In this blog I will provide you tips and tricks when applying for the TUI MPL programme. I was incredibly fortunate to have met the TUI team and gain unique insights into TUI and their programme.

Without further ado let’s TUI it.

Meeting the TUI team

At FlightPad I met Martin Smith – First Officer and Pilot Management Project Pilot at TUI. James Winspear – Line Training Captain and Theoretical Knowledge Instructor (TKI), Zsolt Gatfalvi – First Officer of the Boeing 787 and Bridget Donaldson – MPL Cadet Pilot and Sustainability Lead at the Air League.

Presentation by Martin Smith: TUI MPL Cadet Programme.

Martin Smith delivered a presentation on the TUI MPL Cadet Programme. The presentation started by exploring last year’s successes where TUI took on 30 cadets. This was followed by a plan for 2024 applications and an encouragement to aspiring pilots to apply.

The 2023 story

• TUI welcomed 6,800 applications in 2023.
• Followed by 2000 digital interviews.
• 140 candidates were invited to assessment centre.
• 48 candidates progress to simulator assessments.
• 30 candidates awarded!

TUI was awarded the Scott Farnie Medal by the Air League. This recognised TUI following the launch of the first fully-funded UK pilot cadet programme in over 20 years! And well deserved indeed!

Takeaways from Martin Smith’s presentation:

• TUI is the world’s leading travel company operating across 180 regions.
• TUI has over 400 group-owned hotels.
• TUI has over 1,600 travel shops in Europe.
• Their customer reach is in the circa of 27 million.
• Their portfolio is vast – with 16 cruise ships in UK and German markets alone.
• The MPL is a 19 month training course.

• There are 14 ground school exams (ATPL).
• The training will involve basic flying training and intermediate/advance flight training.

• There are 5 stages to the TUI MPL application:
• Stage 1 – Submit an application.
• Stage 2 – Online assessment (verbal, logical and numerical reasoning)
• Stage 3 – One-way interview (record a series of questions) – operated by SOVA software.
• Stage 4 – Assessment day (Series of exercises – Group exercise + individual interview with pilot and HR)
• Stage 5 – Flying test with TUI airline flying team (aptitude assessment in simulator: No flying experience required)

Bridget Donaldson – My Journey as a TUI MPL Cadet.

Later on, Bridget provided an insight into her journey as one of the 30 MPL cadets successfully chosen by TUI. Here she provided advice to aspiring candidates applying to the cadet programme.

Her sentiments reiterated messages delivered by Martin Smith. One of her biggest tips was to be yourself and let yourself shine at the assessment centre. She also outlined the importance of researching into TUI – as TUI is more than airline. I refer to TUI as an ecosystem in my previous blog post. TUI is a unique, magical world. It’s really important you can really emphasise that and demonstrate how much you know about TUI. Providing magical holidays is TUI’s bread and butter!

1-2-1 conversations with the team

CV Feedback: Tips and Tricks from the TUI recruitment team themselves!

After the presentation I was fortunate enough to have 1-2-1 conversations with Bridget and Martin. I was cheeky enough to ask Martin if he would be kind enough to review my CV… and he said yes!

Here are some of the insights he provided:

• Make sure your CV is one page (or try your best to!).
• Important details to the TOP! – e.g. clearly outline the eligibility criteria that you have met.
• Consider putting ‘education’ section at the top – as recruiters often scan for this first – so make it easier for them to find it!
• Refer to relevantwork experience FIRST! Even if its older experience and it means your dates are all muddled up – it makes it stand out!

Research shows a recruiter will spend 6-8 seconds scanning your CV before deciding if you’re suitable or not! So make sure you can INSTANTLY pull in the recruiter. For example, consider coloured fonts for headings (colours to be in the airline colours). Or write key points in bold to capture attention.

• Personally I created a really captivating personal statement followed by my achievements at the top of the page. I have highlighted the achievements in bold with colour – this will instantly captivate the recruiter and pull them in to read more… Or hopefully leave a good enough impression if they have finished scanning the CV.

Stage 3: Video Interview advice

If there is one thing you take away from this blog it is the following: the TUI video interview is viewed by a REAL PERSON.

My biggest advice – ALLOW YOUR PERSONALITY TO SHINE THROUGH. BE UNIQUE. BE QUIRKY.

You have to remember this. TUI is different to any airline you may have come across. TUI is not BA nor is it Ryanair. Their customer base is not business nor are they low-cost. They are a leisure-based, holiday-based, creating eye-watering memories based airline. TUI is FAR more than bums on seats airline. They will create moments that will live with you forever. You have to genuinely believe this. And it’s so important you can portray this in your interview – be passionate, unique and go the extra smile to demonstrate why YOU!!!! This is your chance to really show off what you’re all about.

Personally, I believe this industry needs more diversity in 3 ways. More females, more BAME and more LGBTQ+ colleagues! If you feel the same way – try to show this in the interview. Sebastian Ebel, TUI CEO is a huge advocate for diversity and inclusion – in fact, there is a LGBTQ+ flag waving outside the TUI training centre!

Think 3 steps ahead.

Have a plan about how you will structure your studies… How you will stay disciplined…. How you will time-manage and stress manage…

TUI is investing a circa of £100k + in you individually to fully train you and entrust you with a multi-million flying machine. They need to know they have picked the right person – so be over-prepared and show that you are the best of the best. There are 30 spaces… you want to be the first person they want to pick!

Keep Calm: They are NOT here to catch you out!

Having spoken to Bridget and a few of last year’s candidates I received plenty of positive feedback regarding the assessment centre. It is one of the most relaxed assessment centres you will go to – everyone is extremely friendly. So keep calm and do your absolute best!

I hope this helps. Best of luck with your applications! Remember if you don’t get through – there’s always next year!