Airline Interview prep, yea or nay?

[Resume Writer]

Kathy,

You make clear and valid points. I was more speaking for the value of a prep designed for a specific company, such as Albie for JetBlue or that cat Beeks for a Southwest interview.

When I started my job search, I went to a consultant much like yourself. It was very generic toward pilot jobs in general and I benefitted greatly. I did different levels of prep for different interviews. After 5 successful airline interviews, if I were to call you, you'd probably not recommend your service as a need I had. However, the insight gained from the highly specialized, company-specific preps would prove invaluable to me. If I were doing a Jetblue or Southwest interview next month, you can bet I'd be on the phone to Emerald Coast or Beeks. Here's hoping your business picks up due to increased demand (we can only hope).

Thanks Hugh. I could not agree more about the specialized interview prep for SWA and JB. That is why I defer to people like Aaron, because he has been through their process. (I did go through the SWA process as a Customer Service Agent, which was nothing but situational questions, was hired and worked with them for a short time before I had my baby) However, I never claim to know all the answers and that is why I contacted Aaron with my last client.

I suggest that people get interview prep in this industry because there are not that many options for employers.

Kathy

 

[Resume Writer]

"...my wife's memory..." LMAO! Every married man knows that is the truth!

Flattered by the kind words, but want to throw out a caution. No matter how good your prep coach is, you will need TIME to practice what you've learned to do your best. I'm helping a couple "last minute" type guys (again!), who simply found out about the services late in the game. The help I offer should be of some value, but not nearly as much as for a guy/gal who has had a week or so to "stew" on the experience and think, reflect, and practice what they have learned. What coaches offer are suggestions and guidlines for YOU to improve YOUR performance, not a list of "here's what to say" platitudes. The more time you give your coach (and yourself) to get ready, the better off you will be when you are sitting there fidgeting (hopefully not too much) at your interview table.

Good luck to everyone!

Aaron, I agree 100%. Make sure you give your coach time to prep you so that you can practice answers on your own for at least a week. I tell my clients that I have to have at least a few days before their interview. The reason is very simple. If that candidate has questions about how they are going to answer something, they can always call me and I will tell them what I think of their answer and ways to improve it.

The trap that some people fall into, without even knowing it, is answering a question a certain way, which can lead to another question asked for clarification or knowledge. I try to help my clients avoid this type of answer, because it can most definately lead to trouble!

I also teach people to visualize the interview. This may sound strange, but like any good professional athlete, taking the time to put yourself in the interview mentally before it happens makes a big difference.

For the most part, people hire people they like. They mentally picture you as a part of their team, how you will present yourself to passengers or executives and crew members. I really believe that most hiring is done on a gut level.

As I have said before, your first impression dictates for the next 20 minutes to an hour or longer whether they can justify hiring you or justify letting you walk out the door. When I conduct my seminars, I make my participants learn how to shake hands and introduce themselves to each other in a proper fashion. You would truly be amazed at how many people have a bad handshake!

At the last job fair where I conducted seminars, I was explaining to a Hiring Manager who I was and what I did at the Career Expo. The first comment out of his mouth was, "Wow, I had several candidates come up and introduce themselves properly. It was so refreshing!" He told me that he put the resumes of those people to the side. Pretty powerful stuff! I make these people practice on each other so they are not practicing on the potential employer.

I think a great deal can be learned from the psychology of interviewing. There is a great author out there named Jeffrey G. Allen, who has written several books on interviewing. The ones that I have used with my clients for years are, "How to Turn An Interview into a Job," and "The Complete Q&A Job Interview Book." While they are not specifically aviation related, they do give some great information. You can find them both on Amazon.com

Kathy

 

[bobbysamd]

Airline Interview prep

hould I use a prep service or not. If yes, does anyone recommend a good one . .

I used two different providers to prepare for two interviews for two jobs I really wanted and got both jobs. Therefore, for a job you really want, such at jetBlue, I'd say the answer is yes.

I used Irv Jasinski, who wrote the great book, Airline Pilot Interviews: How You Can Succeed In Getting Hired for one interview. He used to have a website. I've googled it several times and get gooseggs every time. Maybe others will have better luck. I also used Captain Bob Norris of San Carlos, California. Capt. Norris is also great. He has great in-depth knowledge and knows companies. I left him feeling extremely well-prepared. His book, The Aviation Career & Interview Manual, is excellent.

Hope that helps. I second Resume Writer's comments, above.