from Fragrant Harbour. BEWARE new Joiners.!

[RugbyRugby]

I just did a long haul flight and spoke with a BC during the cruise. She was interested and knowledgable about aviation. She asked many questions about the sector and my experience. I asked her is she had flying experience. She stated she had a few hours in light singles. I informed her that Cathay had programs on offer for Cabin Crew to transition to Cockpit crew. She stated that she knew about the programs. She then stated that her conditions of service were better than on offer as a Second Officer.

She stated she would have a better income, lifestyle and security as a Cabin Crew.


Buyer Beware....


Cabin Crew on Better terms than new Second Officers.......

[malerie]

Thank you for this advice, having gone through the selection process and got the offer for the cadet programme (which really did not take much effort!). I have decided to decline this offer because I believe I am better than this. The better candidates I have met are taking alternative routes to the flight deck, either going to work and gaining funds or to go abroad for flight training. The remaining candidates that are going to Adelaide are a little incompetent, most of them just barely passed the English proficiency and in the group interviews displayed poor team-working skills. Other successful candidates are blinded by the offer which to them is like winning the golden ticket and submitting themselves without thinking. Some others are just captivated by the looks of the A350. My advice for people who are thinking about becoming a pilot through Cathay's cadet programme is to think in depth what you are getting yourself into. Yes, the A350 looks cool, but where you work is one thing, you also have to think about career progression, quality of life and family. Don't believe in Instagrammer Captains because you won't get what they get, no grand villas in the New Territories with nice cars and big happy family. Think of alternative routes, 6 or more years as a second officer doesn't sound long but when you look at others 6 years after flight school, they are already well on the way to command or in some cases are captains in short-haul flying with a decent package. Don't be too absorbed and proud of getting the cadet offer because everyone who applied in the recent months the majority got offered a place. Pilot recruitment is like filling water into a bucket with holes, for every pilot you recruit, a few leaves. In Cathay's case, the holes are pretty big and that's why there are no more standards with the cadet recruitment. If you believe you have worked hard all your life and that you are better than this, then you would look for alternatives instead of taking the easy route. For this easy route has really significant consequences to your life in the coming years. Many people who have the offer, I asked them "why do you want to work for Cathay", they could not give me something better than "because the A350 is state of the art". For prospective cadets, ask yourself why do you want to work for Cathay?

[deepspace12]

Considering that the median household income in Hong Kong is HK$28k, I am not surprised to find locals still flocking to Cathay. Even after they effectively halved the salary in COS18, it's still higher than the income of entire households, for half the families in Hong Kong. Sad truth.