Been turned down at SWA?

[RVSM]

I am going to go with currency.
The only black ball rumors I have heard are the jokers that were on line or in training and then left the reservation.
The had time and $$ in them and they bailed out so I can understand a little animosity with those folks.
JMHO,
RVSM

 

[enigma]

I'll give the flightinfo longtimers a break and skip my long drawn out tale, but I have a similar story. I passed the first time, (didn't get hired, run a search if you need to know the long story) and failed the second time.

It is my best guess, that quite simply, the SWA interview process is not repeatable. Unlike a proper scientific experiment, in which the same inputs should always give the same results; the SWA process can take a specific set of inputs today and spit out a different result than it will give tommorrow from the same set of inputs. IOW, your results may well have nothing to do with anything about you.

Now, don't anyone get me wrong. When I am able, I will try SWA again. I don't blame SWA, I blame me for not being a strong enough candidate to overcome the scatter in their system.

good luck,
enigma

 

[skykid]

How about taking the next flying job you can get no matter what it is, doing that for a couple years and trying again? I would think that is the difference. If you are doing any kind of flying, it looks like you are really dedicated to getting there, and not just waiting out a furlough, even if that's not the case. I'm afraid the furlough deal is a scarlet letter, and you have to show you are ready to move on or they wont be interested.

 

[jimEJet]

UAL and Enigma

I'm definitely no expert on the subject and offer my condolences to both of you and anyone else trying thier very best to make it back in the business and feed their families, however.

I would offer a suggestion based of Skykids post.

I live in the Chicago area and have several good friends of mine from UAL, AAL and UAir who are now furloughed. I was furloughed too, however. My carrier no longer exists. All of my friends have approached their furlough in different ways. One guy decided to sit at home and do the Mr. Mom thing (of which I have no problem whatsoever). He was financially set, stored his nuts and can cruise the next couple of years without any fiancial concerns. He is somewhere in the area of 300 to get recalled back to UAL. He has not been flying since November.

So, I ask him what his plans are? He says he plans on hanging around until UAL calls him back. I asked him what he planned on doing if UAL did not call him back. He does not seem to entertain that idea too much. That's fine. However, if it were me, I would have had my stuff out to Airtran, AWA, SWA, and even his prime competitor Frontier the moment I knew I was hitting the street.

Well, he seems unmotivated to do anything other than await the magical call from UAL. I do not understand it and I wish him the best. I even set him up with a previous employer of mine to fly part time in Chicago of which his reply was, "No thanks, I'll take you up on it if I really need it later on."

So, having interviewed plenty of guys myself at a previous carrier, I guess I can partially understand what Skykid was saying. You can seek some kind of job flying if you really put some effort forward. Sure it won't be a Boeing or a Airbus, it may even be a Cessna 310, but I believe you have to show the board you give enough care of your career to keep it current. It's not like the hiring freeze of the early nineties guys. The commuters are still hiring a great deal of guys. And I know, not everyone is in the position to go that route, family takes presidence, I understand that, however. you may find yourself competing with a lot younger and PIC Turbine packed competition here over the next few years if you do not get off your duffs and start looking for some sort of currency, you might find it very very difficult.

It really hit me the other day. I ran into the Millionaire in TEB and was sitting next to a fella. We were chatting and I told him that I was furloughed from an airline three years ago and we began to talk. He was about 43 years old. Well this poor guy had been furloughed from UAir. He had 17 years invested in the company. Well, I had just been discussing how it was kind of a long day for me. He said it had for him too. I asked him what he was driving. He said a C-90. He said he had just been upgraded. I said upgraded?? He said yeah, I was flying a Cessna 310 for the last six months and the company just bought the King Air.

I was dumbfounded. I didn't know what to say to the guy other than that I admired him a great deal and my heart went out to him and his family.

I feel blessed being where I am today. I have had a long fight for my career and will continue to feel blessed every day I get paid to fly.

I guess what I'm saying is this...

Do what you can to stay current if it does not upset your family life considerably. If you think flying around a 172 or a 1900 will help you pass the next interview board then you should.

If the real cause of unemployment is laziness, feeeling sorry for yourself, or the worst of all, PRIDE, I think you should re-evalute.

Go out and get current guys, it will not hurt you one bit.

I do not think my reaction for the Uair guy would be that dis-similar than the SWA board would be for you. They might really admire you for driving around in the wx in a Cessna-310 to feed your family. That in my humble opinion shows great character. It might just be the push you need during the interview to get hired at any of the carriers.

Well, that said Good luck to you all.

Oh, by the way, I know exactly what it's like to lose my job. So I'm speaking from experience. And I know it's not an easy pill to swallow.

Jim

 

[BHS]

UAL, I was shot down back in 2001, I called and asked them how I could better myself for a future interview. Within two weeks on a Sunday I got a call back and was told where my week points were. I greatly appreciated that call and know now why I want to work for SWA. I have been flying for 23 years and still am working my way into their door. Good luck UAL and try again. Hope to see you their.

By the way SFR, pull the silver spoon out of your A$$ and try to put yourself in someone else's shoes instead of thinking of your selfish little self. A=hole!

 

[jhill]

But call me what you want, I really don't care. I will be glad to have this discussion while attending SWA indoc over a beer.

L8r [/B]

How did you get past the interview with your attitude. You certainly don't seem to "fit the mold". The fact of the matter is you don't have a clue as to why this guy didn't get hired.

 

[climbhappy]

so SFR doesn't have free speech?

BHS

your initials say it all ...remove the H and you have what you have.

So one is to think SFR can't speak to the point...It was valid

Where is the silver spoon?

Within your two statements I see a huge mood swing and I'm suppose to as an interviewer think you're stable.

we've got anger , contempt mixed with la-di-frickin-da!

 

[SFR]

Frankly, I don't care what any of you say simply because you do not pay my mortgage or any of my bills.

But, I am right about it. If 9-11 never happened, how many of you would be applying to SWA......not many at UAL, DAL, USAir, etc.

You can't ever convince me otherwise!!!!!!


I personally don't think any furloughs should interview ahead of others.

Experience you might say. Get real, all of us (99%) can be trained to fly the 737. It is not that tough fellas. Big deal if you have heavy time, a plane is a plane is a plane.

Good luck to all & I can't wait till I join the recruiting dept.

L8r

 

[BHS]

ClimbHappy, I see your another one that's either bought his job or Mommie and Daddy did. Happy Landings Boy!

 

[jhill]

Frankly, I don't care what any of you say simply because you do not pay my mortgage or any of my bills.

But, I am right about it. If 9-11 never happened, how many of you would be applying to SWA......not many at UAL, DAL, USAir, etc.

I personally don't think any furloughs should interview ahead of others.

Good luck to all & I can't wait till I join the recruiting dept.

L8r

Of course they would not be applying if they weren't furloughed. The point is your'e an a$$hole about it. I guess you wouldn't apply at those carriers if the tables were turned? I just pray to God you don't and never will work for Southwest because you are not the type we are looking for around here.

Have a great day and I really hope you never find yourself furloughed from what was once a dream job.

 

[UALjan15]

That's about enough of this thread!

For those of you who provided some thoughtful advice and insight, I thank you. I am still not convinced what shot me down at the board, but I will definitely inquire. I am refocused on regaining my currency, and see myself reapplying next January.

I guess every forum without exception has individuals that just want to bash, disagree for the hell of it, and otherwise rant. While it can occasionally be humorous, usually it is more like the spam that fills up my e-mail inbox--meaningless trash that I have to wade through in order to find the other more substantive posts. I find it especially ironic that someone could log on to a message board, flame everyone around them, and then claim that they want to work for the most people-oriented airline in the industry! PRICELESS!

 

[FatesPawn]

But, I am right about it. If 9-11 never happened, how many of you would be applying to SWA......not many at UAL, DAL, USAir, etc.

Right ON!!!!!

If UAL never furloughed me, I would have NEVER applied at Southwest.

Before I worked at UAL, I thought SWA would have been a GREAT place to work. I mean - who wouldn't?! But, UAL called me first and once you start getting a few people below you on the seniority list, you start looking toward the future. You can't play "what-if" your whole life. I was at UAL and I was planning for the future.

But 9/11 and my subsequent furlough taught me a valuable lesson. Job security is more important than anything else. Pilots have a VERY hard time finding work in other $career$ fields.

I have no desire to go back to UAL. If SWA hires me, my resignation letter to UAL will be from the heart. Not a letter of I-resign-but-please-hold-on-to-my-phone-number....

Just because UAL hired me first doesn't mean that I wouldn't make an OUTSTANDING example of a Southwest pilot! I plan on dedicating the rest of my airline career to flying Canyon Blue jets. Hopefully SWA will feel the same when I interview next month.

 

[Humblepilot]

Help from your brothers and sisters

If you want career help logged onto the UAL Compuserve Forum, there are certain pilots on there that are helping their brothers and sisters for no charge. PM me if I can help.

Frats,
Humble

 

[HarleyGuy]

I just wanted to add, in spite of all the flame, that a good buddy of mine had exactly the same thing happen to him. Turned down SWA for UAL in 2000, on the street, interviewed in april, got his letter last week. His close friend went to the DB guys, who said straight up they weren't going to hire him 'cause he walked away from SWA previously. This in spite of a thumbs up from the interview guys. So it would seem that you were screwed from the get-go, and they were just jerking your chain. Truly, though, I'm really sorry that they would do that, and it makes me wonder what kind of company it's turning into. We're probably going to be hiring like crazy later in the year, so keep an eye on us. Best of luck...

 

[tmstewar2]

SWA Feedback

Just a note....

SWA in the past has provided feedback to unsuccessful candidates but due to the fact that the feedback was very limited and the recruiters had to be very careful on what they said for legal reasons they have decided to stop providing it.

I wouldn't spend a lot of time on why you weren't successful - you will simply never know.

If you really want to fly for SWA then reapply as soon as possible, stay current and be prepared.

 

[OakRBust]

I think that this is a really tough turkey to fry.


I would hate to believe that we would interview somebody who was a definite turn down. I mean what a waste of time/money not to mention the stress it causes on the person actually interviewing. With that being said.....


I think human nature probably kicks in just a little. If I was an interviewer, I would do my best to try and be as objective as possible. But, If I saw that someone was already hired at SWA and turned it down to go to company X, then there would already be two strikes against the interviewee in my mind. I bet the rest of the interview would have to be a moon shot for a thumbs up from both the 3 interviewers and the DB.

I always wanted SWA but lived in the motor city for a job in a previous life. I only applied at NWA and SWA. NWA interviewed me first and shot me down. If you think I wouldn't have took evil red if they called me first your nuts. I interviewed about two weeks later at SWA and had the good fortune to get lucky enough to get hired.

If I had offers on the table at SWA and NWA at the same time I would have definitely taken SWA. No hindsight, just where I really always wanted to be.

I would imagine that turning down any job offer definitely greatly diminishes the interviewees chances at ever getting hired again. I am sure that some make it through but only on a home run.

I hope that all furloughed guys and gals find work soon. I hope that the right furloughed folks make it past the SWA interview process and become a part of this great company. The interview teams have done a very fine job of hiring a bunch of great folks to fly with. Like everyone, they make mistakes. Afterall, they hired me and have turned their backs on some great ones. But at the end of the day, they have done a great job over the years.

I wish everyone searching for happiness the best of luck!


Cyaaaaa

Oak

 

[Dr. B]

FatesPawn,

Good post, right on the money. Good luck on your upcoming interview.

UAL,

Sorry you were not selected, I have close friends who have experienced both outcomes of the SW interview so I have an idea of what you are going through.

I think that is is rare and admirable that the people department is available for this type of post interview insight, I say take full advantage of it. I was recently turned down (albeit at a regional) in favor of several candidates with 1/3 of my experience (which isn't saying all that much) and like you, felt like I did all the right things. I wish I could call them and figure out what went wrong, but like many others, they tell you explicity to not follow up.

Best of luck to you, and now my 2 cents. I think that persons who say the furloughs should not be interviewed/hired first are quite simply envious. I realize that I would be more competitve if today's market was not flooded with experienced furloughed airline pilots, but that is no reason to be bitter. You and many others like you are not to blame, it is just the reality of the situation. Why wouldn't an airline prefer to hire a furloughed pilot from another major? You guys are more of a known entity and understand the ins and outs of the business. Sorry for myself and all the other wannabees but that's the way it is today. We are all in this mess together.

Again, just my 2 cents...

 

[hopeful]

Why wouldn't an airline prefer to hire a furloughed pilot from another major?

It is a matter of not wanting to import cancer. Not saying that all fuloughees are bitter by any means, but the chances sure seem to be higher of getting someone who is bitter if they have already been burned once by another airline.

 

[climbhappy]

BHS......nope

BHS,

i'm amused you can read between the lines so well. actually, you're quite wrong, but nice try though. i think it's the guy 's currency, but you cannot armchair quarterback your career especially after 9/11. you have to make something work!

 

[Emerson Bigguns]

Why waste time debating who is better suited to be hired. Face it, there are pools of pilots, ....furloughed, civilian, guys leaving the military, etc. The few companies that are hiring are selecting people from all groups.

Present yourself as an individual eager to work and help the company grow. Any whiff of entitlement you have due to being a furloughed, civilian or military pilot, the HR folks will smell....and you will be not be hired.

Just the way it is.

EB