First Choice Applications go online.
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Here We Go...
Well Peolple, Just heard they're about to finalise the short listing for the interview places. Expect to see a barrage of responses below. Good luck to all involved let's make it a good clean fight, return to your corners and come out fighting 
I'm so nervous I could p155 
Now where did I put those old ladys throw away paper pants? 
I'm so nervous I could p155 Now where did I put those old ladys throw away paper pants?
Join Date: Jan 2003
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In the same boat (as many others by the sounds of it!), still waiting!!
Keeping everything crossed xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx...
Good luck to all, hopefully this will be the start of an ongoing recruitment drive, so all may not be lost!
Is your glass half full or half empty?
-------------------
endofeng
Keeping everything crossed xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx...
Good luck to all, hopefully this will be the start of an ongoing recruitment drive, so all may not be lost!
Is your glass half full or half empty?
-------------------
endofeng
Join Date: May 2005
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E Mail From Kerry Fox today, saying that my Application is in the holding pool.
That's different??? As I thought you only went into a holding pool after the Interview. At least the Application is going in the right direction.
That's different??? As I thought you only went into a holding pool after the Interview. At least the Application is going in the right direction.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Tory,
The holding pool is for those not selected for interview at this stage. Approx 70 interviews have been offered, or are being offered, for about 20-30 places across the winter.
30W
The holding pool is for those not selected for interview at this stage. Approx 70 interviews have been offered, or are being offered, for about 20-30 places across the winter.
30W
Join Date: Jun 2001
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I presume a holding pool email is exactly that. You are in a pool should they require to call any further people to interview. There have been over 500 applications, there are about 70 interviews planned for 20-30 places. I'm presuming anyone who has been issued an interview knows by now, but I could be wrong. Holding pool in case plans change (more aircraft than expected for example), and more entrants are needed.
30W
30W
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Got the same email today, Its still positive (my galss is still half full), just wonder how many people are in this application hold?
Fingers crossed for the future then, and a big good luck to all those guys whom have got an interview......
-----------------
endofeng
Fingers crossed for the future then, and a big good luck to all those guys whom have got an interview......
-----------------
endofeng
Join Date: Apr 1999
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An excerpt from our pilot newsletter 31/07/06 may clarify things.
Recruitment - Summer 2007
As you know we have decided to recruit “on line” this year using our website -
www.firstchoice4jobs.co.uk. Recruitment for our Summer 2007 vacancies went live on 5 July and, by the end of the first week, we were overwhelmed with applications. As we topped 500, we temporarily suspended recruitment on 21 July, to enable us to start to process them.
It has been extremely encouraging to see not only that many Boeing and Airbus type rated pilots are interested in working for us, but also a significant number of pilots are recommended by you. There is a very good mix of experience levels and we certainly expect this year’s standard of recruits to be at least as high as the "class of 2006".
Interview dates have now been set throughout August and September. Pilot Managers from both the management and technical teams will interview 72 or so short-listed pilots who will fill the 20 - 30 vacancies we expect to have by the start of next summer.
Could I please ask those who have recommended a pilot (this has been entered by the applicant on their on line application form) to email me your reasons for the recommendation, if you haven't already done so. We have just invited a number of type-rated pilots to interview (thanks to the new system they can even select their own interview date and time!) and are in the process of collating all the “recommended by” applications.
We expect to draw up a shortlist from this group, as the total of pilots recommended by you has now reached in excess of 80. That will still leave in excess of 200 applications that have passed the initial screening criteria, but will sit in a holding pool. Interviews will be dependent on the interview success of our other candidates.
We are very pleased with the way the new automated recruitment system has worked so far. Without doubt, it has saved us a considerable amount of time and money and, above all, made life much easier for our candidates.
Whether we open up recruitment again this year will be dependent upon the interview slots filling up - we don’t expect this to be a problem. As for the assertions in this week’s Flight International about a pilot shortage - based on our experiences so far, this certainly doesn’t appear to affect us. That said, a number of the smaller regional carriers will, I am sure, feel the effects of our recruitment campaign this year. Over the next few months we look forward to welcoming a successful “class of 2007”.
Philip Smallwood, Head of Pilot Management.
Unfortunately I reckon the standard email from Kerry Fox regarding the holding pool is a polite "thanks but no thanks". If it's any consolation I've heard a similar number will be recruited next year barring any unforseen circumstances which might affect the airline.
Good luck anyway.
Recruitment - Summer 2007
As you know we have decided to recruit “on line” this year using our website -
www.firstchoice4jobs.co.uk. Recruitment for our Summer 2007 vacancies went live on 5 July and, by the end of the first week, we were overwhelmed with applications. As we topped 500, we temporarily suspended recruitment on 21 July, to enable us to start to process them.
It has been extremely encouraging to see not only that many Boeing and Airbus type rated pilots are interested in working for us, but also a significant number of pilots are recommended by you. There is a very good mix of experience levels and we certainly expect this year’s standard of recruits to be at least as high as the "class of 2006".
Interview dates have now been set throughout August and September. Pilot Managers from both the management and technical teams will interview 72 or so short-listed pilots who will fill the 20 - 30 vacancies we expect to have by the start of next summer.
Could I please ask those who have recommended a pilot (this has been entered by the applicant on their on line application form) to email me your reasons for the recommendation, if you haven't already done so. We have just invited a number of type-rated pilots to interview (thanks to the new system they can even select their own interview date and time!) and are in the process of collating all the “recommended by” applications.
We expect to draw up a shortlist from this group, as the total of pilots recommended by you has now reached in excess of 80. That will still leave in excess of 200 applications that have passed the initial screening criteria, but will sit in a holding pool. Interviews will be dependent on the interview success of our other candidates.
We are very pleased with the way the new automated recruitment system has worked so far. Without doubt, it has saved us a considerable amount of time and money and, above all, made life much easier for our candidates.
Whether we open up recruitment again this year will be dependent upon the interview slots filling up - we don’t expect this to be a problem. As for the assertions in this week’s Flight International about a pilot shortage - based on our experiences so far, this certainly doesn’t appear to affect us. That said, a number of the smaller regional carriers will, I am sure, feel the effects of our recruitment campaign this year. Over the next few months we look forward to welcoming a successful “class of 2007”.
Philip Smallwood, Head of Pilot Management.
Unfortunately I reckon the standard email from Kerry Fox regarding the holding pool is a polite "thanks but no thanks". If it's any consolation I've heard a similar number will be recruited next year barring any unforseen circumstances which might affect the airline.
Good luck anyway.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Salary question
This is probably a weird question and feel free to say "bugger off nosey!" but ... I have in region of 4500 heavy jet time, applied before being offered another position, but, didn't get an interview (I'm swimming in the slightly murky holding pool waters). It is slightly irrelevant now but I would love to know why no interview. I have a feeling it may of been the weird question about what salary you wanted (I always thought that the company decided that not the applicant). Would anyone be willing and brave enough to enlighten me as to the answer they put for that question?
Of course it could just be that the decided I was useless and not worth an interview, fully prepared to accept that senario
Of course it could just be that the decided I was useless and not worth an interview, fully prepared to accept that senario
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From Internal mail at work......
Pilot recruitment update
Further to the tremendous response from our initial recruitment campaign we have now had to close our online recruitment for this year. Prospective applicants may however still sign up for email alerts for when we open recruitment again. Of the 72 interview slots we have made available we have 68 confirmed pilots for interview - all of which are either already type rated or recommended by you. The remaining interview slots will be filled over the next 2 weeks and we have a further 200 pilots currently in a holding pool should we need to conduct further interviews. The standard of the 500 applicants has been very good this year and we think that we will be able to fill the 20 - 30 vacancies after this first interview round. Our pilot interviews start tomorrow and will continue throughout August concluding with our last interview which is currently set for 27 September. The first training course starts at in November where a small number of pilots will join the Company with the majority of new pilots joining us from January 2007 onwards. Thanks to those of you that have recommended pilots this year and sent in emails confirming why you are recommending them, this has helped us with our shortlisting for interview. Unfortunately with such a great response we will not be able to offer interviews to all of the candidates.
Further to the tremendous response from our initial recruitment campaign we have now had to close our online recruitment for this year. Prospective applicants may however still sign up for email alerts for when we open recruitment again. Of the 72 interview slots we have made available we have 68 confirmed pilots for interview - all of which are either already type rated or recommended by you. The remaining interview slots will be filled over the next 2 weeks and we have a further 200 pilots currently in a holding pool should we need to conduct further interviews. The standard of the 500 applicants has been very good this year and we think that we will be able to fill the 20 - 30 vacancies after this first interview round. Our pilot interviews start tomorrow and will continue throughout August concluding with our last interview which is currently set for 27 September. The first training course starts at in November where a small number of pilots will join the Company with the majority of new pilots joining us from January 2007 onwards. Thanks to those of you that have recommended pilots this year and sent in emails confirming why you are recommending them, this has helped us with our shortlisting for interview. Unfortunately with such a great response we will not be able to offer interviews to all of the candidates.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: On the flight deck of course !!
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BA mainline are looking for a couple of hundred pilots next year
Last edited by ICING AOA; 8th Aug 2006 at 14:05.
