So you did it; you got the big interview! Now what? The phone interview seemed simple enough but now its time for the next big step—your face to face with the recruiters. You were excited but now the questions start pouring into your mind: How do I prepare? What if I say the wrong thing? How do I avoid the tough questions? Let me be the first to say don’t stress! The hard part is over! Going into your interview, you have already surpassed the most difficult part of qualifying yourself for the position. At this point, you are a fully qualified aviator that the airline (or charter company) wants to hire—be confident! Now let’s get you ready for that interview! Here are six key tips to acing your first airline interview.
1. Come Prepared.
This comes as no surprise but know that coming prepared is the first critical step to anything aviation. Just like preparing for that challenging IFR cross country, your airline interview should be looked at no different. Come to the interview professional, well rested, and ready to tackle the day! Bring all required documentation asked of you and present it neatly for the interviewer to review. Consider making a stop at Staples or Office Depot and binding all of your interview materials in a professional portfolio. Avoid damaging the pages. Make things clearly visible, easily accessible, and organized with tabs or with cover pages that clearly show your name and application info. Nothing will demonstrate that you have the right stuff quite like showing up on-time and with everything needed to start the process of getting you onboard with the Company.
2. Know your goals.
Having a clear vision of your career ambition is important. When airline’s hire a pilot they are doing more than simply qualifying resumes and negotiating experience. The airline is tasking their recruiters with solidifying a huge monetary investment in a new candidate. This includes financing a new hires training, onboarding, and benefits package. It can cost as much as $100,000 to hire a new pilot, so demonstrating your commitment to your career track is essential. An easy way to do this is by researching your airline before your interview. Learn about key industry developments that might influence your decision to choose that carrier. Focus on exciting changes within the airline that motivate you. The human element is a powerful thing; engaging your personal motivations with your knowledge of what inspires you will draw a clear illustration of your dedication. It will further make your recruiter all-the-more confident in their decision to want to hire you.
3. Clean up your logbook
Your airmen logbook is your golden record of professionalism. It is indicative of your entire career, challenges, experience, and aviation wisdom. Your logbook tells a story without you even uttering a word. Demonstrating your professionalism here is the most critical aspect of showcasing yourself as a competent airman. Would you want to hire a candidate who shows up to interview with a wrinkled up resume and torn application? Me either. Consider the story you convey of yourself if your logbook looked tattered, disorganized, and un-totaled. Simply, keep your logbook neat and easy to read. It will leave less questions about your qualifications and show just how much pride you take in your work! Many pilots utilize electronic logbooks which are easily printable and are also able to total out your flight experience hours with little effort!
4. Answer Smart
Understand the question and answer concisely, truthfully, and on topic. Don’t stress the rhetoric behind each question. It will only make you anxious and answer with less confidence. Do; however, be sure to answer professionally and within reason to the parameters of the question. Being able to articulate your responses confidently while using tactful and concise language will abstract a sense of sound judgement and logical appeal. This, more than anything, will work hugely to your advantage. When asked tricky or vague questions such as “tell me about your checkride failure” or “why did you leave this position”, be sure to answer truthfully. Know that sometimes less is more. Avoid rambling, scripted responses, or canned answers. Recruiters easily see through this and feel as though you are dodging the question or are being disingenuous. Be accountable for your mistakes but use language that shows how you have grown from your shortcomings. Be detailed but know its not necessary to explain every detail for your interviewer to gain an understand… They are usually pretty intuitive people. Above all, never cast blame on former employers, instructors, schools, or examiners. This will only work to your disadvantage. Consider what you’ve learned and end your answer by reiterating how you have grown as an aviator. Be responsible for your own success. Be optimistic. Be malleable. Hold a propensity for continued personal growth.
5. Ask Questions!
Interviews exist as an opportunity for you to interview the prospective company as much as it is for the company to interview you. Take this opportunity to ask questions! Being inquisitive of the details of the company you wish to work for will emphasize your tenacity and curiosity–an attractive quality. It shows a sense of ownership for knowledge you still wish to gain and, moreover, demonstrates to the recruiter that you are genuinely interested in the position!
6. Be Yourself!
It was in a recent conversation with a friend of mine who interviewed to be a pilot for Southwest Airlines who told me “90% of the HR portion of the interview was them talking about my new house boat!”. We both laughed. A short time later I was happy to hear that she got the job. Remember, that at the end of the day if you are interviewing, the company has already vetted your resume, application, and interrogated your aviation knowledge to some extent. The rest of the interview is the recruiters asking themselves “Would I fly with this person”. “Can I trust and respect this person to enjoy my job and be a valuable contribution to my companies culture?” Be able to be that person by simply being yourself and nobody else. You have a story. That is special in itself and that is the side that airlines, charter companies, and flight schools want to get to know. Be the respectable, humble, and fun-loving person you would want to fly with on that long haul from LaGuardia to LAX when the weather is poor and the crew is grumpy. Take it from a former airline interviewer.
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