Are Air Inc Conferences worth it?

[Daddy]

I'm debating on going...is it worth it to go just to hand out your resume? I don't need much of the other stuff...how much is it worth to be able to hand your resume to the recruiters?

 

[TWA Dude]

I know for a fact that exposure at an Air Inc fair can mean getting an interview at some airlines -- with or without an internal recommendation. But luck still plays a large roll. It's kind of like mom's chicken soup when you have the flu -- it might not help but it can't hurt, and it could even cure you. Don't get your expectations too high. Good luck.

 

[Mooseflyer]

I received 2 apps (paper) and had one interview which, I believe, would not have happened without going to a conference. So IMO, yes.

 

[MK82Man]

I vote yes too

I'm an advocate of information gathering. Say what you will about the High Priest Darby, but bottom line is that you can join and get access to his companies stuff. The Internet has leveled the field somewhat and you can get information on your own by surfing the web hard. Is his system the end all be all? No. Realize he is marketing his stuff to you for $$$, but his seminars/program might tell you something you don’t know. When the industry reps all go to the microphone at the career forum, in my mind, it was invaluable to hear it straight from the company HR folks. As a military guy, I went to Dallas in January to get more information – gouge from the fellas isn’t always right. I’ve posted before that I stood in all the lines to meet the major recruiters including Tracy Takara from America West and gripped/grinned. She promised an application. It took five months, but it came. Two months later, the interview and this October I’ll be in training with America West. So it was a forum to meet Tracy and other folks in the industry. Remember there are 10,000 dudes looking for Major Airline work. When I went for the interview it was nice to say to her, “you were so kind in Dallas.” Did that get me hired, no, but at least she knew I was a serious candidate. The other thing I liked was seeing some of my old friends. My Academy roommate was there and we got a chance to catch up away from our wives. Him and a dozen other guys and of course we are still networking. I’ll say that again, you hear folks say all the time how important it is to build contacts and network buddies. Those folks can help you when you move to Plan B. In the airline industry, you always have Plan B. So go, stand in the horrid lines, have a resume for everyone, and be a face in the crowd, step forward and practice your 30 second commercial. It is an opportunity, just that. If you got another angle or are convinced you can do w/o it (IE you know a VP somewhere and he/she is pitching you) then don’t go. It seemed an easy do for me. I went to the Military to Civilian transition and learned some stuff about the industry I didn’t know. I thought Interview Prep was a good workshop too. Skip Resume workshop, you can do that on your own, plus folks are migrating to on-line. America West is still paper! Good luck!

 

[Chronic Jetlag]

WWD, World Without Darby

Darby is an one trick pony, he capitalizes on the dreams of pilots! His dog and pony road show is designed to blow sunshine up hopeful pilots' rear end; he gives you the warm fuzzy speech and gets rich. Darby actually has spies working for him; these spies solicite new hire pilots' profile then Darby turns around and sells this information. Some of his guest speakers are personal friends of his who preach the same rhetoric.
There is nothing wrong with making a buck or two but what Darby is doing turns my stomach as a professional airline pilot. I hope no one goes to his side shows anymore but unfortunately he'll be standing on his soapbox preaching his B.S. as usual until somebody bites. I don't blame the pilots at all for attending but instead I blame Darby for creating a superfluous product that only lines his pocket.
I made it to the majors without Darby's snake oil and bag of tricks and I truly believe we all can without Darby. "WWD...World Without Darby!

 

[Lear70]

I don't even go to the "infomercial" morning session. I usually just show up around lunch time, figure out which door they're going to open first, go hang out in the lobby for another two hours just prior to them doing the "Type Rating" drawing (the guy directly to my right won it in Dallas in January), go back in to listen to the airline representatives tell us what's going on at their airline, then head to the booths.

Saves a lot of time, lets me sleep in, I don't have to listen to "Buy this book" and I get to meet and greet with the interviewers.

I've had a job offer on the spot from Netjets (April '01 - turned it down), interviews on the spot (Netjets and JALways), and had four calls for interviews, all of which ended with job offers, all within 10 days of attending an AIR, Inc conference, so I would say it's given a decent return on my "investment" of time and money.

Bear in mind, your qualifications and the job market will drive much of that, but at 4,000 +/- time and military (from your profile) and I think you'd do just fine. My favorites are the one in January in Dallas (Southwest after-party and tour is VERY cool) and the one in April in Atlanta (Air Tran or, in previous years, Delta tour). I don't care much for the L.A. or D.C. fairs although the one L.A. fair I went to had fewer people at it which made the waits for booths more tolerable.

Good luck!

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Read what LEAR70 wrote above. And then read it again.

Kit Darby, like him or not, snake oil salesman or not, puts together a day where a lot of doors can be opened for a person...or maybe one door....or maybe none. Too many people have had interviews obtained, myself included, at an Airinc conference for them to be regarded as a waste of time. Not to mention, you might just run into someone who you know who is working somewhere and the reunion results in a referral. I know of folks who got referrals from working pilots by attending conferences. Of course, you could always just keep that money just to spite Kit, stay home and wonder why the phone isn't ringing. If you are looking for a better flying job, you're foolish not to attend.

Now, I give you to Bobby, who is going to tell you all about Kit and his false hopes, pilot shortage, yadayadayada...

Go to the conference.

 

[pilotyip]

Here is a second for Hugh and Lear70

Exactly correct, it is well worth the money

 

[TheTIC]

I recommend the afternoon stuff and heed the wait in the lobby thing. When I went there was somebody from air inc saying, "This part isn't open yet, get out of here!" It made me want to never get any more air inc stuff. But I also thought the morning stuff fed on fear and was just an infomercial.

I then went to the OBAB conference and the Women in Aviation conferences. Much, Much, Much better, plus the proceeds go to a better cause. They are usually in August and March.

At the OBAB and WIA conferences all the airlines show up for a few days instead of just Saturday afternoon. No crowds. Also, I thing more airlines go because they can't turn down these organizations. Going to air inc is important only if its good business (for the airline) at the time.

 

[Daddy]

OK, I went...it was worth it (for me)...thanks for the gouge guys!