Continental Interview Questions??

[Corporate Hawk]

Happy Holidays Everyone,

I got a call from Continental Airlines last Monday to schedule an Interview in January 2006. I'm pretty excited and have been waiting for this moment since being furloughed from Midway Airlines after 9/11/01.

Does anyone currently know the types of questions to expect @ the Interview in IAH? I'm currently finishing up some work on 2 Type ratings and am scheduling myself with Higher Power Aviation for a Sim Prep in the MD 80 to prepare for the Sim Eval ( if I'm successful in the Interview Phase) .

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Palomino]

'Search' functions are handy

and www.aviationinterviews.com

 

[CAL EWR B737]

I highly recommend getting some MD80 sim time. Try www.willflyforfood.cc I have found their info on Continental to be very accurate, even the info from back in 2001. I have sponsored three friends who all got hired and they used the above web site to help prepare. Some interviews in Newark, just a board interview. If successful will be invited to IAH for sim. If you go to IAH, first is sim next if successful is board interview on the same day.

Hope this info helps and good luck.

 

[ReportCanoa]

If successful we be invited to IAH for sim. If you go to IAH first is sim next if successful is board interview on the same day.

Hope this info helps and good luck.

Undoubtedly helpful!

 

[munson]

the samples at the above mentioned websites are right on. I would also recommend doing the sim prep with Jack Odell out of Alteon in Dallas. Jack is an old cal guy and keeps in touch with the guys that are doing the sim in IAH. Also, he is about $100 cheaper than Higher Power. Great guy, and he has a 100% hire rate going so far. The interview is very straight forward and they are happy to see you there. Great group of people. I did it back in december, and it was a great experience. Good luck

 

[scarlet]

be excited to be there and be excited when you talk to KD JOST...he makes the decision... Great Airline

 

[Patriot328]

By far the biggest help out there is willflyforfood and aviationinterviews. The people that do the interviews know the gouge is out there and they do change up the questions a tad to throw you off some. What they are really looking for is that you aren't a schmuk and could be pleasant to sit next to for 14hrs at a time.


As for doing preps, I will say that most likely the interview prep won't make or break you. You aren't going to learn anything more than what's on the internet already, for the most part. The prep will be a huge confidence builder, though! It will let you speak out your answers to someone who's not your friend and will give you an honest opinion on your delivery. Don't expect canned answers from anyone, though. None of the preps I know of do that kind of stuff.

The sim prep was useful because if you haven't flown steam guages or driven a dump truck lately, you'll be rusty in the MD80 sim. If you can't fly, going in the sim for an hour isn't going to help you, but it will smooth the edges off the "glass guys".

 

[JT34]

I wouldn't worry much at all about the Sim ride. The information on the above mentioned web sites are right on and they will get you very prepared for the profile. If you've ever flown the bat wings flight director there is nothing to worry about. The FO sets it up the entire time and all you have to do is maintain airspeed and remember the call outs for checklists and configuration changes. Good luck.

 

[SFR]

I would not waste my time on the sim prep. It is just an airplane and flies like all the others. If you can't do the sim without prep you probably should not be at this level.

 

[munson]

I would not waste my time on the sim prep. It is just an airplane and flies like all the others. If you can't do the sim without prep you probably should not be at this level.

what the heck is that supposed to mean? Maybe you shouldnt look at any of the questions that they are going to ask you in the interview either because if you dont already know they answer to them without a little prep, you shouldnt be in the business either. Maybe you should just show up in flip flops and cutoff's for the interview also since you already got what it takes. More than anything, if sim prep gives you more confidence going into the interview, its WELL worth it. Your talking about negotiating a multi-million dollar job over your lifespan, and you have worked hard and spent alot of money already to get to the point where you can be eligible for this type of job. Whats another couple hundred if it could mean getting or not getting the job. Put your best foot forward

 

[SFR]

Thanks for the humor.

Multi million dollar job, get real, we can make lots more doing other stuff that high school grads can do. Many of you act like these companies are doing you a favor by giving you an interview. The way I approached it was that I was doing them the favor to interview. Why do you need to pay for prep? If you honestly can't fly the sim without it or can't answer their questions with your own answers, you simply should not get the job. Problem is that there are a lot of pilots that are not to the calibur that they want, so they have to lower standards a little, unfortunately.

Also, job fairs are a waste too!! What can they do for you that you can't do yourself. It is all a game, play it for free!!!

BTW, I am at a major and my game worked.

 

[SFR]

And I like to harass you all too, it is fun sometimes. Don't take me too serious. If you are preparing for an interview and you feel you need prep, DO IT. If you feel you dont, then don't. It is as simple as that.

 

[bearcat]

SFR...thank you for stating that. I said the same thing about the Sim prep bullsh!t...waste of time and money and I am glad I didn't do it.

 

[ForgedBlade]

The sim ride is VERY straightfoward with zero tricks. You will get the entire profile handed to you and 30+ minutes to review it. The guys in the sim are very relaxed and expect to see good instrument skills and a pleasant personality. If you want to blow the cash on a prep, knock yourself out.

 

[FLY CONTINENTAL]

I would recommend the prep if that is what you like. The approach of if you're good you don't need it or they shouldn't hire you is okay but you know yourself the best. If this is what you want to do whatever you can to be the best you can be... why not do it? Continental is an awesome place to work. Good luck at the interview.

 

[Newman55]

Thanks for the humor.

Multi million dollar job, get real, we can make lots more doing other stuff that high school grads can do. Many of you act like these companies are doing you a favor by giving you an interview. The way I approached it was that I was doing them the favor to interview. Why do you need to pay for prep? If you honestly can't fly the sim without it or can't answer their questions with your own answers, you simply should not get the job. Problem is that there are a lot of pilots that are not to the calibur that they want, so they have to lower standards a little, unfortunately.

Also, job fairs are a waste too!! What can they do for you that you can't do yourself. It is all a game, play it for free!!!

BTW, I am at a major and my game worked.

Preach on brother! They should be thankful that your there willing to tough it out for the first year on peanuts. You owe them absolutely nothing!! Oh and BTW when the union comes in telling them you have to join tell them to go pound sand!

 

[FLY CONTINENTAL]

1st year pay is first year pay. It seems that this board has become so preocuppied with the 1st year pay. Those of us that are here knew the pay starting and that is what we signed up for. We all have choices. UPS has lower first year pay, www.airlinepilotpay.com has all the numbers. If it is all about the first year that does not make you happy than consider other options. Continental is not for you.

Also if other legacies start hiring just about everyone has the same pay and in some cases lower based on readjusted contracts. UAL,DL,AA,US all start about $27-33/hr year 1.

FYI--- If you are based in Guam, you start off at 2nd year pay, plus a COLA. Not a bad deal. We're hiring 60/month and have about 10,000 resumes on file.

If your career goes well you will look back and laugh about this conversation over the first year pay keeping you from a possible outstanding opportunity.

WORK HARD. FLY RIGHT. that is still the motto here

 

[GogglesPisano]

Also if other legacies start hiring just about everyone has the same pay and in some cases lower based on readjusted contracts. UAL,DL,AA,US all start about $27-33/hr year 1.

First year at DL is $48/hr. Of course, that will go down again next year.

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/legacy/delta-200502248.htm

I think another big turnoff is the lack of health insurance for 6 months. I don't quite understand why CAL can't be like every other Fortune 500 company.

But after the first year, it sounds like a great place to work.