Recruitment process for HAL (part 1)

Posted by GUGUN BASUKI on 08.35 No comments

Author: Edy Tantra

(Kisah dalam bahasa Inggris ini ditulis oleh Edi Tantra yang baru saja melewati proses rekruitmen di HAL dan sebentar lagi menjalani masa training, sebelum bekerja di kapal pesiar di bawah manajemen HAL. Kisahnya cukup detail dan panjang, maka terpaksa kami bagi 3 bagian. Tulisan tetap kami sampaikan dalam bahasa Inggris. Jika anda tidak mampu memahami konteks ceritanya, berarti anda belum cukup nyali buat gabung dengan kepal pesiar. Salam redaksi).

I’ll start this information as what we all do normally when applying job, we submit our application.
You can click here to find out address of SBI which is HAL’s representative in Indonesia. After that, what we can do is just pray, pray again, or try to apply for another job in case we are not accepted. We just can’t do anything due to this step, as they will call us when our application is accepted.

The first interview held at SBI’s office which I’ve mentioned earlier. That morning, I prepared for everything that I needed in order to get the best results for the interview. When I reached SBI, there are some other applicants waiting in the waiting room, all of them came for many different purposes. Some of them are to be there for a visa or for briefing. But some of them are the same with me, as a new applicant.

When I was called for an interview, I was a bit nervous, as it was my first job interview and I am so called freezing after so long in the fully air-conditioned waiting room. Well, another room, this time, it’s smaller, with 2 chairs separated by a desk, a tough guy sitting behind the desk, with papers and pen in front of him, and again… the cool air condition. When I saying cool, it means very cold, as I get used to air-condition but not this one, it’s just too cool for average people.

I entered the room and said “Selamat pagi, Pak.” But replied me with English, “Good morning Edy, please have a sit.” Well, when he talked to me in English, I was shocked at first, but after that I get used to it. I just needed to get off those “Indonesian-English way of thinking” as I never speak English in Indonesia before.

Next, he said “Ok, before we start our interview session, I will firstly ask you a question. Does all the information stated in your application to SBI are all the truth and no lies?” And of course I answered “Yes.” Then after that, he explained that the interview session actually is just a starting session of the next steps, so it’s not the real interview from HAL, it’s actually a qualifying interview from SBI them self before we sent to have an interview or test from HAL.

In this starting session, the tough guy asked a few questions to test my English. A few that I remembered are:
“Why do you want to work for HAL?”
“What do you know about HAL?”
“Where did you find out about HAL?”
“How do you satisfy the management of HAL from the position you are applying?”
Then he asked me a little bit of skilled questions. At first I was applying as Room Service Attendant, but when they called me, I was offered in Housekeeping only. Well, I decided to grab the chance to work in a cruise and think about what I am working later, that’s why I attended the interview.

Some of the question regarding to Housekeeping position is how to set up a room (bed making) in theory. I explained to him, and after that, he open his files which contain some pictures. He showed me a picture, and asks me to describe the picture in details, short as long as meaningful. It was just a newspaper cut I guess. So worry nothing about this step.

And he told us that this step is end. But we have to attend another test at Cikarang. He gave me a reference paper to be given to the lady at front office. I can’t remember her name, if I am not mistaken, she was Miss Christine.