into a window seat so its horses for courses and everyone will have different goals and aspirations.
I don't think a year or two SO VA is a bad thing, you get to look at long haul and enjoy the fruits. It's a long time before you'll see it again.
Any idea how long one can expect to hear back from the latest panel interview?
Was anyone provided an expected time frame?
Was anyone provided an expected time frame?
Last edited by Double_Clutch; 31st Aug 2017 at 22:41.
The expected time wait for candidates is 2-3 weeks as mentioned on the job description, so I am guessing give it a couple weeks.
In regards to the online cognitive tests, look at the SHL practice ones. I wrote about them earlier on in the thread if you want to go back and look at that.
In regards to the online cognitive tests, look at the SHL practice ones. I wrote about them earlier on in the thread if you want to go back and look at that.
Some of the candidates that were interviewed this week were targeted for the PER 737 FO positions, so they will be hearing sooner rather than later.
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So let me get this right...ATR pilots that have been with the Virgin group for over 5 years, were put through integration transfer training 2 years ago in order to swap from VARA to VAA, then recently had to pass an interview and sim assessment to transfer to the jet fleet, and now after all of this are stuck on the ATR due to a 10% cap imposed to keep the ATR fleet going, but at the same time new joiners are now coming off the street going directly to the 737 in Perth and 777 SO?
I found this very hard to believe at first, then I kept hearing the same story from people.
In my 42 years in aviation I have not heard of anything as so disgraceful.
I've done GA, military, Ansett, QF and many others, and this takes top prize hands down!
Ladies and gents this is wrong no matter how you perceive it. And no it's not the same story as with the guys at QLink and Jetstar trying to get in with QF. I've spoken to many of them as well.
The ATR group integrated into VAA 2 years ago after extra training, assessment and scrutiny. They are employees of VAA not VARA any longer.
Guys do your health and career a favour in that order...perhaps it's time to move on
I found this very hard to believe at first, then I kept hearing the same story from people.
In my 42 years in aviation I have not heard of anything as so disgraceful.
I've done GA, military, Ansett, QF and many others, and this takes top prize hands down!
Ladies and gents this is wrong no matter how you perceive it. And no it's not the same story as with the guys at QLink and Jetstar trying to get in with QF. I've spoken to many of them as well.
The ATR group integrated into VAA 2 years ago after extra training, assessment and scrutiny. They are employees of VAA not VARA any longer.
Guys do your health and career a favour in that order...perhaps it's time to move on
Last edited by "Littlebird"; 3rd Sep 2017 at 05:13.
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SHVC. OK I was under the impression that your employer entity changed to VAA from VARA and your chief pilot was the VAA CP. Am I missing something?
Unfortunately the majority voted that dismal EBA in at the time and it transferred with you.
L.B
Unfortunately the majority voted that dismal EBA in at the time and it transferred with you.
L.B
Yes and it was necessary to get integration in the first place - long story. As always in airlines - people never read the EBA until a clause applies to them and then there is mass outrage over something that has been there all along.
