There are people like birds - they want to fly,
Jump from the nest, the first swing and flight ...
So simple, if you know all this,
So hard all the time up and forward.
Man's long-standing dream of flying has come true with the invention of the first aircraft. Modern airliners can not be compared with the antediluvian "whatnots", but people still dream about the sky. And among people there are those who soar up on a giant colossus with powerfully roaring turbines, and there are those on whom technical support on the ground and a reliable rear for aviators and passengers depend. Their name is ground staff. Today our story will be about them, about those guys and girls who control the flow of air passengers and are responsible for their comfort and safety, ensuring the smooth operation of a huge organism - Emirates airline.
Alexander Bulygin, Aziz Harratov and Diana Urmanova came to work for Emirates from Tashkent. The guys have been working in the airport ground services for a year and a half. Diana is also not a newbie, but her work experience is less than 11 months.
Tell us how you learned about recruiting employees to work in the UAE.
D: I have a slightly non-standard history of going to work abroad. Initially, I came to the Emirates with a visit visa. I am a medical doctor by education; I independently found a job in my specialty and worked for a year in one of the Dubai hospitals. Then the contract ended, and I returned to Tashkent. But this country fascinated me, I really wanted to continue my work here. I have already heard a lot about Lalsat, so I applied for a job with them. Twice I was interviewed for work in the hotel industry - but she felt that this activity was not suitable for me, and therefore refused the contract. But when representatives of the Emirates company arrived in Tashkent, I decided to try my luck once again - and now I do not regret it.
S. and A .: In Tashkent, we worked together in a good travel agency. It is known that the majority of Lalsat clients are employees of travel companies and hotels, many are familiar with each other. There are people who have left through the company in the UAE a few years ago and tell all their friends about everything. Thus, thanks to the "gypsy mail" reliable information is transmitted.
WITH.: I learned about this company a long time ago, about five years ago. He came, met with the staff, talked with the director Sean ...
And then five years of waiting and observation?
WITH.: Not certainly in that way. Yes, at first there was a certain mistrust, but then it became clear how many people they sent to the Emirates. They honestly earned themselves a serious reputation. Indeed, for most representatives of young people with an average level of income and higher education this is a kind of corridor, a great opportunity to start their career abroad and provide financial assistance to their loved ones. I have a university behind me and a good position as a middle manager, so I had something to think about - but I think I made the right choice.
Did you have any experience with the airport ground services?
D., S., A .: For those who interviewed us, our experience in this area was not so important. The main thing was the ability to communicate with people, with honor to get out of various extreme situations, successfully resolve disputes, be polite, hospitable and sociable.
Now you have radically changed the scope of your activity. What do you think of your new career?
D: Having received another specialty, I sometimes have the opportunity to apply my previous knowledge - relevant situations may arise in this work.
S. and A .: We have not just acquired a new profession: we have a chance for continuous growth and self-improvement, for on-the-job training - and vacancies around the world where Emirates has offices.
Did you go through any special training?
D., S., A .: A month of intensive training at Aviation College under a special program was provided to us completely free of charge, providing all the necessary materials and training aids. It was not easy, we came home with books and prepared for exams. Then another month we had a working practice, during which we already received a salary. After training, we all passed the exams, and those who could not do it the first time received another chance - to retake. But the whole group, which was organized first, continues its work at the airport to this day.
Was the learning process the most difficult in your business?
D., S., A .: The hardest part was the first six months. Everything is new and unusual, strict discipline, responsible work schedule. It was necessary to find housing, settle ... We decided that living in the apartments that the company provides was convenient, but not very good from a psychological point of view. Still, you get morally tired because you see the same faces in front of you both at work and at home. Therefore, we preferred to take monetary compensation and find an apartment on our own. Diana lives with five girls in an apartment from the company, they have three bedrooms and a common room. The attitude towards us was loyal from the very beginning, the management looked closely and made certain conclusions. And we tried to keep the brand and show ourselves only from the best side.
S. and A .: After all, we were the first, and others were to come for us. The opinion that has developed on the work of our countrymen has remained very good.
What are the career prospects for the company?
S. and A .: The company only encourages the desire and initiative of its employees related to further training and self-improvement. On the Emirates website you can find many courses in various specialties, order the necessary literature - and after three months or six months, depending on the course, pass an exam. You can also study online, coming in your free time and studying on a computer connected to the corporate network. Each completed and successfully evaluated course is marked by the issuance of an international certificate, which is quoted in any country in the world. If there is a desire to get a position higher than that occupied, you must submit an application and documents for consideration by the leadership, which will necessarily take into account your self-education abilities and appreciate them. At the end of the year, each employee’s work is evaluated on a 6-point system, where all successes and failures are taken into account. We have 5 points in our archive - but not because we blundered somewhere. Only employees who received personal thank-you letters from passengers were sent the highest rating.
Tell us more about the mode of work and the reward system in Emirates.
D., S., A .: Our work is shiftable, but everyone is free to choose at what time it is more convenient for him to work. There are only morning shifts, there is a whole day; You can choose a work schedule: you work for two days, relax for two, or "four for four." There is the possibility of interchangeability. For example, if you urgently need to leave somewhere, you can agree with a friend to work for you, and then work for him. Therefore, if you work hard for three weeks, there is a chance to relax for a week outside the country. Moreover, we have discount flights, we pay only 10% of the cost.
We receive bonuses both for knowledge of an additional foreign language, for overtime work, and for work on weekends (hourly pay is already taking place here). Due to illness, 90 working hours are paid by the company at the rate of 100%, the next 180 hours - 50%. In all countries where the company’s offices are located, there is a convenient hotel reservation and ticket delivery system.
How do you see your future?
D., S., A .: It’s better not to talk about specific plans, or they won’t come true ... Of course, it’s very romantic to dream about flights being in the airport ground services. But there is much more room for growth on earth. Emirates is an international company with a large network of offices in many countries around the world. For internal vacancies, you can apply for a job anywhere in the world. If you are not familiar with the specialty, you can immediately take free courses and acquire another profession.
Now the third terminal of the Dubai International Airport is being built, for which thousands of new workers will be recruited. And this means that very soon we will have the opportunity to rise one or two steps higher and begin training for beginners. Of course, we understand those guys who are keen to switch to flights. There is an undeniable reason here - high salaries. But here it is already necessary to choose: future or money. We made our choice!
I would like to add that in the company "Lalsat-Service" people work with soul. They do not seek to quickly send their customers to the first conveniently turned up company. On the contrary, they will listen to all your wishes and advise you to wait, not to rush; and when offers come up with suitable vacancies and positions, they call and invite for an interview, detailing all the pros and cons, and advise the right behavior strategy with future employers. We found in Lalsat a friendly warm attitude and an individual approach to each person.
