OAT selection interview
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OAT selection interview
Hi, I've got the OAT APP selection process coming up in a few weeks and I was just wondering if there was anyone out there who has been through the selection, and could tell me specifics about questions they ask in the interview and what they get you to do specifically in the group exercises and sim. I would love to know exactly what I need to prepare for!
Thanks a lot
MJ.
Thanks a lot
MJ.
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Hiya,
Did the selection a few months ago. Is a good few days out. Day 1 is computer based psychometric style testing. Ususal sort of thing. Day 2 is a group excersise which again is very much what you would do at a job interview selection for example. All about communication and how you go about resolving situations. Day 3 was the sim in the morning which is quite good fun. All steep turns, climbs, descents on instruments whilst having all sorts of questions fired at you. Then the interview is more of a chat about your hopes and aspirations and why you want to attend the APP etc etc. Make sure you have an idea of how you're going to pay for it though, Everyone at Oxford is really nice and you will be made to feel more than welcome there.
Good luck!
Did the selection a few months ago. Is a good few days out. Day 1 is computer based psychometric style testing. Ususal sort of thing. Day 2 is a group excersise which again is very much what you would do at a job interview selection for example. All about communication and how you go about resolving situations. Day 3 was the sim in the morning which is quite good fun. All steep turns, climbs, descents on instruments whilst having all sorts of questions fired at you. Then the interview is more of a chat about your hopes and aspirations and why you want to attend the APP etc etc. Make sure you have an idea of how you're going to pay for it though, Everyone at Oxford is really nice and you will be made to feel more than welcome there.
Good luck!
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Thanks a lot, a great help. Could I be cheeky though and ask for some specific examples of questions in the interview and scenarios to solve in the group exercises?
Are you going to accept and join OAT? Let's hope I'll see you there soon!!
Cheers,
Matt.
Are you going to accept and join OAT? Let's hope I'll see you there soon!!
Cheers,
Matt.
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To be honest, I can't remember exactly what we talked about in the group excersises!! It's the usual example of 10 people in a balloon and only 9 parachutes, know what I mean? No correct answers just sit back and think about what you need to say and how to interact with everyone, easy!
Interview is all about why you want to fly, why you want to go to Oxford, why the APP, how you will fund it, whether you think you can hack the intense workload (and it IS intense) but provided you have enough faith and confidence in yourself, you'll be fine. It's no use lying because a) they'll find you out and b) you'll screw yourself over when it comes to the groundschool!!
Just enjoy the assesment. Have a good chat with everyone else on the assesment and meet up for a few beers, there are some lush pubs near the airfield. Remember, you might be flying with them a few years down the line and if you ever want a job in the first place, you need to get to know as many pilots as possible! You never know, their uncle's dog's previous owner might be Richard Branson.
Am off to the APP next month, looking forward to it big time. Already know people on it who have never looked back.
Interview is all about why you want to fly, why you want to go to Oxford, why the APP, how you will fund it, whether you think you can hack the intense workload (and it IS intense) but provided you have enough faith and confidence in yourself, you'll be fine. It's no use lying because a) they'll find you out and b) you'll screw yourself over when it comes to the groundschool!!
Just enjoy the assesment. Have a good chat with everyone else on the assesment and meet up for a few beers, there are some lush pubs near the airfield. Remember, you might be flying with them a few years down the line and if you ever want a job in the first place, you need to get to know as many pilots as possible! You never know, their uncle's dog's previous owner might be Richard Branson.
Am off to the APP next month, looking forward to it big time. Already know people on it who have never looked back.
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Seriously, don't worry. If you've got the money, and you have a pulse, and as long as you're not too uncoordinated and can string a few sentences together in English, then they aint gonna turn you away. What you've said makes it sounds like a sponsorship selection. Remember, you're paying them 60,000. You should be the one testing them too see if they're good enough and are worth the money.
I think the only reason why they have what would appear to be stringent entry requirements and a selection process, is to make you feel good so you'll hand over your money more willingly.
Best bet is though is not too get too uptight during the day. Try and relax and enjoy it and Im sure you'll be be fine.
Oh, does anyone know anyone who has been refused entry to Oxford or any of the other big schools? Would be interesting to know.
Good luck!
I think the only reason why they have what would appear to be stringent entry requirements and a selection process, is to make you feel good so you'll hand over your money more willingly.
Best bet is though is not too get too uptight during the day. Try and relax and enjoy it and Im sure you'll be be fine.
Oh, does anyone know anyone who has been refused entry to Oxford or any of the other big schools? Would be interesting to know.
Good luck!
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Thanks a lot guys for your replies, they make me feel a lot better, but I'm still gonna try and prepare thoroughly so to give myself the best chance. The thing is, I'm not exactly sure how I need to prepare, any ideas? What did you do to prepare? How are you paying for it? Is it easy to get a full HSBC loan? What sort of details do they want in the interview of how one is paying for the course - to me it seems pretty simple; loan or own money in varying proportions.....no?
Cheers,
Matt.
Cheers,
Matt.
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Seriously, they are interviewing you to pay upwards of 60k at a school where the instructors are on 25% pay cuts....I suppose they are trying to trade out of the lul, but the amount of marketing bull coming out of there nowawadays as is laughable. They are filling their pants that CTC is taking 'their' market by dealing with lesser airlines than BMI and BA.....Rod Wren must have laughed all the way to the bank when he left Oxford for CTC and set up the scheme, good luck to him.
Lets face it, their APP or new 'LPP' is a poor attempt at mimicking the CTC 'Wings' scheme, difference is they dont have any customers....and they cant do your type rating. So guess what, your 60k doesn't include that, CTC's does....
I just find it amusing they actually have the barefaced cheek to stand there and 'interview' you for something that you have to pay so through the nose for with no proven or even half promise of a job...Just Mike Taylor, firing out the odd email update on Air Asia who he hasn't been able to get hold of....not suprising when they are getting what they want from parc now.....not too up on current affairs are we Mikey?
Sure when you are there and everyone else is there smiling being nice to each other with Dad and Mom, it all seems normal and a good place to be. There is that warm feeling that you are being taken care of. All will be OK. Look at all these professional looking people with shirts, ties and cub scout epalettes (sp?)
The only thing keeping OATS going at the moment is the tireless work of the instructors.
There have been many resignations over the last few months and the aforementioned paycuts to their instructors. Bear this in mind while they smile and tell you this is the best place to be and airlines prefer Integrated students.....honest..... oh and by the way CTC's Wings scheme is Modular.
I am in no doubt many of the guys and girls on the APP will get jobs through their own hard work simply because many of them made such a commitment, rather than supposed superior training they would have received anywhere they chose to go. I hate to state the obvious but CPL/IR is mainly about the quality of instruction you get. You will get this at Oxford as they have many excellent instructors, but so do a lot of other schools at a lot less cost! True, Oxofrd has nice aircraft, good instructors and it is a nice place to be but you pay through the nose for it and it is questionable whether you learn any more as a result of being there. Nearest ILS is a 20 min transit which at 350+VAT per hour adds up, thats if you ever get in the aircraft as 40 hours are now in the FNPT II King Air's oh..puh...sorry I mean Senecas.
If you are going there purely because you think this scheme is going to get you a job, think again. With the money saved you could live for a whole year thinking about it and still have some left over for a type rating.
Sure, some integrated guys got into Ryanair through Oxford last year. Another 20k on top of their Oxford Loan....great....
When they 'interview' you (i.e. ask how you are going to fund it), just ask them how things are their end?
Lets face it, their APP or new 'LPP' is a poor attempt at mimicking the CTC 'Wings' scheme, difference is they dont have any customers....and they cant do your type rating. So guess what, your 60k doesn't include that, CTC's does....
I just find it amusing they actually have the barefaced cheek to stand there and 'interview' you for something that you have to pay so through the nose for with no proven or even half promise of a job...Just Mike Taylor, firing out the odd email update on Air Asia who he hasn't been able to get hold of....not suprising when they are getting what they want from parc now.....not too up on current affairs are we Mikey?
Sure when you are there and everyone else is there smiling being nice to each other with Dad and Mom, it all seems normal and a good place to be. There is that warm feeling that you are being taken care of. All will be OK. Look at all these professional looking people with shirts, ties and cub scout epalettes (sp?)
The only thing keeping OATS going at the moment is the tireless work of the instructors.
There have been many resignations over the last few months and the aforementioned paycuts to their instructors. Bear this in mind while they smile and tell you this is the best place to be and airlines prefer Integrated students.....honest..... oh and by the way CTC's Wings scheme is Modular.
I am in no doubt many of the guys and girls on the APP will get jobs through their own hard work simply because many of them made such a commitment, rather than supposed superior training they would have received anywhere they chose to go. I hate to state the obvious but CPL/IR is mainly about the quality of instruction you get. You will get this at Oxford as they have many excellent instructors, but so do a lot of other schools at a lot less cost! True, Oxofrd has nice aircraft, good instructors and it is a nice place to be but you pay through the nose for it and it is questionable whether you learn any more as a result of being there. Nearest ILS is a 20 min transit which at 350+VAT per hour adds up, thats if you ever get in the aircraft as 40 hours are now in the FNPT II King Air's oh..puh...sorry I mean Senecas.
If you are going there purely because you think this scheme is going to get you a job, think again. With the money saved you could live for a whole year thinking about it and still have some left over for a type rating.
Sure, some integrated guys got into Ryanair through Oxford last year. Another 20k on top of their Oxford Loan....great....
When they 'interview' you (i.e. ask how you are going to fund it), just ask them how things are their end?
Last edited by TRon; 28th Sep 2004 at 23:09.
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This is one of the best summaries of Oxford's "talents" that I have heard for some while! Take your money off you quite happily and then spend the entire time treating you (the customer !?) like some sort of petulant puppy if one shread of their "excellent service" should be to your dislike. One of the worst examples of corporate management that I have ever seen. Particularly successful was their Texas fair weather base situated in tornado alley and with a paltry number of aircraft. Oh but it was cheap. Charge Oxford prices and pay out peanuts. All backed up by a lousy accomodation racket. First class.
All this is immaterial of course because graduates will all 'succeed through their experience'! Whack OAT on the CV and just wait for the jobs to start rolling in.
All this is immaterial of course because graduates will all 'succeed through their experience'! Whack OAT on the CV and just wait for the jobs to start rolling in.
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I have no doubt that those going there will have good time, get good training and ultimately, like so many others come out qualified to fATPL standard into the real world..just like over 1000 others at the moment!
The main problem, in my opinion, is it is vastly overpriced and the 'value added' they talk about is of limited value to the airlines, despite what they tell you. They get the report from GAPAN where airlines state a preference of what qualities they look for in an FO. Suddenly this springs up in their course, they relabel it, and charge another 10k saying this is the product airlines want, but have they taken any of this superior product?
So you get a seminar about life as an airline pilot, get classes on doing a good PA. Go to visit Rolls Royce, BA Cranebank and do some charity work. Great, but are you suddenly First Officer material? Can you really fly a 737? Who Knows until the end when you do you JOC....on another FNPT II from Schocktronix (sorry I mean Mechtronix)
This APP may well get your an interview, you might cock that up. A Sim ride, again you might cock that up. Their assesment of you in their sim doesn't mean anything, because you are having to do another, possibly on another type, so as for it preparing you for anything is of limited value. At least with CTC, you do AQC and for almost all the airlines they select for you dont need to do a sim ride and or have a formal interview/psychometric test they have dealt with CTC before and know the product, and it is backed up by CTC taking the financial risk on you the pilot. That means a lot. Oxford are not offering anything other than the blind hope that one of the majors who they have dealt with in the past whoes recruitment manager has long since been culled in the last round of cost cutting will deal with them again. And by 'Them' we mean Mike Taylor. What a shining light for you the customer as your middle man.
I would say a guy/girl who has been working in ops for 6 months has a better understanding of life as an airline pilot and airline ops than any First Officer Fundementals week, followed by a presentation of two gold bars to further segregate the APP from the rest of Oxford's customers.
BBA paid upwards of 40million for Oxford. Sure that included the airport. But it cant take much more than a Falcon and is a Non-Precision approach add to that a narrow runway with no hope of an ILS due to planning constraints. That is a hell of a lot for what is no more than a Commercial Flying school that is not a TRTO. They have huge fixed costs and need punters rolling through the door thick and fast which they just arent at the moment. Oxford's answer, advertise more and cut the instructors wages. Net result, instructors leave....I would say that they are the only thing keeping the place going at the moment, oh and all the hot air being pumped out of the marketing dept. Which I have to say is very convincing and very professional, but then that is why they are paid so much, and the poor guys flying the line are taking the brunt....but then that's life as a pilot these days I guess, we always know better than management
If you take one thing from this, to anyone thinking of going to Oxford for APP, or LPP go in with your eyes open. Dont be sold to by some very convincing people. If you think I am being cynical read the top paragraph. Just remember there are other places where you can 'suceed through their experience'.....
The main problem, in my opinion, is it is vastly overpriced and the 'value added' they talk about is of limited value to the airlines, despite what they tell you. They get the report from GAPAN where airlines state a preference of what qualities they look for in an FO. Suddenly this springs up in their course, they relabel it, and charge another 10k saying this is the product airlines want, but have they taken any of this superior product?
So you get a seminar about life as an airline pilot, get classes on doing a good PA. Go to visit Rolls Royce, BA Cranebank and do some charity work. Great, but are you suddenly First Officer material? Can you really fly a 737? Who Knows until the end when you do you JOC....on another FNPT II from Schocktronix (sorry I mean Mechtronix)
This APP may well get your an interview, you might cock that up. A Sim ride, again you might cock that up. Their assesment of you in their sim doesn't mean anything, because you are having to do another, possibly on another type, so as for it preparing you for anything is of limited value. At least with CTC, you do AQC and for almost all the airlines they select for you dont need to do a sim ride and or have a formal interview/psychometric test they have dealt with CTC before and know the product, and it is backed up by CTC taking the financial risk on you the pilot. That means a lot. Oxford are not offering anything other than the blind hope that one of the majors who they have dealt with in the past whoes recruitment manager has long since been culled in the last round of cost cutting will deal with them again. And by 'Them' we mean Mike Taylor. What a shining light for you the customer as your middle man.
I would say a guy/girl who has been working in ops for 6 months has a better understanding of life as an airline pilot and airline ops than any First Officer Fundementals week, followed by a presentation of two gold bars to further segregate the APP from the rest of Oxford's customers.
BBA paid upwards of 40million for Oxford. Sure that included the airport. But it cant take much more than a Falcon and is a Non-Precision approach add to that a narrow runway with no hope of an ILS due to planning constraints. That is a hell of a lot for what is no more than a Commercial Flying school that is not a TRTO. They have huge fixed costs and need punters rolling through the door thick and fast which they just arent at the moment. Oxford's answer, advertise more and cut the instructors wages. Net result, instructors leave....I would say that they are the only thing keeping the place going at the moment, oh and all the hot air being pumped out of the marketing dept. Which I have to say is very convincing and very professional, but then that is why they are paid so much, and the poor guys flying the line are taking the brunt....but then that's life as a pilot these days I guess, we always know better than management
If you take one thing from this, to anyone thinking of going to Oxford for APP, or LPP go in with your eyes open. Dont be sold to by some very convincing people. If you think I am being cynical read the top paragraph. Just remember there are other places where you can 'suceed through their experience'.....
Last edited by TRon; 29th Sep 2004 at 10:00.
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Ok, all taken in, thanks for the replies - quite remarkable. I didn't know any of this and why not? Where should I find out further about such courses? Why are you so bitter about it all, and did you go through this course or selection process? I tried CTC a few months ago but was unsuccessful, so what other approved alternatives do I have? What is your and others' general view on Cabair and Jerez - aren't they roughly the same price? Are your views the views of most trainee pilots? So why is modular better than integrated?
Thanks, you've just got me all confused now!!
MJ.
Thanks, you've just got me all confused now!!
MJ.
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Modular is anywhere between £25,000 and £40,000 cheaper than being interviewed to pay someone to provide you with a service. Modular allows a bit more flexibility (you can pick and mix your training providers for example) for you and can be completed in a shorer time than an integrated course.
The differences between integrated and modular are well documented in this thread
The end result is exactly the same whether you do your training via the modular or integrated route. You will be the proud posessor of a wee blue book.
I still cannot figure out why Oxford feel they can charge so much extra, and have the audacity to "select" people, for fluffy add-on bits to an integrated course that have little practical value when it comes to getting a flying job.
The differences between integrated and modular are well documented in this thread
The end result is exactly the same whether you do your training via the modular or integrated route. You will be the proud posessor of a wee blue book.
I still cannot figure out why Oxford feel they can charge so much extra, and have the audacity to "select" people, for fluffy add-on bits to an integrated course that have little practical value when it comes to getting a flying job.
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Sorry, I dont want this to turn into another Modular vs Integrated debate. Make sure you seek out all your alternatives first as it seems you havent explored all your avenues yet. Oxford for many just seems like throwing money at a problem to me, a hell of a lot.
I am not bitter about the place I just find it hard to accept what they are doing and quite obviously they are scooping up those that either dont pass what little 'sponsorship' there is (and dont feel bad that you failed, many many do!! I did!!) or those that see it in the back of flyer, and looks like the best place without seeking out all the other alternatives.
But to be honest, speak to a modular student, he'll tell you thats best, speak to an integrated guy he'll tell you integrated is best. Bottom line is you'll save a hell of a lot going modular. Integrated is certainly not going to close any doors for you.
Best of luck with your choices, dont be another naive fool who parts with his money and believes Oxford are going to make it all right, and they'll be jobs for everyone. Long and the short of it, you have a hard 2 years ahead, but enjoy them whatever you choose!!
I am not bitter about the place I just find it hard to accept what they are doing and quite obviously they are scooping up those that either dont pass what little 'sponsorship' there is (and dont feel bad that you failed, many many do!! I did!!) or those that see it in the back of flyer, and looks like the best place without seeking out all the other alternatives.
But to be honest, speak to a modular student, he'll tell you thats best, speak to an integrated guy he'll tell you integrated is best. Bottom line is you'll save a hell of a lot going modular. Integrated is certainly not going to close any doors for you.
Best of luck with your choices, dont be another naive fool who parts with his money and believes Oxford are going to make it all right, and they'll be jobs for everyone. Long and the short of it, you have a hard 2 years ahead, but enjoy them whatever you choose!!
