WJ ENCORE interview

[Flyingbro]

Hey guys and gals I got a encore interview coming up in July just wondering if anyone's been through the process in 2016 all my buddies did it a while ago and it's been changed ANY help whuld be great!!


A flyibgbro

[northernops]

looking to fly the light twin for encore are ya
7yrs min to mainline
and instead of working 22 days a month on the light twin
you work 20 (like a dog) at main line
have fun with the seat belt folding nonsense
BUT
you will be at westjet so nana will be proud
so f it all, right?
cheers,
squirt

[atphat]

Harsh but fair. (And probably a little inaccurate)

Edit... Very accurate about seatbelt folding nonsense.

[JBI]

Tis better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

I have not done the Encore interview. From what I have heard from friends recently it is a short technical exam followed by various HR, tell me a time and general WJ info interview. There's also a group portion where a scenario is given and the interviewers are looking to see how you work in a group situation.

Good Luck!

(I've edited out the argumentative section as it's not helpful to forum users)

[atphat]

No. His concern about folding seatbelts probably stems from the fact he is a "prospective" pilot of a major airline in Canada. And not a groomer.

[Donald]

Careful, WJ doesn't look kindly to their interview questions being publicly posted, their CP has personally requested they be removed from AvCanada.

Best to stick to PM's.

[Flyingbro]

Hope they don't ask me to fold a seatbelt in the interview I have enough trouble putting pants on in the morning! Also in not worried what my Nana wiill think (the dead have a real hard time doing that.)

I'd obviously never ask for someone to post question on a public form, bit if some one where to send a PM my way I'll be glad to share a beer emoticon with you

Flyingbro

[iflyroads]

Tis better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

[Jean-Pierre]

How could you possibly afford to work there?

[200hr Wonder]

And now for some accurate answers,

First off, the interview is a technical exam that is fairly short and strait forward. Study your basic IFR and ATPL type of stuff, not big trick. Then you get the one on one behavioral interview with HR and an Encore pilot. There are lots of good resources out there for these types of interviews. Finally there is a group scenario with yourself and another candidate to see how your team work under pressure is.

As for days of work, right now it is 19 days, on Jan 1st 2018 it will be reduced to 18 days. There is the option to schedule additional days up to 20 but that is at overtime. So naturally the company would try and avoid this.

As for the grooming, or "Folding Seatbelts" as it is put, yes the pilots and flight attendants all groom the cabin for a quick turn. If you somehow think this is beneath you the mighty pilot then I would say WestJet is not for you. It is a great chance to have a quick chat with the back end make sure everything is smooth. It also keeps costs down and as we all know keeping costs down is imperative in an airline market and the money saved comes back to you in the twice yearly profit share.

As for possibly being able to afford to work there. Well that is entirely up to you, chances are it is a pay cut, but hey you make these choices with the knowledge of what you get.

Overall it is a good place to work with good people. Nothing in life is ever perfect however it is still darn good.

[atphat]

If you somehow think this is beneath you the mighty pilot

a comment like that is why you deserve to groom the plane. enjoy

[200hr Wonder]

If you somehow think this is beneath you the mighty pilot

a comment like that is why you deserve to groom the plane. enjoy

And a comment like that is why you probably got the ol PFO from WestJet

[atphat]

Never applied. Not really hard to dicern who I fly for if you bothered to look at my posts. Which you didn't. Don't blame you. My point was I think encore pilots have done enough to destroy WAWCON in Canada. Now you defend the seat belts. Like I said. Enjoy.

Edit. You do not fly for WJ. You are an encore pilot. There is a very big difference

[North Shore]

Never applied. Not really hard to dicern who I fly for if you bothered to look at my posts. Which you didn't. Don't blame you. My point was I think encore pilots have done enough to destroy WAWCON in Canada. Now you defend the seat belts. Like I said. Enjoy.

Edit. You do not fly for WJ. You are an encore pilot. There is a very big difference

So, reading your posts, one finds this:

Another silly thread. Do what is best for you. I worked the ramp as a "pilot in waiting". Thank goodness I did.

edit....i now read the entire thread...and i have this to say....

to the newbies starting out. People love to tell you what you should and shouldn't do in this industry. Someone like Illya coming on here and pretty much calling you trash for accepting an entry level position into this industry. Just sound foolish. I mean...what would Illya really know about this "industry". He is a pilot of advanced age flying into places such as Red Lake, Pickle Lake, and the metropolis of Sioux Lookout. I'm not bashing the lifers in the bush but they represent a fraction of this "industry".

Its easy to get on the computer and espouse wisdom of what others should do. as Illya does.

As i sit in the high flight levels cruising around the globe...do I ever regret working the ramp? Never. Its a great industry for those who do what is necessary. The naysayers are usually the bitter ones.

DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

that is all

Priceless. Some people call working the ramp as a pilot 'bringing the industry down' while others blame people for taking jobs that have 'poor WAWCON'.
Either way, it's just some poor shmuck busting his ass, and doing what he needs to do to get enough time to get out of FortMcLakeNowhere, and into AirWestTransWing.

[atphat]

To me there is a huge difference doing what it takes to "break" into the industry. And what you do once you arrive. If you disagree. Who cares. I sure don't.

[Monorail Conductor]

Sched going from 20 to 18 a month sounds way more civilized, as for the scheduling system though, how much criteria can one bid? Days off, days on, check in times, check out times, originating cities if one was a commuter?

Ill happily cross seat belts and help clean out empty seatbacks for 14 hours worth of turn arounds, 18 days a month; but preferably if I could avoid starting such a day when my alarm goes off before mcdonalds starts serving breakfast.

[Anticyclone]

Hello Aviators,

Seatbelt stuff...i wouldnt have tought reading something like this and whats worst is some people are not only happy but excited about it.

This stuff has nothing to do with a quick turn around, 2 cabin crew can handle folding 74 seatbelts in no time, we as Pilots barely have time to prepare for the way back take a leek and off we go pre flight check list.

Guys i dont find it degrading to fold seatbelts but you need to think outside the box this is one step in a long term strategy as in a few years not only you will be happy to fold them but you guys would also have to mop the shit out of the loo.

yes some of you will say i will be on maneline by this time but think about your kids will you be happy to see them bagging for a job ???

[duramaxguy]

A little food for thought to all the negative Nancy's out there that enjoy bashing each other.

(assuming that those that are doing most of the bashing are pro AC)


With regards to WAWCON. (This is just comparing Encore and Jazz) Encores new pay scale from the latest agreement puts encore yr 1 Encore f/o's roughly $300/month gross higher earnings than a yr 1 f/o at Jazz. Even with next years roll back of the monthly guarantee from 80-75 hrs. That still puts Encore on top of Jazz with their new pay scale. Add in 3 bonus cheques a year for profit share and OPA as well as an extra 10% for ESPP, that certainly widens the margin.

As far as days worked. Sure Encore may be able to schedule more days per month than Jazz but from my personal experience I have consistently been getting 14-15 days off per month. With regards to those long 14 hour duty days... I've never seen one here myself. I've had the odd 12 hour day but most commonly I find my duty days between 6-9 hours.

Lastly, with the great grooming debate, employee grooming saves the company $20 million per year system wide which goes right back to the employees in profit share. I'll groom for the next 30 years of my career if it means extra money in my pocket. Even with grooming and pre flight duties between turns I often find myself sitting up front twiddling my thumbs for 15 minutes waiting to push.

I can't help but shake my head when I see us bash each other. It's the negativity and bashing that drags down the morale in the industry not the WAWCON, and creates all of this animosity between us it's rediculous. It erks me when I walk by an AC/jazz driver in the terminal and say "good morning", and they continue by, looking straight ahead without a peep. I guess talking to someone in a WJ uniform is below them.

Flyingbro, sorry your thread has been sidelined. Like mentioned above you won't find much posted online about interviews. Best bet is to ask your buddies within the company and even if it's outdated they will give you a good picture of what to expect. The format may have changed a bit but they're still looking for the same type of person to fill the role. I wish you the best of luck, you'll do great. I love my job here and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Cheers

D

[Jean-Pierre]

I doubt Jazz pay is that awful. Most new Encore hires are going to Toronto too. I really don't know how they can pay the rent. I have image of them eating what they find in seat backs during grooming.

[northernops]

WJ stock performance over the past 18 mths has been stellar
the stock program is the best
dont be fooled, with the performance of the stock and the bonus checks
every westjet and encore pilot is a millionaire or close to it

[JBI]

^ ^ Are all your posts supposed to be haiku?

Encore not for you
You are too good to fold belts
Look in the mirror

[Rowdy]

I always get a chuckle when I see encore and wj folk going on about their profit share and espp. There have been share match programs and performance incentives at the red team for a long time. Nothing new. I bet you if you looked at total average compensation (all factors considered) encore and jazz fo's would be within pennies of each other. How could either afford not to be? I'd say the difference between the two is simply pilot perspective.

Sorry for the thread drift.

[Flyingbro]

Well that escalated quickly......


Thanks to all who offered actual advice, as for the thread derailment i cant say i expected anything less so i cant get mad there.....

i think each company has its up and downs and at the end of the day (as the guy above me said) its more pilot preference. i know guys who love life at WJ and guys who love life at AC, also i know guys who hate life at each company guess if i make it through the interview ill see which school of thought i'm in.


a FlyingBro