citi group

[captb]

Does anyone know about the interview process at citigroup based out of hpn?

 

[G4G5]

I had a friend take the interview process over the winter. Step one was a large group followed by a smaller group then a simulator ride.

He turned them down prior to the sim when he found out that they were starting their captains (F900) in the low 80's. That's captains pay, NOT fo. I am not sure where or what you are use to but for a 900 capt out of HPN that VERY LOW. In fact I know a few operators that are starting their Falcon FO's at those wages.

The problem is that even if you take the position their is no room to grow$$$$. On top of that he did some research and found out that they fly alot. It's one thing to take a low paying job if you have plenty of time off. This is not the case.

Good luck.

 

[captb]

Is everyone hired as a "captain"? In which case 80k is not bad(you are really a FO). Is upgrading into the global not an option?

 

[G4G5]

I just spoke with that buddy of mine again and asked him what the story was. He told me:

20-22 days on average.
If you don't fly the average you are REQUIRED to come into the office.
International captain on the F900 and 2000.
$80,000 max. No negotiations.

Any wonder why they are looking again 3 months later?

This is not an Fo position. Their will be NO raises, just cost of living. You won't get a jump in salery for up grading. They expect you to come in and be an intl capt for fo wages. He asked about a salery adjustment down the road and they said, No.

Good luck, departments like this are truly sad. Sounds like a good place to get a few free type ratings.

 

[Skaz]

does anybody know their website address so we can have a looksee at the ops?

 

[PMVULB AvMgr]

Skaz

Citigroup is a part 91 operation, they don't have a web site!

 

[Lear70]

Good luck, departments like this are truly sad. Sounds like a good place to get a few free type ratings.

It's amazing that places like this don't "wise up" and realize that they're going to shell out $25,000 for every new person they hire, which will cost them $105k that first year, then when they've built up 500 in type they start shopping for a better place to go, when they could just give them decent money and QOL to begin with and keep stability in the department?

Makes you wonder where flight departments like these get their management teams...

 

[h25b]

Oh it's easy to figure out where they got these people, the mystery is why they let them continue to run things in to the ground...

 

[Skaz]

maybe you guys know something I dont, but $80 000 sounds pretty **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** good to me, Capt or no.

 

[Lear70]

You've got to be kidding. This has GOT to be flame bait, or maybe it's just 2800 hours without much solid corporate experience talking. If it's the latter, don't take this personally, but...

Have you ever BEEN to HPN? Do you have ANY idea what it costs to live there? Housing is effectively double what it is in the Southeast and Central Midwest, fuel is half again what it costs in other places, and food is a bit more expensive too. Add to that state income tax, and next thing you know, that $80,000 is like getting paid $50,000 somewhere else. And that's for a Falcon 900 CAPTAIN position? No thanks.

Employers like this deserve the kind of people they get: those who would just take the type rating and move on ASAP or those who can't get along anywhere else. Just my opinion...

 

[captb]

Not to mention going international 90% of the time and being away most of the month.

 

[501261]

maybe you guys know something I dont, but $80 000 sounds pretty **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** good to me, Capt or no.

If that's what you think then I feel that you are making exactly what you are worth, right now!

80K with no growth in that neck of the woods is an insult!

 

[AA717driver]

Hey, they use you, you use them. Get the type and the time and move on. The suits may be able to rationalize the high turnover for awhile but eventually, it will come to light.

Loyalty is earned.TC

 

[Skaz]

ok, you all need to slow the f - u - c- k DOWN already.

its not flame bait, Lear70 and no I dont have any CORPORATE experience, in fact I ONLY have charter, scheduled feight and pax and medevac experience in....no not the USA, but Africa, so I dont even know where the heck HPN is ! do you know where FYWE is? or FBMN ?

501261 how do you know what I get right now? or what I'm worth? wind your neck in

80 000 USD per annum is a LOT of money where I come from, multiply by 7 and thats what its worth to me in real terms.

 

[G4G5]

No one is saying that $80k is not a lot of money.

What they are saying is for an international captain for the US's largest bank flying 20+ days a months, it's pathetic. You can't live on that type of salery and be anywhere near the airport. So you will be commuting 20+ days a month, in the worst traffic on earth (outside of the 405 and the 101), just to say that you work for Citigroup. No thanks. This is FO pay in HPN, with the premis that you will get upgraded and a raise in a relativly short period.

Take a look at the list below, Purchase (avg home price $1.35 mill) and Rye ($950K) are both located right around Westchester county airport(KHPN). Now try to keep in mind that this data doesn't even mention towns like Chapaqua and Bedford (where the Clintons and Martha Stewart live) also located in Westchester county. Nor does it take into account the fact that the neighobing towns in CT, Greenwich and New Canan are just as expensive if not more to live in.

Pilots don't live close to KHPN, they typically live an hour plus away. If they are smart they live in places like Danbury CT just over an hour away, if not they live on Long Island or NJ. both require you to drive through NY city traffic and pay $7.00 ($3.50 EACH way) to get over the bridge, everytime you go to work.

Places like this never wise up. I have worked for Chief Pilots and Aviation directors like this. They justify the salery by using salery survey's. They pick and choose departments located around the US with much lower costs of living. Then they hide the Flight Safety/Training budgets under another budget category. Mgt see's the saleries as low and the departments heads get large bonuses. Down town never pays attention to the higher then normal training costs, they just assume that this is industry average.

The turnover is typically one or two a year and mgt shrugs it off as , disgruntal, didn't play nice, family reasons, better position, wanted too much money, yada yada. So don't go to places like this ever expecting to see it change, it doesn't. Believe me I made that mistake once.

If you want to take them for the Type rating then it's a different story. The problem is that they typically pick a pilot who is already typed on the aircraft. In essence you get what you pay for.

So once again, $80k is a lot of money. It's just not a lot of money in Westchester County, NY.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/forbes/P62020.asp?NF=1

 

[Skaz]

G4G5 thank you sir for the explanation, if somebody had done so before getting the zippo's out, I wouldnt have had a little ITT rise there

Been to USA twice now, and seeing traffic around Washington DC at rush hour(s) makes me understand what you are saying.

 

[sleepy]

Wow, I know a DA-900 FO that lives in the Southeast and started at $110K. CitiGroup does not sound like a good place to work.

 

[G4G5]

G4G5 thank you sir for the explanation, if somebody had done so before getting the zippo's out, I wouldnt have had a little ITT rise there

Been to USA twice now, and seeing traffic around Washington DC at rush hour(s) makes me understand what you are saying.

No problemo,
I am one of those idiots who travels over the bridge from Long Island, through the City just to get to HPN (my aircraft is based there)

Enjoy the ride.

 

[Lear70]

I used to fly out of FRG and would take the train into the city (took an hour) and can't imagine commuting all the way up to HPN - it'd take d*mn near 3 hours!

Hope Citibank doesn't have pop-up trips with a 30-minute call-out or something assinine like that...

Wonder if someone could get to the head of that division and clue them in. Probably not, but it's a nice thought, as working for Citibank could be a relatively safe bet for a long-term gig if they got their sh*t together...

 

[PMVULB AvMgr]

Hey G4G5,

You wrote:

I am one of those idiots who travels over the bridge from Long Island, through the City just to get to HPN

I wouldn't consider your commute idiotic; I did it myself for about 4 years. Five Towns to HPN. On a good day, outside rush hour, it was a 50 minute drive; during rushhour it could go to 1:30, but all in all still better than sitting on the Long Island Rail Road and NY Subway, being totally at the mercy of the "system".

At least in the car I have a radio, can take alternate routings if traffic is bad, and have peace and quiet, not like commuters sentenced to Mass Transit!