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

I have an upcoming interview with emirates, ANY heads up or info would be greatly appreciated:D

Thanks

Emirates Interview
 

CRJ700,
Just be yourself, don't pretend to be someone else.
The interview is straight forward.
They have about 400 captains and 400 F/O's now, I guess time to command will be 7-9 years which is not bad for a major airline.
Just heard a rumour that they will look into hiring direct entry typerated captains because of the expansion this year.
Good luck
Cape

Cape, do you work for Emirates?

:ok: Good luck CRJ-when are you going?

CAPE?

7-9years to command?

Direct Entry type rated captains??

Not what I have heard!

Do you work for the airline?

CRJ700,
First off CONGRATULATION AND GOOD LUCK :D
I would like to know if you could run down your history about the EK interview:
-When did you apply ?? How long before you heard anything ??etc..
-Also what is your flying experience ??
I have filled up th online application about a month ago and patiently waiting :)

Thanks for your input....:p

ernestkgann,

yes, I work for them.
2010 EK should have 100 airplanes, lets say 8 crews per airplane gives you about 1600+ pilots.
Lets say they need 800 captains and they have 400 now, they have to upgrade 400 F/O's ahead of you.
3 Years ago it was down to 3 years of even shorter (fast track sometimes 18 month) to command but it is slowing down now.
Was just told that they need event. direct entry captains, so if you are not on the fast track it will take a while to get a command.
But its a taxfee job and if you and your wife like Dubai its a great life, just if you don't like Dubai it can be a problem.

Hi, Cape!

Firstly, congrats for joining a so shinny commercial aviation icon.
Some questions;
1. Considering were you from how easy was for you to mix up into Dubai?
2. How long it usually takes for high timers ( say more than 12,000 TT and in excess off 9,000 airline PIC time) get the left seat?
3. How a prospective war is affecting recruitment and how you think it could affect?

Good flights!

Full,
the first few years were ok, but then it starting going on my nerves, I find it very difficult to adopt, many pilots and especially their wife’s get fed up.
I know many cases where wife’s left their husbands and children.
Having said that some people love it, guess everybody is different.
Time to command for a 12.000 plus, it depends what you have flown before but as I said it will be slowing down, if you are lucky you can bypass people, but then you still have to pass your upgrade.
Don't think the war will effect Emirates at all.
It's a difficult decision to give up a command to join Emirates as a F/O, as I said it could take a while until you move in the left hand seat again, nothing is guaranteed, you will hear that during your interview a few times.
As you probably read in previous posts EK doesn't always stick to the contract, they like to change things like allowances, school fees and so on, don't forget there is no union and you are alone.

EK
 

THANKS CAPE, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY THEY ARE HIRING THIS YR/MONTH?

CRJ700,

Congrats on getting an interview!! Best of luck!! Let us know how it went.

P.S. I got your email. Check for reply!

CRJ700;

Check your PM

Thanks;
CD

Cape,

Thank you!
Were you a journalist before being a pilot? Your text is excellent: clear, objective to the point, unbiased...

Of course, this is a step, on old timers case, that demands a lot of head scratching before a decision.
I have more than 9,000 narrow body command plus 3,000 wide body.

Regards

Full,
thanks for the flowers.
Now listen to my opinion, I gave up a widebody command and I wouldn't do it again, not for EK.
If you want money, there are better Airlines out there, if you want lifestyle, I am not so sure if EK is the place to be.
There is A new DFO and he makes it harder to enjoy the life here, but there a few more things what I don't mention here.

The grass is not always greener on the other side.

That was my personal opinion, please whoever doesn't agree don't be to hard on me.

Capeaviation

I got a question.
Who do you consider to be better than EK, out there, right now ???

Hi Capeaviaton, I just want to comment on one of your statements. "many pilots and their wives are fed up, and in many cases wives have left husband and children." define "many" in any walk of life there will always be separations and divorces, in 3 of the cases I know where their have been separations, the wives have chosen to stay in Dubai, and they will tell you that there were cracks in their marriage long before they got here. Emigrating is not for everyone, and some woman cannot bear to be away from their families, Dubai cannot be blamed for that, surely before emigrating, you discuss those points at lenght. Dubai might not be your lifestyle, but there are lots of us here that love the lifestyle, I for one have learned so much since I arrived here, maybe because I came with an open mind - I have taken up golf, learnt to sail, tried sandboarding, gone camping in the desert, we pop down to the beach for a bbq on a regular basis and watch the sun set, gone to see some good live shows and comedians from the U.K. we have just had the Dubai golf classic, the tennis tournament, the horse racing is coming up shortly, went to the dog show last week, going to extreme sports this week-end. Dubai, like anywhere is what you make of it.

Dump,

There are many like you who enjoy Dubai while at the same time there are many who dislike the place - it depends on where you came from, what you are used to and what you use as a comparison.

If you lived in a council house in Lower Putney where the sun doesn't work, then Dubai would appeal to you. If on the other hand you are used to proper golf courses, grass, trees, water, sunny skies and civilized driving, then Dubai is.....Dubai.

Calamityjane,

I admire you for what you left behind in support of your husband I hope he know how lucky he is!

Your last question leaves me a bit baffled - "...what is the challenge of straight roads?"

It seems to me that there are many here who find these straight roads a MAJOR challenge! Witness the wrecks alongside Shk. Zayed Rd. The mind boggles!

Dump, this is not a case of 'when we' - I appreciate that one should make the best of one's situation and I agree that people planning on joining should hear all sides - in Calamityjane and my case (and a few hundred others) what WE think of the place is as valid as what you think. Fair comment?

Guys,
As I said before, for some it's a great place for some it isn't, it depends what you have to give up.
I am just saying that you should think about it before you make this big step.

PS: I'd rather live here than on a certain European island where the sun never shines.

PSS: The last comment deserves some serious bashing.

in support of Calamity Jane
 

...Dumpvalve, she is indeed my wife, honest, and Jeff, I do realise just how lucky I am, thank you

We did leave behind a great deal that we love and treasure, but we also realise that there are opportunities are here to be taken. But we do love getting out of the place and getting a dose of reality.

But as the national insurance has increased by 1%, pay by 0% and council tax by 18%, we just think we're better off here than the uk, PROFESSIONALLY. But personally, I would also rather be back in old blighty, living in my own house etc................but will have to wait until conditions are right to make that move, how ever long that may be!!

Very much agree with Dumpvalve.

Capeaviation - no need for any bashing about "mud island" because it's true.

If you don't like it here - well the airports not very far away, and it would help some of us move up the seniority list:cool: :cool: :cool:

Whiteknight - Thank you

wagtail23 - thank you for stating your facts without generalising.
your points were fair.

Capeaviation - we finally agree......about the European Island, well at least it is a start.

Calamityjane, if you have read any of my previous threads, you will see that I am a wife. What - are you the only female allowed to write on pprune? And believe me there are a lot of us out there that are not girlies as you so like to put it, and have done just as much as you in Dubai and life in general but with a lot less whinging or bragging. I have no need to mislead people about my identity, what I have written here, I am prepared to say openly, and if I am not a female - please explain that to my hubby who calls me his wife and children who call me mommy.

Hey Dump
If you think you wont get a gun held at your head, then you haven't been here very long.

DMF

Girls! That's not appropriate behaviour. Please take it to the Dome or you won't be able to play at all.

:O I hang my head in shame, you are right Ernest, I will try not to argue like a girl (that I am) and try be more mature like a man that I am "supposed" to be - eeek I think I am suffering from an identity crisis. A mature man????? Now that's a whole new thread on its own. ;)

Dubai&EK
 

I love Dubai.
Unfortunately I failed the interview in sept. 1997. It really gave me a headache with all the stupid games. I guess they have a "mould" and if you don't fit in any way you don't get the job. At my time they had 6000 applications for the current campaign and they had to throw out half for lack of manpower. So they can pick!
I have stayed in DXB a lot as we used it for a technical stop. I got to like the Arabs, their culture and means. To me DXB is the Paris of the Middle East.
But if you jump for a fight when someone pinches your wife on the bum at the market, it is definitely not your place.
I still regret not getting the job.
One thing - it is not cheap anymore.
A bottle of Johnnie was USD 2.50 at Dubai DF in 1989; last time I was there was 12.50, which is more or less like everywhere. So much for tax-free salary.
Good Luck!:ok:

MMMMM, yes well, all the chat about the pro's and con's of Dubai.
The year in this part of the woods ( pardon the pun) is 1462 or something close to that. Do I need to say more.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Given that I am interested in working for EK I have heard that they look very closely at you during the interview process, even when you don't realise it, ie cocktail party. Apart from the obvious things such as a wrong attitude, what sort of things would fail you?

Re: why fail - I was made to sign a doc agreeing not to try to investigate in any way why I failed. That was in sept '97...

Are you serious???? ....ok then!! Kind of makes you wonder what they are trying to hide?

For all of those who are still interested in EK, I pulled this off of the www.aviationinterviews.com site. Although it's a few months old, it still might be worth something to someone.

P.S. Good interview stuff on there for LOTS of other companies!!

Folks I'm sorry but I've had to pull the "cut & paste" that JoeCo placed here. The original poster of the gen on the aviationinterviews site doesn't mind it being there but he's upset that it's on this site. So I have respectfully and with some regret removed it from this post.

It had some good gen on it - try and find it on the original site or try ask JoeCo to mail you a copy. Don't abuse this avenue; I'd suggest that you go this route if you think it'll make a difference.

Just another reminder that it takes all types to make this wonderful world.

4HP

.....Well, what to do?? To bad. But in the end, to sign up to the aviation interviews site (follow the link in my previous post) only takes 2 minutes and it's free. Looks like a real "honest" site. Worth a look see.


4HP: I don't know all the legalities of cutting and pasting from other sites, but if I crossed a line, my appologies. In the end, if the original material is free, then what's the difference if it's in here??

4HP

Thank you for editing the post. While I am not at all averse to helping people with information that I have, I didn't appreciate someone taking information meant for another sight and placing it here. I think that if you asked CRJ700 about me you would retract this comment, "Just another reminder that it takes all types to make this wonderful world. "

No hard feelings JoeCo.

Typhoonpilot

If you're married and your wife is solidly supporting the move, a no-tax well paid M.E. job is the fastest way to get your home mortage paid and money in the bank.
If you're married and the marriage has problems - don't go - M.E. living for an ex-pat will quickly wreck a shaky marriage.
If your wife is not into spending her days shopping and socialising and needs to work for fulfilment you had better check with the Dubai guys if she'll be allowed to work.
We had three good years in Saudi, my wife was able to work, and we came home together with pockets full of money and my wife's gold jewellery - gold rope around a woman's waist is very fetching in the right conditions.
:D
BW

Just keep in mind that you will be on a F/O salary for a at least 7 years, if they keep expanding, as a F/O with family it's almost impossible to save some money.
Dubai is an expensive place.

Cape town boy.

:mad: to your first statement

and yes it's fairly costly, but cheaper than UK !!

White,
I am talking about new joiners, for guys already here it will be faster of course.
Unfortunately not everybody can be a captain, EK needs F/O's too.

Fair enough Cape, this may be for the guys joining in the seniority list above position 1000 (give or take) but it doesn't take into account retirements and people leaving.

Thank You Tim!!! (T.A)

You stopped me making the biggest mistake of my life

slug,
how many Captains you think EK needs? EK has almost 800 pilots now and they upgrade fast track guys, so if you are not fast track you will get bypassed big time and when you have your 3 years you'll be at the end of the food chain.

How many Captains you think retire???
There were just a few the last 4 years.
Looking at the current situation there will not many pilots be leaving either (for a low seniority number with another airline).

Make your calculations 100 A/C in 2010 and a crew factor of approx. 7 and don't forget they need more F/O's for the super longhaul acting as cruise captains.

Interesting debate.

I attended Emirates selection a while ago and was unsuccessful.

I am pretty sure I know which part I let myself down on and can only blame myself. Other than that I was happy with the rest of my efforts over the three days.

The recruiting team were pleasant and, overall, the selection process was very reasonably carried out.

Several points:

1. The airline (as an airline) is second to none. The training facilities are superb.

2. The admin is poor. Couldn't believe how poor it was when I was being offered Standby dates and, subsequently, confirmed dates.

Standby dates give you a minimum 20 hours notice.
I got a phone call at 1000 local in the UK from Emirates saying they wanted me out there the next day. Get your bags packed, run to Heathrow, buy your own exhorbitant ticket (if you can find a flight), fly there, get to the hotel, get some rest and turn up fresh for interview at 0430 in the morning UK time!!! Use a bit of common sense for christ's sake!

Not forgetting I wanted to take the better half out there for the process as well.

All this after waiting 3 months for those dates as standby.

3. Accomodation is very average.

Villas we were shown were nice inside but very close together.
We would only qualify for these as we had children.
If we were childless then we would qualify for a 3-bedroomed flat several floors up a high rise. Not ideal.

4. Pay for your own transport to get to Dubai - come on Emirates, play the game.

5. We were being quoted average three years to command. Even allowing for expansion and increased orders my maths allowed me to question these figures. You take your chance.

6. 50% of the guys attending interview were unemployed, high time guys from Sabena, Swissair, Canada 3000 etc. Would they be there if they still had a sound job in their home country? Best of luck to them.

7. No confirmation of where you are living until you get there. Could be awkward when you are trying to arrange schools.

Overall, my own view is that Emirates could try a lot harder to look after their new and prospective pilots. At the moment they don't have to - so they don't.

I would encourage anybody who is interested to go out there and give it your best shot - but go out there with your eyes wide open.

All the best.

Wet Power...............................spot on