Seneca College grads heading to Georgian and Jazz?

[Alpha_Bravo_Charlie]

I have been hearing a lot that many freshly minted grads have been landing jobs at Georgian, Jazz and a few at AC. Can anyone confirm this, or is it just a rumour? I am looking to get into their degree program, and these seem like positive signs, no?



- ABC

[lownslow]

I can't confirm or deny that this is what's happening (because I honestly don't know) but I can say I know a number of people that got their dream jobs right out of school and most are pretty unhappy with them. I couldn't tell you if it was a matter of finding out the job wasn't what they imagined or if they never had a worse job to compare it to or they tried living a life where their job defined them only to realize just how hollow an existence that is.

Just something to consider when chasing that "dream job" in a field you might be less familiar with than you think.

LnS.

[Krimson]

For Georgian they are put into the mentor program. For Jazz a very select few make it through. They have a new Jazz cadet program which just signed up about half the graduating class. No opportunities with AC directly. A lot of graduates have went to Cargojet as a SO.

As previously mentioned, be careful what you wish for.


Also, with CYKZ closing down shortly and the school relocating to CYPQ, it will be a different place. A lot of key professors/instructors will be retiring instead of making the commute. It will be a change for the worse and the education will suffer. The flight training will be all completed by new class 4 instructors and may have a hard time getting Jazz pilots to continue to teach their RJ program. It is a good to get a degree but who knows what opportunities for graduates will still be around after the 4 years it takes to complete.

[SM16]

Sault college now has Jazz and Air Georgian awards. Giving the students an interview with those carriers.

[thatlowtimer]

An interview? Oh lawdy, what are the chances that its not even a typical pilot interview with someone important? I know a guy who has a "guaranteed interview" after 1500 hours. That at least makes a little sense in the fact that you could answer their questions about working together with the skipper, or the F.A.s or operational questions.

[SM16]

An interview? Oh lawdy, what are the chances that its not even a typical pilot interview with someone important? I know a guy who has a "guaranteed interview" after 1500 hours. That at least makes a little sense in the fact that you could answer their questions about working together with the skipper, or the F.A.s or operational questions.

What do you mean " what are the chances that its not even a typical pilot interview with someone important". Are you trying to say that these interviews are a joke? These people winning the awards may not get a job because they dont have 1500 hours like your friend who is so knowledgble about the ins and outs of those companies, but I can assure you that the interviews are not a joke.

[thatlowtimer]

Well there's 2 scenarios that I see as possibilities with these interviews,

A) They do hire some fresh CPL that they interviewed, but this is merely to fulfil a contract obligation with said flight school, because seriously why would some 250 hr guy/girl get the job. I can assure you that it's not due to not enough qualified applicants. Agree?

B) They don't hire you... Because you have 250 hrs.

So say they decide that this year they are going to hire someone out of school, they are guaranteed to interview at least one person that can answer HR questions with no problem as well as any turbine questions and whatever else they throw at you. Because don't get me wrong, there are some seriously bright kids coming out of these top ranking schools.

My main point of the whole interview is a joke process, is that they ALREADY know that they are going to hire a 250 hr person and they already know who the top 5 or 10 candidates coming from the program are. So no matter who else applies/interviews from within the industry, there is already 1 spot spoken for. I understand that the questions may be real toughies, but the process of finding a copilot is illogical and completely ridiculous.

[Krimson]

That's not true at all. Sure they may be ready to hire a 250 hour pilot, but if they all go in there and screw it up, then they will not hire anyone. If they really like the person, then they may even take two or more.

The applicants are put into the pool with everyone else. There is no quota to fill, they are given the opportunity for an interview just as something with 2000-3000 hours. By that point it is not your experience that will qualify you, but your personality and the way you handle yourself. Once the folks get the okay, they wait in the pool 6months-a few years before the call finally comes in. Of the ones I know, they have been working and building time during this stage and will likely start with enough pic time for the ATP.

[thatlowtimer]

Oh, well I stand corrected thanks. But doesn't anyone see the problem with being hired based on your interview and not having any experience? I understand that they build time after the interview, but for it to be pic time they would either have to instruct or go to the bush. Neither of which prepare you for the airlines. Am I completely out to lunch on this one?

[Krimson]

Not completely out to lunch on that, there have been many discussions about it. Some will say they have no business flying 705 machines without any real experience, some say it is a good to get them right from the start to train them from 0 to a company-man (or woman), they're kind of bred for the job.

A lot of other countries have been doing this for a long time now, but a lot of other countries also don't have the GA opportunities and the northern flying that we do here. Personally I have mixed feelings about the program but do not wish to get involved in that debate at this point.

[thatlowtimer]

Aww why not? That would have been fun, we could have made some excellent points that nobody had ever said before on the previous 13,000 threads.

[Colonel Sanders]

A couple of thoughts, which you should feel free to
crap on me for, from a great height:

1) if you want to be PIC (as opposed to permanent
right seat meat, receiving dual instruction), having
previous experience as PIC is probably not all that
bad an idea.

2) flying is like motorcycling: it really doesn't matter
much what you ride. What's important is that you ride.
And the more you ride, the better you get at riding.

I have only been flying for 40 years, and I only hold
two current ATP's, so my opinion that experience makes
you better at something is probably worthless compared
to the experts here, whom are vastly more qualified
than I, to expound upon the subject of aviation.

[lownslow]

An interview? Oh lawdy, what are the chances that its not even a typical pilot interview with someone important?

I don't know about Georgian but Jazz takes this program very seriously. About six years and 3200 hours ago I had one of these Jazz interviews. It was the first year they were trying it, in fact. Anyways, the process began with myself and around a dozen other recent puppy mill survivors gathered in one of the training rooms in the Jazz offices across the street from YYZ. I forget the name and title of the gentleman who gave us the first big speech (I'm fairly certain he was the CEO) but I do remember him saying, "Any skill can be taught, we are looking for personalities." The rest of the week was spent on interviews (with a couple regional CPs and an HR rep), sim evals (in the Dash 8 100/200 sim at CAE), and the general nervousness you'd expect from a 200 hour wonder who finds themselves getting an interview there. Bottom line is, from where I was sitting they took it VERY seriously.

LnS.