Encore Interview & Technical Exam

[Mooseontheloose]

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[loopa]

Hey Moose,

It's my firm belief that there's no way to prepare for the types of questions they will ask you, because they will find a way to customize their interview based on your resume, experience, and answers you give them. It's pretty entertaining to watch actually. They create questions from your answers to the previous question.

The place you can prepare the most is your presentation. Most likely your question will have something to do with WestJet and it's culture, or how you fit in with it's culture, or how you think their culture will be the reason they are the leading international airline, etc. So research their culture, values, achievements. You should be able to answer the question "Why did WestJet even start an airline? Why are they so successful? Why would you fit into this culture" The "about us" section on their website has plenty of information with regards to their values, goals, foresights, and achievements thus far. Be familiar with their "spectacular individual" PR campaign they have been on for the last little while. They have recognized quite a few people that again define what WJ wants in an individual.

People think they have to go in there and act all WestJetty. Not at all the impression I got. They will quickly see if you're being fake. Remember, you have to be about culture, but also have the responsibility to maintain the image of safety. Your CP has to trust you at 25, 000 feet, and one day 41, 000 feet soaring at 450 knots. If you are a type of person that agrees with what I just said, sell this point because it's a balance one has to maintain. Think of it as having to put on different hats to ensure culture is maintained amongst crew, public presentation, etc, but at the end of the day your job as a pilot is what they are hiring for which has to do with conducive CRM, team work, safety, professionalism, humbleness, (these types of traits), etc.

Have fun with it. That in-it-self is a WestJet attitude.

Go to their youtube page, be intimately familiar with their messages to the public and the things they have done for people. I personally think the "Owner's Care" music video was epic. The presidents message in 2013 talks a lot about what's on the horizon for WestJet in the years to come. Be familiar with it. Yes, there's a difference between the Boeing 767-233ER and the Boeing 767-300ER, know what that difference is.

Expect to talk about how you deal with adversity. Expect to be questioned with how you've dealt with adversity (to see if you are confident in yourself and your answers). Expect to come out of the interview feeling like you didn't ace it and may actually get a PFO. If you come out feeling you did amazing, you probably will get a PFO (this has been confirmed by many sources in the past).

My Exam was 25 questions. A mix of technical atpl study points with regards to GFA's, SIGWX, met definitions, IFR, theory of flight, the ability to be trainable (watching a video and answering a few questions on it), reading approach charts (Jeppesen), questions about WJ's fleet, starting dates of WJ and Encore, culture type questions. It's not all technical. It's a generic exam and from my understanding won't be the reason you pass or fail your interview. But it does give them a concept as to how much you really know about your potential position as an F/O at WestJet Encore.

Show up early. Parking can be interesting and you may have to walk 10 minutes from the overflow lot to the campus.

Remember to greet everyone with the same level of smile and respect that they greet you with. I've heard it's not uncommon for them to see how you behaved while getting admitted to the campus.

They will want your references that matter. Training captain's and etc are no good. So there's no way to dodge that bullet if you are scared of your boss finding out. Personally I kept the lines of communication open with my CP about doing the interview and it was the best way to prevent any awkwardness of him just getting a phone call about me out of no where. Also what I've said about references before: It's as much about the credibility of the reference as it is about you. If 3 of 4 people say you're it and that they would hire you back, and one has a personal vendetta out for you and wants to sewer you, who will look like a winner?

Remember, you have been selected to interview because they think you are trainable and may be a good match. So don't walk in there portraying how amazing of a pilot you are. It's very off putting and will quite frankly just score you negative points. Walk in there, demonstrate your personality, please do speak of the things you believe in, the things that you don't believe in, concepts that you follow by in order to be a professional, and things that you like/dislike about aviation. It's been said times over that at the airlines it's about hiring perhaps the average skilled pilot whom has a humble and trainable attitude, versus hiring the amazingly skilled pilot that has a concept that there's nothing left to learn in order to become better. If you can hire somebody whose got both skill and a great attitude, that's a bonus. Hence why the internal reference matters so much (to get an insight to how you actually are in the plane, and at work with co workers from the past).

Caveat: The above is just my opinion. Not Facts. Not an assertion. I could be wrong. Hope the information helps. I am available for further questions via PM

I really should make that a signature!

[Mooseontheloose]

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[flyinhigh]

Holy crap, you need to do a thesis on the company and due a presentation on them.

All to make 30K. What the hell

Make sure you talk about the Southwest pilots backing the Westjet pilots for a union. They love that stuff

[adster1989]

Hey guys, just curious, do you know what kind of hours people seem to get into westjet encore with?? Or does it vary with type of experience you have?

[loopa]

I saw a post that said the class averages for Encore is 3300 hours total time. That being said, I keep hearing it's both high and low time guys getting it. You can have a guy at 8000 hour, another at 5000, 4 at 3000, and 4 at 2000 and you have a class average that is 3300 hours total time. Point being, I think that's exactly what happens. They mix high time and low time guys to publish a class.

I think if you're pooled it's a matter of how you stack up against the rest - exp is certainly one thing, but maybe not as much now that they don't need dct entry captain's any more and are bringing everyone in at the F/O level. Something tells me the measure of your profile against their culture will have more bearing than 500 hours here and there.

At the end of the day who knows But after speaking with grsc candidates I have spoken with 8000 hour guys and 2000 hour guys who were called for the same class.

Best of luck dude!

[adster1989]

Thanks loopa!!!!! Got email for interview invite after all, ended up in spam :/

[loopa]

Congrats man! Make the best of it.