Cebu Pacific screening turned OD

A while ago, I woke up just before the break of dawn in order to make it to the 5J screening. I don't even recall the last time I awoke at such an early time in the morning just to get myself all dressed up for an interview. The reason why I had a sudden change in my sleep pattern is because of the cut-off that I had to reach; yes, there's a cut-off for male applicants and they are going to interview the first 50 applicants who arrive at the training and development center along the domestic road.

So yeah, due to the cut-off; I had to disrupt my dad in his slumbering state as well because I couldn't use my car due to the coding (my plate number ends in 1 that's why I don't have access to my car every Monday). We left at around 0515 to avoid traffic and the reddish-orange shade of the sky was so serene to look at; it really helped in calming my nerves whilst my dad was driving me to a place where I was soon to be judged -- yes, my nerves always get the best of me if I fail to control it.

We arrived at the venue at approximately 0530 but while I was in the car, I checked my stuff and I realized that I left my photos at home -- I began to cuss inappropriate words to myself in my head -- and I recalled that they were in the bag which I used for the QR OD in Cebu. I brushed things off and as I got down of the car, I headed to the guard and gave him my CV; he stamped it and I logged in on a sheet of paper -- there were around 15 guys in the room at that point -- and I asked the guard if I could just come back later, he nodded and I was off to the car again. While heading to my dad's car, I was already generating an excuse in the back of my head -- my dad would get FURIOUS if he found out the truth that I accidentally left my photos at home -- so that I won't screw up my dad's morning. When I entered the car, I told him that I forgot to cut my nails and that my hands were really dry and I assured him that they would check my hands whilst being interviewed -- such a lame excuse, I know haha but I had to think of something FAST -- by one of the HR personnel. Yes, he was slightly mad but he didn't go berserk so he drove me all the way back home again -- my dad's such a star haha -- amidst the slight build up of cars in the city.

It was around 0630 when we reached home and I hurriedly went to my room to get my stuff; my dad was downstairs having his daily dose of tea -- nothing, and i mean NOTHING can separate my dad and his "tea time" -- and biscuits so I just grabbed a piece of toasted pandesal and munched it down to atleast keep my empty tummy not-so-empty-anymore. Once done, we left 10 minutes before 0700 but luckily, traffic wasn't that crazy yet so I made it back to the 5J training center within 20 minutes. Upon entering, the place was already packed! I was quite startled because I wasn't expecting a lot of guys to be there due to the cut-off but I soon found out that the HR decided to call off the cut-off to accommodate the others who were there -- grrreeat! -- at the venue. I approached the lady guard who was there and she handed me this:



The moment I saw what was on the ID, I was like "What the hell??" -- how could I be applicant 119 when I arrived in so early that there were hardly 20 people in the room! -- So I advised the lady guard that this might be a mistake because I submitted my CV at 0530. The male guard then recognized me then he said "sir, your resume is already in the first group that will be interviewed, the ID is just a number but it doesn't mean anything" -- he said it in Tagalog of course -- I then just smiled and said my thanks and I was standing for about 20 minutes until I was able to occupy a seat.

After 15 minutes or so, a male HR personnel introduced himself as Mr. R and he said that he would start the screening shortly -- it was around 0730 that time -- since there were a lot of applicants to be screened. He then started to call out names while the rest of us were just waiting for our turn to be called. After an hour, and after constantly yawning and checking my watch, some lady finally called out a familiar name but she hardly was able to pronounce it -- yes, most people butcher my name all the time that's why I prefer to be called DJ instead -- so I stood up amongst the seated crowd and I said my name aloud; she smiled, I responded back with a smile and I headed to the interview room whilst a dozen eyes were staring at me.

Upon entering the room, she instructed me to take a seat and she tried to pronounce my name once again -- she did get it right the second time around -- but I requested for her to address me by DJ instead. She just smiled and the interview began. She failed to introduce herself so I just took a glance at her ID and her name was Ms. R. She started by asking how old I was so I responded by stating, "Ms. R, I'm 21." she gave out a surprised look and then smiled -- I think it was because I said her name without her saying it to me -- and she followed up by asking how I found out about the vacancy. She then kept on firing numerous, easy questions and I answered them one at a time but suddenly, she asked if I had mixed blood; I said, "No ma'am, I'm not Filipino at all but I was born and raised here" she then followed up by asking "How about your citizenship? do you hold a Filipino passport?" I answered back by saying "I don't, but I'm legite to work here since I have a permanent resident status" She then wrote a couple of lines on my CV but her next set of questions were still focused on my nationality and citizenship. I noticed that there was something wrong so I asked her "Ms. R, should I be concerned with my status?" She was pretty transparent and she admitted, "Yes, I'm sorry to say but you should be concerned with your status; we had the same case before wherein there was a Chinese girl who was accepted for the next round but we had to let her go due to her citizenship; you see, she wasn't bearing a Filipino passport." We had the same situation and in the back of my head I was like oh shoot! So I responded by saying, "Will I undergo the same fate?" she said, "I'm afraid so, but I'll try to check on your status with my colleagues and we'll let you know thru text if you're qualified for the panel interview or not.". After she said that, I just thanked her for her time and headed out to the reception to claim my ID.

I then was outside, basking in the ambience of the summer heat -- it was scorching earlier! -- whilst waiting for a cab. Lo and behold, all the cabs were full! It took me 20 minutes of sweating just to get a cab -- I swear my feet were about to burn inside my leather shoes -- and I finally was reacquainted with cool air from the air-conditioning.

When I reached home, I told mum my story and she told me to just keep my hopes up but I could see from her face that she was disappointed due to my "citizenship issue". Honestly, I sort of saw it coming that I wouldn't make it to the next round -- not because I didn't do well in the interview but because I was helpless due to my citizenship -- Nevertheless, I was still trying my best to look at the positive side of things -- my interview lasted about 5-7 minutes and comparing to other applicants, she interviewed me longer -- and I was hoping that they could find a way to get me in through the next round regardless of what passport I hold.

I logged on to a forum online and there were a couple of posts about the screening; it was around 1500 that time and the contents of the posts were negative news. The applicants who shared their experiences earlier said that they weren't even verbally interviewed, they were just asked to stand up and smile. They then received the SMS stating that they didn't qualify for the next round.

Upon reading their posts, I still had a spark of hope deep inside and I was really hoping to get the congratulatory SMS. After a couple of minutes, a friend then sent me a message stating that he didn't qualify as well. I then started to feel anxious since my phone was just idle on the table for hours! It was approximately 1834 when my phone vibrated and once the message was fully loaded, I read the first line and it said, "We regret to inform you.. blah blah..". I wasn't shocked at all; I really felt it coming. What bothers me the most is that I knew I had a chance but I felt so helpless because the odds were against me; I'm a foreigner, I don't bear Filipino citizenship -- regardless if I was born and raised here and I speak Tagalog fluently -- and there was nothing I could do to change that fact.

It was such a disappointing day but yeah, there's nothing I can do really. If it's not in my luck, it's not. It's just really misleading that they posted on their advertisement that it's okay to apply as long as you have relevant residence status -- which I have -- and then they would turn it into a problem once you're being interviewed.

So yeah, that was my experience with Cebu Pacific. It's all right though, I'm not sad whatsoever but I can't really describe this feeling right now; it's weird!

Anyway, I hope to see you guys at the skies SOON -- without encountering further problems regarding my citizenship --

Cheers,
DJ

Back to reality

Two hours ago, I woke up with a sigh since my mini vaca in Cebu has been put to a halt. It's back to the same old lifestyle and daily routines for me here in MNL.

Do you ever get the feeling of nostalgia after you travel? -- after, in this case, means the NEXT day upon arriving at your real abode -- I get that feeling everytime I come back home the day AFTER I arrive; strange eh? It's like, your body is still somewhat trapped in time and you're trying to detach yourself from that period of reminiscing in order to remind your brain that the trip's officially over.

Yes, I do admit, I'm a sucker for nostalgia and I'm experiencing it now.

Two hours later, I catch myself still giving out a sigh. I feel that up to now, my mind's still ensnared in Cebu; no more waking up in a different room each day, overindulging myself with my aunt's cooking, 4pm coffee and biscuits with my cousin whilst being harassed by my 2 year old niece -- yes, she's only 2 but she already knows how to put on a poker face and at a very young age, she has the ability of manipulation -- in the living area.

And yes, call me silly or what not but i'm sulking myself in the ambience of sentimental music. gaaaah.

This feeling will SOON fade, i'm pretty sure of it. Everything just happened in such haste and my brain cells need some time to absorb the fact that I'm back in MY world.

So yeah, my Cebu shindig was quite a blast. I haven't been there in 11 years so my cousins brought me out to numerous places such as tops, different malls, we tried out the edge coaster at the Crowne and I even had the chance to meet up with a friend that I haven't seen in a year.

It's funny to realize that time DOES go by so fast; most of us already have college degrees and I already have a niece on my dad's side. My first ever niece! can you believe that? haha I feel old.. though the truth is, i'm only 21. We rekindled old memories by allowing ourselves to make fun of our geeky/nerdy childhood days; it was hilarious to see the bulges on our tummies and watching home made videos of our squeaky voices. I sure would like to be a kid again regardless of how I appeared back then.

Ahhh.. childhood. Runnning around without direction nor worry, pigging out on high calorie items, always -- if not most times -- obtaining what your tiny heart desires; how carefree! Makes me realize though that soon, the time will come when i'll be having my own kids. That's such a scary thought for now, so I guess it's safe to say that i'll cross the bridge when I get there (in 10 years!).

Please excuse me for this entry, it's all due to my nostalgic state.

So yeah, going back to my Cebu trip, there was a funny incident that transpired. I accompanied my cousin and her daughter at the day care center and while I was waiting outside, the random yayas and mums of the toddlers in the day care were talking to my cousin; and guess what the topic was? yeah yeah, it's predictable; ME! hahaha they all were asking if I was the dad of my niece -- of course my cousin said NO -- and she answered back by stating, "he's actually just here for a vacation, he's a flight attendant for Emirates" -- and all of them actually bought it! -- She then followed by saying, "he'll be flying back to Dubai in a couple of days". Deep inside, my cousin was trying not to laugh whilst I was outside, standing and cluelessly waiting on what was happening on the other end of the glass window. When she came out with my niece, I looked behind and they were still staring at me. So out of curiousity, I asked my cousin on what occurred inside. She told me what happened and we were laughing our derrieres off! She even said "they think you look good and that you're tall and they actually said you look like a flight attendant" -- honestly, that made my day -- with a wink after finishing her sentence. We were still giggling whilst inside the cab. Sometimes though, at clubs or parties, when random strangers ask me what I do, I just respond back by saying that I'm a flight attendant for a multi-national airline -- yes, I know it's just a lie but why not fake it 'til you make it, yeah? -- and they actually believe me. hahaha it's just something I do for laughs.

Talking about Cebu, there's going to be a cabin crew screening for Cebu Pacific on the 26'th (Monday) of this month. I'm gonna get myself really prepared for that and I have only one goal in mind; eyes on the prize dheej, eyes on the prize!

I'm gonna be there really early since they'll only be entertaining the first 50 applicants; beyond the cut off, you won't have the chance to be interviewed.

So yeah, wish me luck!

See you guys at the skies,
DJ

QR OD (Cebu)

Just a while back, I had my first glimpse of how an OD is actually like. And damn! When I say there were a lot of people, it's an understatement; the place was insanely packed!

I arrived 15 minutes before 0900 hours and upon entering the hall that was already filled by more than half of the applicants, I noticed the two lovely and quite stunning female recruiters that were poisely seated at the front. Luckily, I managed to find an aisle seat at the right side of the hall.

When the clock struck at approximately 0900, the lady from the right stood up and elegantly made her way to the mid-front area of the hall then she was shortly followed by the recruiter who was seated on the other end. They both commanded heed just by their presence alone; they didn't even say a word yet but they still managed to grab everyone's attention just by standing up. The lady from the right side of the hall then introduced herself - I believe her name started with an A - I couldn't really hear them much since I was sitting way at the back but she said that she's a Singaporean. The lady from the left then said that her name's L but I wasn't able to hear her anymore - she appeared to be South American though - because the tone of her voice wasn't that audible.

So finally, the 30-second-brief-interviews began. They started to call on the applicants who were on the first row and screened one person at a time.

I noticed that L (lady on the left) was much more lively and upbeat compared to A who was really reserved and she rarely gave out a grin. Since I was already seated at the right side of the hall, I didn't bother transferring anymore because the room was already filled up and most of the seats were already occupied - my gut feel was signaling me to transfer to the left but my body just froze onto my seat - so I just decided to go with the flow and let fate decide for me.

Whilst nearing my turn with the recruiter, I got my photos ready and took a really deep breath since I was beginning to feel the exhaustion from all the waiting. When it was my turn to be called, I stood up and smiled my way to the Singaporean lady - her skin was flawless and she had a great set of pearly whites - she then asked me to say my name since she couldn't pronounce it well but I told her to address me by DJ instead. She then asked how old I was and she hurriedly scanned through my CV. She noticed that I look foreign so she asked me where my roots were from and she then followed by asking if I could speak in Hindi; I said yes, she smiled and then she wrote down something on a piece of paper. She had quite an impressive poker face though; I really couldn't read it! One thing that transpired in my time with her was that there was a lot of dead-air - not on my part but on hers - I was concerned that she didn't find me interesting since she wasn't asking much so what I did was I just initiated some small talk to fill in the lulls - oh the dreaded lulls! Ugh. - since I'm not really a huge fan of silence. After scanning through my CV, she just said thanks - without shaking my hands - and then I was off to get my stuff and I headed out the hall. It was around 1030 that time and the hall was still packed!

The waiting game then officially began.

1300 - had lunch; no phone call.
1400 - looking at old baby pictures; no phone call.
1500 - watching old home made videos; 2 sms', no phone call.
1600 - still watching the videos; no phone call.
1700 - I was hoping they would start calling by this time but yet again, no phone call.
1800 - headed to the ayala mall with my Cebu based relatives; still no phone call.
1900 - grocery shopping; 1 SMS, no phone call.
2000 - the night was still young but I was starting to lose hope; still no phone call.
2100 - got back home; 5 sms', no phone call.
2200 - writing this blog; still no phone call.

This waiting game is such a drag! I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get the call anymore and I'm actually okay about it. Haha weird eh? Honestly though, my heart's really with Emirates and I'm still waiting for the invitational email from IPAMS.

I'm just going to charge this to experience; it was a pretty tiring day but atleast I finally have a first hand idea of how an OD for an international airline is actually like. All hope still isn't lost for this month yet since I'm planning to attend the Cebu Pacific screening on the 26th. Also, there has been word that QR might have another OD in Manila; hopefully it would be open for males again.

It's already 2230 and I'm sleepy; guess it's time for me to proceed to la-la-land.


---------------------

Before I go to bed though, allow me to let you in on some personal "theories" of mine.

1. I've noticed that they really prefer tall individuals (based from observing the South American lady because she always shook hands with people who are vertically gifted and even after the interview, she was scanning their CV with a smile on her face).

2. Always, ALWAYS be at your best and be sure to look it. The first impression alone can make or break you and this not only includes what you have on your back but also your posture and your speech (I've seen some people who were not in business attire and most aspirants who are being interviewed tend to fidget a lot. Remember people, appearance is everything; specially in the F.A world).

3. Based on my interview, don't try to fill in the lulls unless deemed necessary. I did a lot of small talk but then I later realized that it wasn't a good thing on my behalf since I should've let her quietly think and absorb what was on my CV before dumping it on the pile.

4. Be patient, very VERY patient in waiting. The queue can be super-duper-uber long. Oh! And yes, do breathe! It's okay to do so. Haha

5. If you don't get the call on the same day, don't fret. Everytime you get a NO, a YES will surely come your way in due time. Just remember to charge everything to experience and take the time to better yourself until the next open day.

For now, I'll just enjoy my time in Cebu.

'till the next OD!

See you guys at the skies,
DJ

21

Backtracking..

4 days prior to today, I officially was considered a legal (adult) citizen of this planet. I JUST TURNED 21 BABY! woot. FINALLY. No need to carry a fake piece of identification anymore in order to paaarty (although we don't need one here in Manila). When I was back in Dubai, I had to create a fake copy of my passport just to have a decent nightlife - take note, doing ANYTHING illegal in DXB regardless if it's something petty or what not, can end you up in a prison cell - So yeah, pathetic eh? but I believe you'd do anything crazy enough as to keep you happy and sane; oh! and yes, normal.

Anyway, yesterday was a blast! I ended up treating my drunkard buddies in Distillery at the Fort. Fun, fun night indeed! I came in early though as to reserve a table but lo and behold.. I should've figured that the place would be packed by early birds. I was there before 8 and I left my place at 6 - yes, Manila's traffic can be such a drag at times; no, MOST times - but I still managed to get a table, though it was the smallest round table there. Also, I was finally reconciled with the first love of mine (absolut kurant) since we last parted ways 2 weeks ago or so. It was such a good feeling to relish its taste once again. mm-hmm.

The night was young, quite young actually; but the place started to be really packed by people and I was glad that our tiny table could put up with all the booze and junk and other paraphernalia on top of it. It's funny that people could still remember their glasses on the table when everything looks the same due to the same contents in it. Oh well, I think I must've spit-swapped at a point because I couldn't distinguish my glass from the rest.

It's also hilarious that people can still get hyped up over a Lady GaGa song that was a big BIG hit last year (Poker Face - muh muh muh muh). I sure was one of 'em, and yes, I was under the influence but I still knew what I was doing. t'was CRAAAZY. It was a fun song to shake your body to though - err, not body, just the face and shoulders rather with some hand movements; slight, hand movements - but yeah, good, good times; embarrassing though, but still good.

Nonetheless, I had F-U-N and was overly satisfied with how the night ended up. And oh yes, I was relieved that my wallet survived my 21'st.

After only 5 hours of sleep, I have a terrible hangover - one that I don't usually get but I was glad to experience it again after the looongest time - and my voice is sorta squeaky. Hangover + Voice problems the next day = an INSAAAANE night.

So the normal routine when I wake up, before even using the loo, I turn my laptop on and lie down on my bed and venture off to cyberland. Whilst lying down and being comfortable and yes, still groggy; My bed decided to give me a surprise - when I say surprise, It's meant to be a shocker - and it actually scared the shit right out of me due to my groggy state by giving me a big BOOM! - literally - It gave up on me, my bed gave up on me! I know i've been gaining unwanted weight for the past few days due to my diet that's composed entirely of junk and protein shakes but I only weigh 140 lbs! C'mon man! Guess i'll be sleeping on the floor tonight. Thanks bed, you've been really comfy to sleep in but now I must go look for a new one; i'm gonna miss you though.

I'll end this blog right now, I don't think i'm making much sense anymore. I'm just randomly typing stuff that's on my head. Oh well..


note to self: Dheej, your life OFFICIALLY starts now.

Farewell.

A legal adult of this world,
DJ

Flight Confirmed

I was able to book it three days ago. Luckily, they still had available seats for the flight.

View the image for the details.



I have a strange feeling that this flight's already full. For you guys who haven't booked your flight yet, better do it ASAP since most of the OD attendees are planning to leave on the 17'th as well.

See you guys in Cebu!

Qatar Airways require men

Okay, it's confirmed.

The Qatar Airways OD in Cebu on the 18th is also open for individuals from the MALE species. Hell yeah baby! Hahaha

I just read in a forum that a Filipino cabin crew member who's based in Doha, contacted the recruitment office and inquired if the OD in CEB is just for females or not. The recruitment officer confirmed that the OD can also be attended by men.

He also elaborated that back in 2008, there was an OD for the said airline in Manila and it was posted on the QR site that only females are advised to attend the screening. IPAMS then advertised that men could also try their luck in the open day but when the day finally arrived and the recruiters noticed male applicants, they apologetically insisted for them to leave since they only requested for females.

Lesson learned that it's still best to contact the company and inquire rather than following the agency since their info might be out of date. So.. Following my previous post -- was it a prank? Haha let's not assume anything for now. It's best to just make use of our time to prepare for the OD on the 18th.

Book your flights now people!

See you guys at the Marriott.

Confused no more,
DJ

April fools prank? I hope so..

Yeah yeah.. it's the time of year again wherein people can play pranks on others and get away with it. Though i'm hoping that what i'll be telling you right now is truly just a joke.

If you've been updated with the aviation world, Qatar Airways has scheduled open days throughout numerous cities for the month of April. They'll be in CEB on the 18'th and as we all know, this airline hasn't had an open day for males here in the Philippines for the past few years. They only require females to attend the assessment in Manila, Cebu and as well as other chosen countries (mostly third world) and they actually let potential candidates know if they're only going to assess females in that area or not thru their website.

A perfect example would be the snapshot below wherein they've indicated that they only need females to attend the screening in Mumbai, India.



For the OD in CEB on the 18'th, this was indicated on the QR site



Do you see the difference? For the OD in Mumbai, they only require females but for the Cebu Assessment, there's nothing specified. The biggest shocker here is that on the website of IPAMS they have the same Qatar Ad with a slight twist



As per the above image from the IPAMS website, they require females to attend the OD. Confusing yeah?

I've been reading a couple of forums online regarding the same issue and some people have even contacted the agency in Manila to inquire. Apparently, IPAMS confirmed that the recruiters will only assess female applicants. The issue here is.. which site are we going to follow? The official Qatar airways website or the appointed agency?

I wish this is just a prank by the agency and i'm hoping that they would re-post an ad saying "GOTCHA!" since IT IS April fools and they might have just wanted to push our anxiety buttons a bit but I doubt that will happen. It won't transpire even in my wildest dreams!

I mean, i'm more than willing enough to shell out cash and attend the OD in CEB but i'm concerned that everything might just go to waste if they inform me then and there that i'm not eligible due to my gender.

Oh well.. let's wait and see if anything changes. We still have much time before the OD but I hope that everything will be clarified as soon as possible as to not cause much trouble to others.

See you guys at the skies!

Confused truly,
DJ