Applying to two Gulf carriers at once: is it allowed, do they know, and what happens if both call
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#1 Cairo, three years call centre, and I have applications in with Emirates and Qatar at the same time, with an Etihad one ready to send. I keep hearing that 'they know' and 'it looks bad' and I would like the actual answer from people who did it.
What I think I know
The applications are separate companies with separate systems. Emirates does not see Qatar's applicant list. There is no shared database. The 'they know' story comes from the interview question 'have you applied elsewhere', which some recruiters ask and which you should answer honestly.
What I am unsure about
If both call in the same month, what do you do. If you accept one and then the other comes, can you change your mind. Whether accepting a Qatar offer and then withdrawing to take Emirates burns a bridge for life. Whether the open days being in the same city in the same week is a coincidence or a competition.
What I want
The experience of someone who had two Gulf applications live at once and got a call from at least one. What did you do, what did you say, and did anything go wrong?
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#2 I had both Emirates and Etihad calls three weeks apart, as I said elsewhere. Emirates gave me ten days to decide when I asked. Nobody at either airline cared that I had applied to the other. The honest answer at interview ('yes, I have applied to Qatar too, this is my first choice because') was fine. Apply to all of them.
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#3 Qatar, and I withdrew from an Emirates process after the Qatar call, by email, politely, and applied to Emirates again three years later for a friend's sake to test it and got a video interview. No bridge burned. They see thousands of candidates. You are not memorable enough to be blacklisted, and that is a good thing.
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#5 Both applications in from Durban, same question, same fear. This thread has settled it for me. Apply to all three.
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#6 Qatar call, Emirates application still open, and I emailed Emirates to withdraw the day I signed the Qatar offer, because it felt right. They replied with a template thanking me. That is the whole consequence.
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#7 Ex Emirates, and from inside: recruitment knows everyone applies everywhere and it is expected. The only thing that looks bad is lying about it when asked. Answer honestly and rank them honestly.