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Emirates (EK) Interview - all you need to know about it (threads merged)

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Emirates (EK) Interview - all you need to know about it (threads merged)

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Old 26th Apr 2006, 04:45
  #561 (permalink)  
 
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g4,

Shake's post is in my opinion honest and correct - if I may, here are few more points to think about.

THE CALLING: You seem surprised to be getting the call with RJ time. I mean no disrespect in the following comment, but the reason YOU are being invited to an interview is simply that EK are VERY short on pilots and no longer in a position to attract guys with "heavy" time only. Crew scheduling is literally taking guys off tomorrows flights to crew todays!

UPGRADES: When the whole DEC saga started, EK offered DEC's a starting salary which was higher than a year 1 Captain, ie higher than an FO who had just upgraded. This, we were told, was to attract the experienced heavy time guys out there to Emirates and to maintain the standard. The truth is that with the rising cost of living in Dubai, applications on a ****y year 1 Capt salary were very, VERY low, so to attract suitable candidates and the package had to be improved. To pay a brand new DEC more than an existing Captain was to say the least a slap in the face and a demeaning gesture not taken lightly by the Captain body. Those DEC's that came took advantage of an opportunity that was presented to them and I'm sure any of us would have done the same. In the same way that you are being called from a RJ position, EK have started employing narrow body (B737 etc) guys as DEC's. The "heavy time" guys have come, seen that the golden apple was actually rotten inside and told their mates!

Some time ago the company formed a "policy" (good EK word meaning nothing) that no transition upgrades would take place. It cost them too much money. If you were a Boeing FO, you would stay a Boeing FO until a Capt slot became available on a Boeing. In the mean time Airbus FO's your junior would get commands ahead of you effectively loosing YOU money. But that's OK, it was cost neutral to the company. Transition upgrades have been re-introduced (Wonder why? It's our policy that we can change the policy). So who knows how long the average time to upgrade will be? My feeling is that with the A380 coming things should pick up.

ACCOMMODATION: Probably the WORST department in the company that will do everything that is illogical in an effort to make people unhappy. To add to Shake's post, FO's with kids get a villa too.

CAN YOU LIVE ON A FO SALARY: Yes, but I wouldn't be dining out too many times a week.

TRAINING:No, not like Cathay. A few rocket scientists out there who feel they need to re-invent the wheel to be noticed, but the majority of guys are down to earth and there to help.

HOW TO GET TO DUBAI: Fly Emirates of course. Take the opportunity to talk to the cabin crew and get a feeling of how they see you - the pilot. Again some good ones, but also some very young kids in the back of our planes with very big ego's. Courtesy and respect can be lacking, especially from males from certain parts of the world which border the Mediterranean. Teamwork is something that is discussed at length in the classroom and endured on the plane. Team spirit is virtually non-existent.

Good luck with you decision.

Last edited by Warlock2000; 26th Apr 2006 at 05:21.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 05:59
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It is very important that you bring your wife with you for the interview. If she gets here and decides she hates Dubai you will be very miserable and commuting from America is not an option. While you are being assessed she will have a chance to look around the supermarkets/shops etc to get a feel for the cost of living and you will both be able to decide if you can live on an F/Os salary for the 7 or so years an upgrade will take. (It can be done but it won't be an extravagant lifestyle.) There is a good website called www.grapeshisha.com which has some excellent and accurate spreadsheets about the cost of living in Dubai.

If she want to work get her to have a look in the appointment section of the Gulf News so she can check out what she might earn.

Have a look at the Properties/Freehold section in the same paper so if you end up hating the company villa/apartment (I didn't like it and moved out within about 6 months- that can be a saga in itself) you can see how far the utilities allowance (as it is called) will go. The answer will be not very, but for me it was a quality of life issue.

Finally, by the middle of next month we will all know about this year's profit share and payrise. That should help you to make a decision.

Last edited by BigGeordie; 26th Apr 2006 at 08:32.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 06:08
  #563 (permalink)  
 
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Shake & Warlock are pretty well spot on.
Talk to as many pilots as you can in private, when you come here. There is a simple equation of happiness (and yes it is a generalisation).
The longer you have been here = The unhappier you are
This is simply because the newer guys have not been shafted as often and are still in the honeymoon period.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 06:24
  #564 (permalink)  
 
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Study Marerial

Hi iflyg4...
Here is where you may be able to get those books
AVIATION WORLD Toronto Canada
1.800.668.1987
416.674.5959
www.aviationworld.net

[email protected]

Emirates Interview is Good Also I would recommend
Ace The Technical Pilot Interview

All the best in your decesion.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 07:35
  #565 (permalink)  
 
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Devil Some more links to keep you informed

Good Info from all above heres a few more links Shake told it much as it is
BigGeordies link is nearly correct here's the correct version http://www.grapeshisha.com
Your partner will find some good information here on Dubai http://www.expatwoman.com/

One of the Pilots has an excellent web site with a break down of pairings flown on both Airbus and Boeing Fleets along with a spreedsheet for working out any overtime. Often questions are asked here on what your roster is like so the pairings will give you a rough idea whats available.

Click here for a break down on Actual Overnight allowances....nothing to brag about.

Agree with comments about Accommodation. Its the real wild card in the pack. My case I was shown a fantastic villa at the interview however the end product bore no resemblance so I took the Utilities Allowance and moved out. The Utilities Allowance will not let you obtain a similar EK Villa and pay for Electricity, water and gas and tax to the Dubai municipality, its not enough by a long shot.
If your after a map to locate the many Real Estate projects and where EK may send you this is not too bad however it is a MB PDF file and needs some updating. The company will mention the Silicon Oasis there is a thread on the board here

The local newspapers give you a good feel for whats happening here in Dubai all though you will need to read between the lines as despite the "official" line there is Government Censorship practiced at all levels. The 7 days paper is the closest you will find to scratching below the surface.

Read the letters to the editor section in the 7 Days
Main Papers are Gulf News here you will read first where Emirates will be flying to next and what the future plans are of the airline. Forget about hearing anything from our management in a timely fashion.
Another Government paper is The Emirates Today which you can also pick up free along with another freebie the 7Days which is good to read along with your Star bucks

You will find that Emirates will change the "Goal Posts" in regard to your terms and conditions many posts on this web board will enlighten you and unfortunately having something in black and white on a piece of paper is no guarantee either.

Good luck in your decision making process.

Don't be surprised if it takes a while to co-ordinate a response.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 07:46
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Iflyg4,

If your making "decent money" and living in the states, why do you want to come to the sand pit? The attraction of flying heavy jets isoon wears off.

Only come if you think your lifestyle or career is going to improve. If the cash is pretty much the same in terms of disposable income and you live in a nice part of the states call me, I'll swap with you now.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 08:14
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Iflyg4: In case you were wondering about the picture in uplock's post, that's the new standard seating arrangement at crew scheduling!They are now so busy trying to find pilots to fly the jets, that time off to attend to physiological needs is not allowed. The piece at the back has been converted to a lunch box, as the same rule applies to visits to the canteen! It was another "cost neural" idea that earned C.P. the "Bright idea of the month" award.

SM.
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Old 26th Apr 2006, 08:43
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I tend to agree with Cerberus.

There are many pro's and con's of life here in Dubai. You will no doubt be able to find both sides with the links provided by the gents here. If you truly do have a content lifestyle where you are, but are in search of the "Big Iron", unless you are running away from something there, within a short period (this definition depends on the individual) you may well have asked yourself "why was it we came again?"


The aircraft are nice, the routes are interesting, and generally the guys you fly with are a great bunch, but it's not home and will never be. With only a wife, you will be able to live a reasonable lifestyle as long as you have enough already soaked away for retirement. With young children in the American school system here forget it, but then again unless they get into aviation they will be able to support you in later years.
Accomodation, as already mentioned, is a crap shoot. Remember the attitude of Accomodation Dep't (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one !)"if you don't like where you are, take the allowance" but again dip deeply into your own pocket to come up with something better. They do not routinely entertain moves here. Only HR can force that one, and that seems rare. The exception to this is Silicon Oasis recently but again trade offs.


Once you leave the States you will forever live a nomadic life as to return there will undoubtedly be at the bottom of a seniority list in the right seat. My family and I would unquestionably prefer to be back home even earning less cash and flying smaller equipment, so long as I was treated well and had confidence in management.


Best of luck to you Iflyg4 and all those others reading this for insight.
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Old 27th Apr 2006, 20:16
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For you and your Wife...

Hi, for my two dirhams worth, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR EYES OPEN WHEN YOU COME HERE FOR A VISIT! Don't look at the place through "rose coloured glasses" as a lot of people do. The comments below come from a post on the Expatwoman website and although it was written some time ago and for someone coming from Austrailia I think it is worth reading for you in your situation.

Cheers


Living in Dubai all depends on what perspective you look at it from.

I have lived and worked in the UK, Europe, Austrailia (Sydney and Melbourne) and New Zealand, so I feel that I can comment with a degree of balance and common sense.

I can honestly say that Dubai does NOT do it for me! Four years ago it was a very different place. The city of Duabi now, is a concrete jungle construction site that is out of control. The traffic is horrendous to the point of making inner city London traffic good, and the standard of driving is enough to make you cringe. However the municipality are working on the roading and are trying to increase the number of roads to ease congestion (like building a 6 lane highway right through a supposedly higher income community!) The rulers have actively moved in to slow construction as it my guess that they have at long last grasped the idea that the infrastructure can not handle any more load placed on it. (the cancellation of the majority of the Dubai-Land projects is a case in point)

Once the "bright Light Big City" novelty value of Dubai wears off, most people find that there is not a lot to do here unless you want to be paying out all of the time. Sure there are country clubs, beach clubs, very good restaurants and the shopping is fantastic to say the least, but all of these are a continual drain on the purse/wallet. For the majority of expats that come here, they do so to save money to put towards a better future for when they head home, unfortunately Dubai is completely geared up to take all of your hard earned cash from you, in fact that is the only reason the place exists! The place is completely artificial and has no soul. There are a few places of natural beauty ie the beaches and the mountains are worth a visit or two but that is about it, and the desert is ok if you like sand! As an antipodean it really goes against the grain to have to pay to go the beach!

Today has been a nice day in Dubai. It rained this morning (the first time in months) and for once we had a really blue sky instead of a hazy murk. The temperatures at this time of year are quite pleasent and from a British expats point of view I can understand fully the lure of sunshine everyday, however summer is approaching rapidly and with that brings temps of 40-50 deg C every day, no outside living for the summer months unless you want to be a dripping mess in five minutes! (it never officially gets above 50deg here as to do so would mean sending the Sub continental labourers home from the construction sites)

Dubai is currently tax free...yes well..they get it in other ways, you will be devastated when you get your phone bill if you have been calling internationally...the local telecoms company is owned locally and charges amongst the highest call rates in the world! So you think "OK I will use the internet phones etc" but they block the majority of those (depending on where you live) so they have the monopoly - and milk it for all they can!
VAT (Value Added Tax) is on the way as well and as for assurances that it will not increase prices etc here...come on guys!

Having been here while - too long most likely I can hear some people saying - it makes me laugh to recently read in the papers about people ( mainly new expats) about how they have no rights here and that they would appeal this and argue that at court back at home....well GET REAL PEOPLE....you have NO RIGHTS here. You are Expats, always will be and that is that. Live with it! If there is a problem between an expat and an National, whether it be driving, business, rental or the like, it will more than likely not go in favour of the expat! That is just part of living in the Middle East.

If you are looking to come here, I hope you (or the bread winner)like to work long hours for your monthly pay packet. The majority of people here that I know rarely work a "standard" week as per their contact and there is always pressure to do more for less, I know full well that is the way of the world but it seems that greed is a little more prevalent here. Figures of 30k dirhams have been floating around, that is quite good money if that is over and above housing, schooling, power and water etc, if not you will struggle to save. It has got expensive here recently.

A statement made to me recently sums it up beautifully, "as an expat in Dubai, you are really nothing more than a second class citizen, living in a very nice third world city"

If you are coming here from the Antipodes think very carefully and PLEASE DON'T sell everything up at home thinking a shift here will long term...the average length of stay here for an expat is 18 months, I didn't believe this when first told it but over the time we have been here it has worked out about true. It is very difficult for the grass to be greener here when you consider that is the middle of the desert! This place is just not home, it never will be and the little annoyances gradually build up. Do a search on this site concerning: quality of service, getting things fixed, school waiting lists, traffic, litter, smelly cab drivers, smoking in shopping malls, blocking of internet, quality of medical care, etc etc the list just goes on...

With trouble definately brewing again in the area, are you sure you want to make the move? Just make sure that your eyes are wide open!

We have decided to move on. The money bucket is not full yet, but the other bucket that you get when you arrive here is full to overflowing....

I hope that this will be of some use to you.

Rachael
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Old 27th Apr 2006, 21:12
  #570 (permalink)  
 
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The above is the most honest and accurate opinion of life in Dubai that I have read in a very, very long time. Well done 'Rachael' and good luck!
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Old 29th Apr 2006, 23:17
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Question Help for Emirates Interview 2006 Please`

Hello
Can anyone help with Emirates Interviews Information. Due in late May .Hoping to find anyone to share any Info regarding the interview process .I have had a great deal of trouble downloading anything that cant be handled by adobe /word.
Any help greatfully accepted Can send to [email protected] if you dont wish to post .
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Old 6th May 2006, 18:50
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EK psychometric test..AKA the Kiwi, Muttley, Tail Rota chat thread

Hi Guys,

I just received the call and I have an interview with Emirates next week for DEC position, I need to know all about the psychometric test and what should I expect in the SIM checkride?

Thank you.

Last edited by supermd11; 6th May 2006 at 22:04.
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Old 6th May 2006, 20:09
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send a mail to cpt. murray he knows everything about it, he will help you for sure.
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Old 6th May 2006, 20:12
  #574 (permalink)  
 
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Don't worry about any of it, they want you so bad, you can be a psychotic inept nut-case and yo will get a job. Actually scrub that, if you are all of the above, you will get a direct entry management job
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Old 6th May 2006, 22:01
  #575 (permalink)  
 
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Thanks for your answers but they are not that desperate because the hiring rate is 1 out of 10 just 10 Percent

Last edited by supermd11; 7th May 2006 at 01:36.
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Old 7th May 2006, 03:05
  #576 (permalink)  
 
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Super md,
As in all psycho tests just be as honest as you can. If you try and fudge the tests they will catch you out.
The merits of them are debateable but there you go - their trainset etc............
Good luck but you will find DEC's are rather unpopular at EK at the moment as guys who are eligible for command are being shafted by the company. So their feelings are understandable
Cya
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Old 7th May 2006, 08:42
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Desperate? YES....but not to crash an aircraft. Hours may drop, but I doubt standards will.
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Old 7th May 2006, 09:16
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superMD11 i don't think you will get much help from the guys in your quest for info. Why do you think it is ok to jump ahead of F/O's already more than qualified for the job? the lack of a union and labour laws here mean that you can however i can assure you that DEC's are not needed in EK it is just the managments way of trying to save money.
Please don't join as a DEC as i have said before you are no better than a SCAB ( we can't have unions so therefore no picket line to cross but i am sure you get the idea)
Regards
TH
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Old 7th May 2006, 10:03
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Hi Toad Hall,

Were you passing through Christchurch Arrivals a few days back, I saw this EK F/O walk by with his shoulders slouched, dragging his feet in a uniform two sizes too big. Looked real pissed off with life. After reading your message I just wondered if it was you.

I believe the thread was started to just make you unhappy(er).
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Old 7th May 2006, 12:10
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Kiwi you are right i am pissed off along with all the other f/o's however i have served my time here and am doing my upgrade that still does not mean i will be quiet on the DEC issue. The post may be there to wind people up however the people applying as DEC's need to know the feeling of the guys in EK and PPRUNE is the only way to get the message out.
p.s the EK uniform is cheap and nasty with the tailors being from the sub continent where it is normal to wear clothes two sizes too big!! as you noticed on the f/o in chc!!
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