Sunday, March 25, 2012

the.beginning.vol.1




Ep. 4

I was almost graduated this time, there is no Singapore Airlines recruitment, neither does Emirates. I keep on doing my routines. Working on my final project, doing my part time job, dating with my boyfriend, and so on…and so on…A package of shock came from God in the early March’s Sunday morning, while I was doing my part time job on story telling at the mall. It seems that Cathay Pacific is recruiting soon. I read it on my senior’s facebook wall and I was like AAARRGGGHH…as on that day I was doing my part time job at the mall, I look for the newspaper that my senior’s mention (just to double check if it was only prank or not), and there it is, the advertisement about the grand recruitment which will be held in the middle of May and those who wants to apply should submit the application documents before 9th April, 2011. Finally, another chance!

"Dreams are necessary to life." - Anais Nin

As soon as I got back to the office, I prepared all the documents that are needed, scanned all certificates that I considered would be useful and considerable for the industry, got all the soft copies and I sent it to the stated email for Cathay Pacific. (It was on March, though, that I sent them my first email). I sent it with another prayer this time, the same opening and I added, if this is the time and the path that You want to show me, so be it. Because based in my calculation, if the recruitment process started on May, it would likely to take several months ahead to the departure (if we’re succeed), and by the time, I would be free to go as I would have graduated. (I do feel that God works on it, coz it really do come to me in the perfect timing).

And again, the only person that know about this are my aunty, and my boyfriend, and several friends that I’d like to call my supporters. The way I spent the waiting process is just as routine and monotonous as ever and honestly, I almost forgot that I was waiting for the interview invitation. My boyfriend said that there were almost 4000 applicants that applied to Cathay Pacific (CX) this time (his sister is in this industry as well as her friends, that is why his info is sometimes rather trustable).

On 27th April, 2011, while I was having dinner with my boyfriend, in this Japanese restaurant called Hachi-Hachi Bistro at Central Park Jakarta (it is somehow amazing how I memorized those details), an email arrived (the thing is, it was sooooo hard for my Blackberry to receive any signal and yet, that email got through). It was like a lightning strike in the middle of daylight. It was from CX, inviting me to the interview session on 13th May, 2011 at The Crowne Plaza Hotel on 10.45 sharp. And guess what is my reference number??? 3065!! Yes three-O-six-five! It seems true that there are 4000 applicants.

The days to 13th May took super long! It felt like forever. Well I expected it to be just like Singapore Airline recruitment, but I was totally wrong. The point that I missed out is that Singapore Airline only recruits female flight attendant, which is cut almost the half of the contenders, but CX does recruit male flight attendant and that what shocked me the moment I arrived at the recruitment venue.

It seems that the initial recruitment process was held in 4 days in a row 10th- 14th May 2011, which expects 1000 applicants to show up on the date PLUS the walk in applicants. (ooo great…the more the merrier..!). It also seems that they divided us into several group, 75-100 applicants each time slot (I was on 10.45 time slot). So I went to the registration desk, they checked all my documents and the printed out invitation. Guess what? I met my seniors, either from school, universities, my RCPP seniors, and many other competent contenders. How do I feel? I feel like I was the most stupid and little person in that place! “can I compete them?”, that is what came across my mind at the first place. But, I can’t throw my dream only for my low self esteem, I know what I want and I’m gonna do it. After finishing the registration process, we were supposed to enter the career talk session in the ballroom, the lady of CX (cool androgyny woman!) explains to us several important points of being a part of CX. Before it started, I pray to God, here’s my prayer “God, please make me believe once again that this is for me. There are a lot of people that are greater than me either knowledge and experience, if You’re with me and You want me to do it, then I’ll do it for You, just make me believe that this is for me”. Then here it comes the first round…

(DING!)
Arm reach test. To become a CX flight attendant u should be able to reach 208 cm on your barefoot, even though you can always try on your tip toe (they still gave u chances). PASS!

Done? Not yet. Next, they divided the successful of arm reach into a group of 15 randomly. They called out our names and direct us into the other smaller function room (meeting room if I have to put it in a word, remember! I came from hotel industry as well). Then the second round started.

(DING!)
Group Discussion No.1. (this is where God shows me his first miracle through my recruitment process). We were asked to sit on the chair and to clip on the numbered tag onto our chest. There are two HR in the room with us, they explained about the rules and regulation of the GD 1 and divided us into three groups. I was on group A.

We were supposed to discuss a topic from the HR person and discuss it for about 5 minutes and make a short group presentation for about 3 minutes, note: make sure that everybody has a chance to speak and use English. Wanna have a guess of my topic? HOTEL FOOD AND BEVERAGE, which made me blink and re-read it for several times (are you kidding me? food and beverage is my best field both at school and I was trained in RCPP at the food and beverage department, I have become the best trainee either, and yes! It states “hotel” food and beverage). How come does it go “THIS” perfectly smooth for my first step? I guess God answered my question at that time (praise His mighty!). The discussion went on and the time to do the presentation comes. Blab la blab la…it isn’t that hard for me as I know well about the topic. The think is that I couldn’t get over the nervous at the first line of my speech and it went well afterwards.

After three groups has finished all the presentation, the HR person asked us that on the second round of GD 1, all of us (15 of us), should discuss about the whole topic which is “which one is more important to re branding a hotel, staff, facilities or food and beverage?”. WOW GOD! You are the best!! I spoke as soon as the time starts (8 minutes for the whole discussion). I stated my pinion with its reasons and I summed up several points. Fiuh! As soon as the discussion finished we were allowed to have a chit chat while the HR person calculate our score, note: it should be in English either. Several minutes later, they stood up and called up our name one by one and distribute the yellow cards to each of us. 1…2…3…and there were 5 of us left in the room. The HR person congratulated us that we were invited back to the Group Discussion 2, which will be hold in the same day right after lunch. Praise my God!! He answered my prayers so fast! I was sooooo happy that I do feel butterfly in my stomach and a weak knee. I pray Him thank You as soon as possible and I can’t event put it in a word. Thank You God!
“God counts every tears that we shed, that He knows better for what we want and what we need, as we have done our part, let He do his Godly work” -Me

No comments:

Post a Comment