BALPA 2007 EOC Conference
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 38
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am starting the Integrated course at Cabair on 2nd November so look forward to speaking to your guys. If I can find you!
I am going this year as a means for information and gathering contacts within the industry. I will probably attend next year as I would have just about finished my course.
FMS
I am going this year as a means for information and gathering contacts within the industry. I will probably attend next year as I would have just about finished my course.
FMS
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 38
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is there information to collect from airline stands or is it all verbal?
Any advice for someone who is about to start training and therefore not in an immediate position to start looking for a job but still wants to get the most out of the day?
Thanks
FMS
Any advice for someone who is about to start training and therefore not in an immediate position to start looking for a job but still wants to get the most out of the day?
Thanks
FMS
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Deepest Warwickshire
Age: 47
Posts: 932
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have a cunning plan about the entrance fee, so I may be going if nothing else to get my bum into gear by 1. forcing myself to do a CV beforehand so getting it completed and 2. start talking to people.
Can we have a show of hands of PPRuNers who are going please?
Can we have a show of hands of PPRuNers who are going please?
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: London
Age: 49
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FMS Data - would strongly recomend you go. Its ideal for someone in your position; someone who is just starting training and is some time away from job hunting as the day is more geared to information gathering rather than getting interviews.
My experience of the 2005 EOC was that the information you get will allow you to start planning job hunting for when the time comes, but it is not so great if you are midway though job hunting process and hoping to network your way into an interview chair.
The information deleivered at the presentations was all fairly similar from every airline "we have recruited fully for this year, and next year's low hours FOs will come from an arrangement we have with CTC/Oxford/FTE". (to put this into context, the airline that eventually offered me a job about 6 weeks later swore blind at the EOC that all vacancies for the year were full!)
Afterward the presentations you get to meet the guys in charge of recuitment at the airlines on a one to one basis. This is the point when most people aim to **dazzle** the airline reps and swing an interview. No doubt this can happen, but most of the airline reps I met had long queues of people all eager to impress so the reps had their defences correspondingly high.
To summarise; great for someone at groundschool stage who is looking at who to eventuslly target when the time comes, and what criteria these people will be after, not so good if you are hoping to outshine the hundreds of other low hours guys and make an impression.
Either way, good luck with the job hunting.
My experience of the 2005 EOC was that the information you get will allow you to start planning job hunting for when the time comes, but it is not so great if you are midway though job hunting process and hoping to network your way into an interview chair.
The information deleivered at the presentations was all fairly similar from every airline "we have recruited fully for this year, and next year's low hours FOs will come from an arrangement we have with CTC/Oxford/FTE". (to put this into context, the airline that eventually offered me a job about 6 weeks later swore blind at the EOC that all vacancies for the year were full!)
Afterward the presentations you get to meet the guys in charge of recuitment at the airlines on a one to one basis. This is the point when most people aim to **dazzle** the airline reps and swing an interview. No doubt this can happen, but most of the airline reps I met had long queues of people all eager to impress so the reps had their defences correspondingly high.
To summarise; great for someone at groundschool stage who is looking at who to eventuslly target when the time comes, and what criteria these people will be after, not so good if you are hoping to outshine the hundreds of other low hours guys and make an impression.
Either way, good luck with the job hunting.
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 1,091
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I went to the conference last year, and used it as a good opportunity to ask lots of questions to various chief pilots and recruiters regarding Type Ratings and routes into airlines. I had the Flybe man look at my CV and give me some advise on its content which was useful. I also had a chat with the boss of BAs recruitment man, as well as chatting with a few other wannabes. Last years conference was full of military guys wanting to go to civvy street, and a whole bunch of low houred chaps.
I'm not going this year, since I'm not looking to move on from my current employer, but this is my advise to get the most out of it:
1) Wear a suit. I didn't last year, and went in a shirt and chinos and felt a bit of a plonker.
2) Identify which company you want to speak to early on, and while everyone is getting their lunch, head for the stand you most want a job from, and importantly, make sure it's the people who are hiring your type of experience. If you leave it too late, the queues get huge and you end up waiting for 1-2 hrs to talk. Have your lunch a bit later. Balpa do a good job of identifying who is after low-houred guys. Last year it was Jet2 (my current employer) and BMI-baby. Leave Virgin, Cathay, China Airlines etc to the guys with experience, and when they are empty go and have your chat about the industry and get their thoughts.
3) Mingle. If your not the mingling type, remember you paid good money to be there....
4) When you do get to the front of the queue, have your greeting, banter and first question ready.
I'm not going this year, since I'm not looking to move on from my current employer, but this is my advise to get the most out of it:
1) Wear a suit. I didn't last year, and went in a shirt and chinos and felt a bit of a plonker.
2) Identify which company you want to speak to early on, and while everyone is getting their lunch, head for the stand you most want a job from, and importantly, make sure it's the people who are hiring your type of experience. If you leave it too late, the queues get huge and you end up waiting for 1-2 hrs to talk. Have your lunch a bit later. Balpa do a good job of identifying who is after low-houred guys. Last year it was Jet2 (my current employer) and BMI-baby. Leave Virgin, Cathay, China Airlines etc to the guys with experience, and when they are empty go and have your chat about the industry and get their thoughts.
3) Mingle. If your not the mingling type, remember you paid good money to be there....
4) When you do get to the front of the queue, have your greeting, banter and first question ready.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 762
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jobs
The question to ask is how many new F/ATPL'rs people who attended actually got an interview/job from the experience.
I am not convinced its of any real use for low houred no experience people.
I also think its a money maker for BALPA. Did someone mention £60!
How about making it free to people looking for their first job/still in training.
I am not convinced its of any real use for low houred no experience people.
I also think its a money maker for BALPA. Did someone mention £60!
How about making it free to people looking for their first job/still in training.
Educated Hillbilly
It is of very limited use the EOC. Bearing in mind that as most airlines have switched to on line application forms (e.g. Flybe) then you will find there is only about two or three operators there that will take CVs from non-airline experienced / low hour pilots; the queue to hand in your CV at these will be several hours long.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: EU
Posts: 961
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
poor guys!!, this balpa conference is mainly used for airlines to see how desperate we are, and base on that they can level up or down their selections and T & C .
you may think it is used to find and see pilots like a road show,no it is not, with hundred of CV coming every month on their desk, do you think they need to do extra work at this Balpa conference.
so why do they come?answer: to sell their training program. Yes airlines now get a bonus each time they send students to a TRTO.Airline are not only a company but a company affiliated to TRTO.
by boycotting this, you save time and a udge amount of money that could be used for stamps and telephone calls.
I boycotted them, and I have even canceled by Balpa membership, and now I have 1 airline who want see me, and 2 other airlines in these coming months.How did I get these interviews, I sent them my CV. that's all.
recently I have been in a big big meeting for corporate jets , I paid 60 quids, for this money I talked to some persons, jumped in cockpit planes during 2 days and I have had lot of fun(there were 30-40 planes on the tarmac)and of course I gave my CV.
you may think it is used to find and see pilots like a road show,no it is not, with hundred of CV coming every month on their desk, do you think they need to do extra work at this Balpa conference.
so why do they come?answer: to sell their training program. Yes airlines now get a bonus each time they send students to a TRTO.Airline are not only a company but a company affiliated to TRTO.
by boycotting this, you save time and a udge amount of money that could be used for stamps and telephone calls.
I boycotted them, and I have even canceled by Balpa membership, and now I have 1 airline who want see me, and 2 other airlines in these coming months.How did I get these interviews, I sent them my CV. that's all.
recently I have been in a big big meeting for corporate jets , I paid 60 quids, for this money I talked to some persons, jumped in cockpit planes during 2 days and I have had lot of fun(there were 30-40 planes on the tarmac)and of course I gave my CV.
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Warwickshire UK
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Balpa membership
Bit shortsighted cancelling your membership, even if you dont want to go to the conference, Balpa, as I am sure you are aware is not just about finding people jobs (or rather should I say running conferences etc)...however thats your choice...just my thoughts.
Dougy
Dougy
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 38
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Suit?
Did everybody last year wear suits? Reason I am asking is have never needed a suit as I have mainly been in education! I was going to start my 'collection' when I completed my ATPL next year but would you guys recommend getting one for the EOC?
I don't want to feel like an idiot!
Many Thanks
FMS
I don't want to feel like an idiot!
Many Thanks
FMS
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: In t'sky
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seems maybe a bit far to buy a whole suit for the conference, Just wear trousers shirt and tie and you should be ok - looking smart and employable is the aim of the game, not looking like a clone.
Incidentally, I possibly will be trying to offload my ticket for this saturday so if someone wants a ticket PM me - I will accept any reasonable offers unless I can secure a refund.
Horgy
Incidentally, I possibly will be trying to offload my ticket for this saturday so if someone wants a ticket PM me - I will accept any reasonable offers unless I can secure a refund.
Horgy
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: S England
Age: 54
Posts: 320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do BALPA produce any notes or feedback on the event? I joined BALPA earlier in the year purely to secure a place at this year's EOC. Now I'm stuck in the desert for another week or so and will miss it!
A DVD of the speakers would be great, but not sure it BALPA are that technically advanced!!
A DVD of the speakers would be great, but not sure it BALPA are that technically advanced!!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Berkshire, UK
Age: 38
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks guys, I'll be attending in my Shirt and Tie!
So I should be easy to find if anyone wants a beer after! - atleast I'll stand out in the employer's eyes!
FMS
So I should be easy to find if anyone wants a beer after! - atleast I'll stand out in the employer's eyes!
FMS
