CX Start Date.
 

Dear All,

I did DESO Final Interview in Sep 2008, and got offered the job. However, CX said they would give me confirmation of start date in January. I received a phone call from Recruitment dept. that due to current economic down turns, CX is not yet able to give me any start date, or approximate time frame in which I may expect to start.

My Question;

My current airline does not seem to cope with current falls in demand, and I have not flown for almost 2 months, though still paid. There is a company that offers me a position to fly A320 which I am not rated, and will bond me for 2 years. If I took the job, and during that time CX offers me start date, and I said I am unable because of my bond, would that look bad from CX point of View and would that have any adverse effect to my future employment opportunity with CX?

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
SS

You have three choices:

1. Stay where you are and wait for the call from CX, hope not to be laid off in the meantime. Not a bad option if you are being paid, be sure to stay current, that is your employer's problem and the CX training will bring you back up to speed very quickly.

2. Take the A320 job but when CX give you a start date and should you wish to go to CX then be prepared to pay off your bond and go.

3. Stay with the A320 job.

There are a few on here who will say, "Ignore the bond, do your own thing, bonds are illegal" etc. etc. These sad characters are life's failures and it is they who should be ignored, your decisions and behaviour, particularly in aviation, have a habit of catching you up.

Try and do an educated guess as who knows how things will go with the economic front.If you ask me now is the time to recruit,train and be ready for the next upswing.

I was in a similar position, when I talked to CX, I was told that CX would honor the bond period and hire once out of the bond period... Maybe you should talk to someone in recruitment so you can make the best decision for yourself?

I am guessing that in two years things should be back to normal, but my guess is there will be no new hires this year.... that is what we are getting told, and in the staff magazine that just came out showed zero growth with no new positions.

You could always pay off the bond... other issues to consider are which operator offers you the most secure position? Will your current operator continue to employ staff who are not needed? Which employer is most stable? Does the A320 operator pay enough for you to live off and put away some cash to buy yourself out of your bond?

Tough call, good luck with your decision!

Write CX recruitment team, and ask the question!
I'm sure they will understand your dilemna, and hopefully will point you the next course date, if they know it.
If they don't, they couldn't blame you for taking any secure job there is around!

I would call CX recruiting and talk about it, as well. They have "issues" here at times, as you'll see reflected all over pprune, but to me recruiting and personnel have been completely reasonable. I had concerns with commuting to the US as a DESO and called recruiting. They were totally reasonable and gave me what they viewed as plusses and minuses, that was all. It didn't come across in any way that they were thinking, "Oh, he might not want to come here." I did, I just had a reasonable question about my future and they were cool about it.

On the bond, I don't know how much it is and this is a very different level probably...but I had to pay $5,000USD once to get out of a contract (not quite a bond, just a penalty so to speak, so take that into account). Again, probably much less than what you're talking about, and not a bond. But, having said that, the issue to me is never what it costs you this month or this year. The real issue should be what you earn over the course of your career and where you are happiest working. Happiness at CX is very much (incredibly much!) a personal issue. For me, it's great. Others don't have the same opinion. If you think it's the place for you and can afford to pay the bond and are okay doing so, I would take the job that is secure for now and play things out as you move forward. Humber is right that you can't stay in your current situation very long. They will have to let you go if you're not flying. Then, if CX comes calling, play out your options at that time.

Finally, I don't think the currency issue matters at all. CX will make you current during training. There was a guy in my class who hadn't flown for over six months. I think they care about that in the interview process and probably if it's a couple of years or something, but a few months won't matter.

Good luck!

Dear All,

Many thanks indeed for the valuable suggestions. My other question is, suppose cathay doesn't offer me to start until a year or maybe two years have passed, do I have to do the 742 sim assessment again? or any parts of the second round of screening again?

I rang recruitment to inquire this, and the gentlemen said "not that I know of since I'm in recruitment" That doesn't convince me enough.

Thanks
SS

I was told due to the current conditions the 2year re-interview is not applicable.:ok:

I just asked recruitment many of these same questions. Give them a ring or send them an email. They are a nice bunch and they can't be that busy at the moment really.

Here's what I learned
1. You are good for up to two years from the date of your interview. After that point some reassessment MAY be required.
2. Once they do start hiring first classes will be offered to those swimming the longest in the pool.
3. Nothing in 2009. Best guess 2010 "or beyond".

Seatrump

Had two guys on my interview both of which had been bonded when they had a successful CX interview and both chose to work their bond off, 10 months and 13 months respectively. At end of bond, upon contact with CX both had to repeat their 2nd CX interview/sim and both were rejected after repeating the 2nd interview.

Plenty of other jobs out there if you don't want CX

Silver Spur

10 different people..10 different opinions..so here's mine:

My advice..stay where you are!!

Cathay's "unpaid leave scam" didn't go down very well with most crew,the the next obvious step is " LAST IN - FIRST OUT"..

You say that you don't fly much at your current company,but as a DESO in cx the upgrade time to FO is hovering around 4 years right now! (..bet they told you 18 months during interviews,right!!)

My dear seatrumpeter,I had to smile when you say that "...they are a nice bunch..."
Clearly you haven't been in CX very long,these assholes only SEEM nice mate,they will f:mad: you over at every oppertunity they get!!:\

make that 11:

Actually Paralytic, the sad characters are the companies that break the law and the losers that support them :mad: Aviation is one of ( if not the ) only industries in the world where you have to effectively buy a job, some countries choose to outlaw this and thankfully HK is one of them,. Yes I know, company X invests so much money in you blah blah blah, well In my case I was lied to to leave a good job ( jet job I may add ) in my home country to come here, so I have no trouble sleeping at night.

Now Silver:
I reckon with current economic situation, CX/KA intergration, cadet courses not yet with jobs etc etc and also you don't know where you are in the " pool ", 2 years before CX call you might not be out of the question. You can bet your butt that your current outfit will not continue to pay you for doing nothing for too much longer. If the 320 job is a good one and after X amount of time you get a CX call up, then by all means pay back the bond ( pro rata ) or don't, CX/KA have recently employed many " sad characters " as my mate likes to call us, and I think you will find that they do not give a 5hit, if they did, they would'nt have hired those guys in the 1st place, would they.
Good luck
HKF

Thanks again or the suggestions, It seems like taking up the 320 bond doesn seem all that bad considering the current climate.
thanks heaps guys.

SS

Slap a fan,

Haven't joined at all. So I'll amend my comment "They SEEM like a nice bunch".

Reminds me of this joke
Pick Heaven or Hell
One day while walking down the street a highly successful executive woman was tragically hit by a bus and she died. Her soul arrived up in heaven where she was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself. "Welcome to Heaven," said St.Peter. "Before you get settled in though, it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we've never once had an executive make it this far and we're not really sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in." said the woman.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have higher orders. What we're going to do is let you have a day in Hell and a day in Heaven and then you can choose whichever one you want to spend an eternity in."

"Actually, I think I've made up my mind...I prefer to stay in Heaven", said the woman.

"Sorry, we have rules..." And with that St. Peter put the executive in an elevator and it went down-down-down to hell. The doors opened and she found herself stepping out onto the putting green of a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club and standing in front of her were all her friends - fellow executives that she had worked with and they were all dressed in evening gowns and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of golf and at night went to the country club where she enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner. She met the Devil who was actually a really nice guy (kinda cute) and she had a great time telling jokes and dancing. She was having such a good time that before she knew it, it was time to leave. Everybody shook her hand and waved good- bye as she got on the elevator.

The elevator went up-up-up and opened back up at the Pearly Gates and found St. Peter waiting for her. "Now it's time to spend a day in heaven," he said.

So she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing. She had a great time and before she knew it her 24 hours were up and St. Peter came and got her.

"So, you've spent a day in hell and you've spent a day in heaven. Now you must choose your eternity," he said.

The woman paused for a second and then replied, "Well, I never thought I'd say this, I mean, Heaven has been really great and all, but I think I had a better time in Hell."

So St. Peter escorted her to the elevator and again she went down-down-down back to Hell. When the doors of the elevator opened she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland covered in garbage and Filth. She saw her friends were dressed in rags and were picking up the garbage and putting it in sacks. The Devil came up to her and put his arm around her. "I don't understand," stammered the woman, "yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a country club and we ate lobster and we danced and had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable."

The Devil looked at her and smiled. "Yesterday we were recruiting you; today you're staff."

:D:D:D reminds me of my first day in the headland..

Take the 320 job, it's better than waiting around to join CX then wondering everyday if they'll either issue mandatory unpaid leave or start chopping ppl on a first-in-first-out basis. Either way, as a new joiner u're probably the one who's gonna get the shaft.