Emirates - Wannabes & Recruitment IX
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dubai
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Some advice
I fully agree with Bellarina. EK looks for confident, friendly, approachable people. At my AD, I remember all the people who got cut first were the ones who were nervous, fake, not well groomed, and those that were too quiet or too outspoken. It isn't as hard as it may seem to get the job, and I've been browsing through forums and with my experience with my AD aswell, I have sort of created an idea in my mind of what they might possibly be looking for in crew. (If you don't want to read everything, the important bits are put in bullet points below. I'm sorry for the long read, but I hope you find it useful)
With all the above in mind, I would advise you to show them that you are a motivated and a positive person. If you don't have a job right now and the question "What are you doing right now?" comes up, don't say something like "Nothing at the moment, just looking for work" because it doesn't seem to portray a very motivated image of you. I can give you an example of what I said when they asked me this question(during the height test). At the time I had been unemployed for a whole year looking(barely, because I was a lazy idiot) for a job and I finished studying almost 2 years prior. I could've said "I'm unemployed right now and I have been for a while" or something, but I just said "I finished studying recently and I've been doing odd jobs here and there and I'm looking to work towards a career." The Recruitment Officer looked sort of impressed with my answer and I thought that maybe the fact that I'd not been working would be an issue, but it wasn't and I managed to make it to the next round(it may not have been entirely because I answered this question, but it definitely made me look better).
Be honest when you answer questions. Nothing's worse than lying and being caught out. When I say be honest, try to not be TOO honest, if you know what I mean. For example; Lets say they ask you a question like "Do you think you handle stress well and give an example?" Now you may be one of those people who get stressed out easily, and if you were fully honest you'd say something like "I get very stressed out and can't sleep because of it" or something along those lines. While you might think that the fact that you're being honest about how serious you take things that it stresses you out, to them it comes off as "They might not be able to take the stress this job would bring." In this case, I'd rather be honest, but leave out the extreme scenarios and pick a time where you've been stressed and handled it well. I can't think of another example just now, and I'm sure there must be better ones, but I hope this makes sense.
You need to show them that you pay attention to details. This is a vital skill for crew. For example; in your interviews make it a point to learn the names of the other candidates and the Recruiting Officers and use their names whenever you can. Something as simple as this could go a long way. You could also make sure that you keep track of time. I remember the RO's telling us that we needed to finish our discussions in a certain period of time. Making sure that the group is aware of the time we're taking(without seeming too pedantic and overbearing, of course) is also another way to show the RO's that you pay attention.
They also want to make sure you can follow instructions. If they tell you to tell your group to mention 2 things that interest the person on your left, tell the person on your right very clearly the 2 things required and find out 2 things and if the person elaborates, make sure you point out the 2 things and leave out the unnecessary bits. This is slightly hard because you might think that this may make it seem like you're paying attention and can absorb a lot of information, but if they ask you for something, they want exactly that, nothing more.
Being Friendly is a given. Try to mingle with everyone. Don't be quiet and shy. This isn't the job for you if you are. There was a woman who came in and she was absolutely stunning to look at, very intelligent and spoke very good english for someone from one of them Slavic countries(I don't mean to generalize), but when we were put in groups, she suddenly because very nervous, shy and when asked a question, responded with 1 word answers and didn't come off as if she really wanted to be part of this discussion. She unfortunately got the boot in the first round, and what a shame for she would've been excellent had she not been so reserved. I think this may have been my downfall aswell since I was asked to come into another AD midway where we had no time to feel comfortable or get to know the people we were in groups with other than their names from the stickers since 1 girl and I were the only 2 to make it through to our AD and there weren't enough of us for the next group discussion. Crew work with new faces everyday and this situation is commonplace, so don't make my mistake and try to dissolve effortlessly into your new team. On the other extreme, there was another chap who knew people who worked in EK as crew and a few members of his own family tried for the CC position before so he came in fully confident that he knew everything and that he would get the job. During the first group discussion, he was very arrogant and sometimes condescending. He would interrupt people occasionally to say "YEAH BUT THIS IS WAY IS BETTER!" and he too, despite all his confidence got the boot, and I can only assume it was because he behaved atrociously for someone who might possibly be crew! He also seemed to be very self absorbed and focused on himself and as mentioned before, the "I'm right you're wrong" kind of attitude, which brings me to my next point.
Teamwork is very important, so when in a group discussion, NEVER EVER think that your answer is better and NEVER EVER disagree with anything that clashes with your opinions. Every bit of input is important, and usually the answer isn't important but how you act. Clearly state your answers and NEVER interrupt anyone. Of course this happens by accident, but if you notice yourself doing this, apologize and ask them to continue. If you're in a situation where an idea suggested is absolutely retarded, for example; During my AD we were asked to discuss 2 destinations EK should fly to that it doesn't already and why they should. Someone suggested "Antarctica"...Why? I don't know, her explanation was "Because there it is very cold and the icebergs are everywhere and penguins." This was obviously a very silly location and explanation(everybody was in awe and it went awkwardly quiet for a second) and as stupid as it was, I piped in saying "That's a brilliant idea, but may I suggest a place like Barcelona instead? What do you guys think?" This way I didn't make the other person feel stupid or seem to be to the rest of the group, but suggested something else instead. This will keep your team motivated and encourage others to speak up as well as keep that silly person thinking about something else they could offer instead of how embarrassed they feel because their silly answers suddenly hit home.
Other than this, all you need to do is smile like you never smiled before. Look sharp and make sure you come well prepared. One guy came to the interview slouching and he had drool stains on corners of his lips(or maybe that's just how his skin was??? I'm not so sure), his suit looked as if it had just been rolled out of a ball and he had a really silly distracting label on the back that looked very very tacky. This chap didn't seem very motivated at all and it was very obvious. Don't forget the importance of good posture aswell. It makes you seem so much more motivated and confident.
Do a bit of research before hand so you can ask intelligent questions, unlike one person during my AD who asked "How many times does EK fly to *his home country* because I can't go back and forth so many times and also, how many times can we leave the plane in one day"...seriously... - I might add that this person also got the boot first round. Make sure the RO's know that you know how prestigious EK is with their safety record, their awards for service, their multicultural team, their rapid growth, etc. If you check some news about EK, it might also help and show them that you are on beat with everything happening with EK.
You also need to show them why they need you, not why they're good for you. This doesn't mean you avoid mentioning how great the perks are, or the travel opportunities are, or whatever, just don't dwell on that without putting in why you are good for them in the process.
Don't go in with some sort of strategy and rehearse everything beforehand because you might come to a point out of the script and it might be your downfall, so just keep these things in mind, but be comfortable, be yourself and try to enjoy the experience. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot easier to be genuine this way. I don't know what to expect for the FI since I have only gotten to round 3 of the AD's, but the same should apply. Just remember to look good, be friendly and SMILE. EDIT: If you want to find some more information on the FI's jump back to page 14(or read the post here: http://www.pprune.org/6531362-post273.html)
So lets review and, for those "tl;dr" people here's the whole thing in a nutshell:
Good luck and I hope this helps!
With all the above in mind, I would advise you to show them that you are a motivated and a positive person. If you don't have a job right now and the question "What are you doing right now?" comes up, don't say something like "Nothing at the moment, just looking for work" because it doesn't seem to portray a very motivated image of you. I can give you an example of what I said when they asked me this question(during the height test). At the time I had been unemployed for a whole year looking(barely, because I was a lazy idiot) for a job and I finished studying almost 2 years prior. I could've said "I'm unemployed right now and I have been for a while" or something, but I just said "I finished studying recently and I've been doing odd jobs here and there and I'm looking to work towards a career." The Recruitment Officer looked sort of impressed with my answer and I thought that maybe the fact that I'd not been working would be an issue, but it wasn't and I managed to make it to the next round(it may not have been entirely because I answered this question, but it definitely made me look better).
Be honest when you answer questions. Nothing's worse than lying and being caught out. When I say be honest, try to not be TOO honest, if you know what I mean. For example; Lets say they ask you a question like "Do you think you handle stress well and give an example?" Now you may be one of those people who get stressed out easily, and if you were fully honest you'd say something like "I get very stressed out and can't sleep because of it" or something along those lines. While you might think that the fact that you're being honest about how serious you take things that it stresses you out, to them it comes off as "They might not be able to take the stress this job would bring." In this case, I'd rather be honest, but leave out the extreme scenarios and pick a time where you've been stressed and handled it well. I can't think of another example just now, and I'm sure there must be better ones, but I hope this makes sense.
You need to show them that you pay attention to details. This is a vital skill for crew. For example; in your interviews make it a point to learn the names of the other candidates and the Recruiting Officers and use their names whenever you can. Something as simple as this could go a long way. You could also make sure that you keep track of time. I remember the RO's telling us that we needed to finish our discussions in a certain period of time. Making sure that the group is aware of the time we're taking(without seeming too pedantic and overbearing, of course) is also another way to show the RO's that you pay attention.
They also want to make sure you can follow instructions. If they tell you to tell your group to mention 2 things that interest the person on your left, tell the person on your right very clearly the 2 things required and find out 2 things and if the person elaborates, make sure you point out the 2 things and leave out the unnecessary bits. This is slightly hard because you might think that this may make it seem like you're paying attention and can absorb a lot of information, but if they ask you for something, they want exactly that, nothing more.
Being Friendly is a given. Try to mingle with everyone. Don't be quiet and shy. This isn't the job for you if you are. There was a woman who came in and she was absolutely stunning to look at, very intelligent and spoke very good english for someone from one of them Slavic countries(I don't mean to generalize), but when we were put in groups, she suddenly because very nervous, shy and when asked a question, responded with 1 word answers and didn't come off as if she really wanted to be part of this discussion. She unfortunately got the boot in the first round, and what a shame for she would've been excellent had she not been so reserved. I think this may have been my downfall aswell since I was asked to come into another AD midway where we had no time to feel comfortable or get to know the people we were in groups with other than their names from the stickers since 1 girl and I were the only 2 to make it through to our AD and there weren't enough of us for the next group discussion. Crew work with new faces everyday and this situation is commonplace, so don't make my mistake and try to dissolve effortlessly into your new team. On the other extreme, there was another chap who knew people who worked in EK as crew and a few members of his own family tried for the CC position before so he came in fully confident that he knew everything and that he would get the job. During the first group discussion, he was very arrogant and sometimes condescending. He would interrupt people occasionally to say "YEAH BUT THIS IS WAY IS BETTER!" and he too, despite all his confidence got the boot, and I can only assume it was because he behaved atrociously for someone who might possibly be crew! He also seemed to be very self absorbed and focused on himself and as mentioned before, the "I'm right you're wrong" kind of attitude, which brings me to my next point.
Teamwork is very important, so when in a group discussion, NEVER EVER think that your answer is better and NEVER EVER disagree with anything that clashes with your opinions. Every bit of input is important, and usually the answer isn't important but how you act. Clearly state your answers and NEVER interrupt anyone. Of course this happens by accident, but if you notice yourself doing this, apologize and ask them to continue. If you're in a situation where an idea suggested is absolutely retarded, for example; During my AD we were asked to discuss 2 destinations EK should fly to that it doesn't already and why they should. Someone suggested "Antarctica"...Why? I don't know, her explanation was "Because there it is very cold and the icebergs are everywhere and penguins." This was obviously a very silly location and explanation(everybody was in awe and it went awkwardly quiet for a second) and as stupid as it was, I piped in saying "That's a brilliant idea, but may I suggest a place like Barcelona instead? What do you guys think?" This way I didn't make the other person feel stupid or seem to be to the rest of the group, but suggested something else instead. This will keep your team motivated and encourage others to speak up as well as keep that silly person thinking about something else they could offer instead of how embarrassed they feel because their silly answers suddenly hit home.
Other than this, all you need to do is smile like you never smiled before. Look sharp and make sure you come well prepared. One guy came to the interview slouching and he had drool stains on corners of his lips(or maybe that's just how his skin was??? I'm not so sure), his suit looked as if it had just been rolled out of a ball and he had a really silly distracting label on the back that looked very very tacky. This chap didn't seem very motivated at all and it was very obvious. Don't forget the importance of good posture aswell. It makes you seem so much more motivated and confident.
Do a bit of research before hand so you can ask intelligent questions, unlike one person during my AD who asked "How many times does EK fly to *his home country* because I can't go back and forth so many times and also, how many times can we leave the plane in one day"...seriously... - I might add that this person also got the boot first round. Make sure the RO's know that you know how prestigious EK is with their safety record, their awards for service, their multicultural team, their rapid growth, etc. If you check some news about EK, it might also help and show them that you are on beat with everything happening with EK.
You also need to show them why they need you, not why they're good for you. This doesn't mean you avoid mentioning how great the perks are, or the travel opportunities are, or whatever, just don't dwell on that without putting in why you are good for them in the process.
Don't go in with some sort of strategy and rehearse everything beforehand because you might come to a point out of the script and it might be your downfall, so just keep these things in mind, but be comfortable, be yourself and try to enjoy the experience. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot easier to be genuine this way. I don't know what to expect for the FI since I have only gotten to round 3 of the AD's, but the same should apply. Just remember to look good, be friendly and SMILE. EDIT: If you want to find some more information on the FI's jump back to page 14(or read the post here: http://www.pprune.org/6531362-post273.html)
So lets review and, for those "tl;dr" people here's the whole thing in a nutshell:
- EK usually looks for confident, friendly, approachable people
- Show them that you are a motivated and a positive person
- Be honest but try to not be TOO honest(don't lie, just avoid any unnecessary details which makes you look bad)
- Pay attention to details
- Follow instructions
- Be Friendly
- Teamwork is very important
- Clearly state your answers
- NEVER EVER think that your answer is better and NEVER EVER disagree with anything that clashes with your opinions and NEVER interrupt anyone!
- Look sharp
- Come well prepared
- Don't forget the importance of good posture
- Do a bit of research
- Ask intelligent questions
- Show them why they need you
- Don't go in with some sort of strategy and rehearse everything beforehand
- Be genuine
- Be comfortable, be yourself and try to enjoy the experience
- Most importantly; don't forget to SMILE!
Good luck and I hope this helps!
Last edited by J_sal; 7th Oct 2011 at 11:10.
Join Date: Aug 2011
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you need to be 21+. I'm not so sure how old is "old" according to them, but I heard 35+ is a bit more of a challenge for aspiring EK crew. Keep in mind that this is speculation and not fact.
Join Date: Sep 2011
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I totally agree with you J_sal .... awesome reading that too 
Im not sure of the age limits with EK. I do know that you have to be over 21. A girl who made it to the final interviews with me was 33
I really am not to sure at all but I really believe that, if they love you and feel that you would make an excellent member of their team, they will take you
Oh and at my final interview, I did mention the perks of being a FA for Emirates. Totally agree with J_sal there. Some people think that saying something along the lines of "I would love to be a part of such a prestigeous brand and ofcourse there are the flight perks for myself and my family" I said something along those lines. And they smiled and even went on to add that there family love the perks aswell.
Im not sure of the age limits with EK. I do know that you have to be over 21. A girl who made it to the final interviews with me was 33
I really am not to sure at all but I really believe that, if they love you and feel that you would make an excellent member of their team, they will take you
Oh and at my final interview, I did mention the perks of being a FA for Emirates. Totally agree with J_sal there. Some people think that saying something along the lines of "I would love to be a part of such a prestigeous brand and ofcourse there are the flight perks for myself and my family"
I said something along those lines. And they smiled and even went on to add that there family love the perks aswell.
Join Date: Oct 2011
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IQ/ Patterns Test
Hi there, I had my FI about 2 and a half weeks ago, and my status still says "under review". I have spoken to a couple of people I interviewed with and only one says "approval in progress". The other says "not short-listed" and anothers has no status at all. However, me and another interviewee had to take the IQ/Pattern test and our status still says "under review".
So my question is, is there a longer wait for status's to change for people who took the IQ/ Pattern test?
So my question is, is there a longer wait for status's to change for people who took the IQ/ Pattern test?
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letsgotodubai, I really dont think so. They are so busy right now juggling accomodation and classes and flights and date sof joining. My status still remains under review and I still got my Golden Call. Stay positive
Also to those who received their Golden Call. How long did you have to wait until you received your medical forms,contract etc?
Also to those who received their Golden Call. How long did you have to wait until you received your medical forms,contract etc?
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dubai, UAE
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I don't know why you guys are always so scared if they have received your documents or not... I never was scared of that! Of course, by email they will always received everything, unless you get the email back.
I agree with Bellarina. I think they just take your paperwork to Dubai, and I think that they suggest some people from the FI, maybe the ones that they think are more suitable for the job, and after HR choose a few of the other if they like someone, this is maybe the reason why it takes quite a while for some people.
I was so lucky! I sent all my documents a week after my FI, and received the grooming email 2 days after, I signed and sent it back, and got my GC 4 days after. Exactly 2 weeks!!!
Good luck to everyone!!
I agree with Bellarina. I think they just take your paperwork to Dubai, and I think that they suggest some people from the FI, maybe the ones that they think are more suitable for the job, and after HR choose a few of the other if they like someone, this is maybe the reason why it takes quite a while for some people.
I was so lucky! I sent all my documents a week after my FI, and received the grooming email 2 days after, I signed and sent it back, and got my GC 4 days after. Exactly 2 weeks!!!
Good luck to everyone!!
Join Date: Apr 2011
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I think It has something to do with the resigning from the present employment too... If they need people urgently, they should call first the people with a longer resigning time, because the other ones will need less time once they're called to me ready.... Don't you think so?
Join Date: Aug 2011
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I don't think it depends on the resigning time... I think it depends more on how much they like you or how good you've done the assessment and interview...
Because I was one of the first people who were called from my AD, and I had asked for 2 months to join EK, one for resigning plus an extra one.
Casual pics! That's the key! I don't know why but I think they are very important!
Because I was one of the first people who were called from my AD, and I had asked for 2 months to join EK, one for resigning plus an extra one.
Casual pics! That's the key! I don't know why but I think they are very important!
Join Date: Apr 2011
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Ntello your experience supports my theory... The more time you ask to join... the earlier they call you.... Imagine this...
You ask 15 days to resign.....
I state that I can join ASAP... 1 day....
If they call you first, and then call me... We could be joining at the same time....
If they call me first... And a week later call you.... They will just delay EVEN MORE the date of joining of the ones who need more time to resign... Think about it....
My theory was... The ones with more resigning time, are the first receiving the call...
It makes sense...
You ask 15 days to resign.....
I state that I can join ASAP... 1 day....
If they call you first, and then call me... We could be joining at the same time....
If they call me first... And a week later call you.... They will just delay EVEN MORE the date of joining of the ones who need more time to resign... Think about it....
My theory was... The ones with more resigning time, are the first receiving the call...
It makes sense...
Join Date: Aug 2011
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baccrat It does really make senses.... but at least in my group it wasn't really like that.
Let me tell you my story: we made it to the FI 14 people.
Me and another girl were the first ones to be called - I asked for two months and she could join ASAP, actually she is joining EK next week. When they called me they asked me to join the same date, but they saw that I asked for more time so they told me to join the 31 Oct, which it would be better for me so I got more time, because I am from Spain but I used to live in UK, so I needed time to leave my job, move to Spain, and then get ready to Dubai. So they are quite understandable with your personal situation...
Then they called another girl and another guy, the girl said she could join ASAP, and the guy needed 15 days.
Then they called another guy which could join ASAP as well.
Then they sent the rejection emails to some people.
And then they called to another guy who asked for 2 months to join EK as well...
We made it to the FI 6 girls and 8 boys.... and yes! we are going to Dubai: 2 girls and 4 boys!
It sounds weird, but yes, it's like this!
Let me tell you my story: we made it to the FI 14 people.
Me and another girl were the first ones to be called - I asked for two months and she could join ASAP, actually she is joining EK next week. When they called me they asked me to join the same date, but they saw that I asked for more time so they told me to join the 31 Oct, which it would be better for me so I got more time, because I am from Spain but I used to live in UK, so I needed time to leave my job, move to Spain, and then get ready to Dubai. So they are quite understandable with your personal situation...
Then they called another girl and another guy, the girl said she could join ASAP, and the guy needed 15 days.
Then they called another guy which could join ASAP as well.
Then they sent the rejection emails to some people.
And then they called to another guy who asked for 2 months to join EK as well...
We made it to the FI 6 girls and 8 boys.... and yes! we are going to Dubai: 2 girls and 4 boys!
It sounds weird, but yes, it's like this!
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My story also doesn't make sense with your theory:
1. I was called first in my group and I could join ASAP
2. Another one, who could join ASAP was called second....
and later were called those, who couldn't join asap...so I think they do call first those, who can join asap and then others...but I guess nobody knows for sure!
1. I was called first in my group and I could join ASAP
2. Another one, who could join ASAP was called second....
and later were called those, who couldn't join asap...so I think they do call first those, who can join asap and then others...but I guess nobody knows for sure!
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6 month waiting period
Hi everyone,
I have a quick question. I went to an open day but wasn't short listed for the AD (EK screening day). Do I still have to wait six months to re-apply or can I re-apply for the assessment day in november?
I have a quick question. I went to an open day but wasn't short listed for the AD (EK screening day). Do I still have to wait six months to re-apply or can I re-apply for the assessment day in november?
Join Date: Oct 2011
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Waiting nervously ...good news I think
Carly
I had my FI on 26/8/11 in Manchester. I have been waiting nervously and optimistically for a GC for 6 weeks. I see it took 2 months for you to get yours. Is that normal? I was told I would hear in 4-6 weeks. I don't know whether to try and ring HR in Dubai. Did you just wait for them to call? Vicky. My status has just changed to say I will be contacted by my recruitment coordinator shortly . I am sooooooo excited! Got GC yesterday. DOJ 5/12/11. Anyone with same date?
I had my FI on 26/8/11 in Manchester. I have been waiting nervously and optimistically for a GC for 6 weeks. I see it took 2 months for you to get yours. Is that normal? I was told I would hear in 4-6 weeks. I don't know whether to try and ring HR in Dubai. Did you just wait for them to call? Vicky.
My status has just changed to say I will be contacted by my recruitment coordinator shortly . I am sooooooo excited! Got GC yesterday. DOJ 5/12/11. Anyone with same date?
Last edited by martinbh; 10th Oct 2011 at 19:36. Reason: Update on my application status
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@Happygoluckypta:
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I went to an OD today and they said to us that if we don't hear from them that we must wait 6 months to re-apply. But apply anyway and see what happens, just be honest and tell them. They can't really do anything but give you a fair chance if they messed up!(Someone from the UK did this and got the job 2nd try, before 6 months!)
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I went to an OD today and they said to us that if we don't hear from them that we must wait 6 months to re-apply. But apply anyway and see what happens, just be honest and tell them. They can't really do anything but give you a fair chance if they messed up!(Someone from the UK did this and got the job 2nd try, before 6 months!)