I appreciate the advice.
I must admit that I am surprised by some of the SWA comments, but then again, not really. It's OK to discriminate and hire your buddies. FYI, I [/I]was interested in SWA once when I had a 737 type rating but that was some time ago and I have no wish to apply there anymore. Secondly, I did not have to buy ANY of my type ratings to get ANY of my previous jobs. Virtually all my previous positions were obtained the old-fashioned way, you know, by my own efforts and on merit - not on my ability to get a sponsor or know someone there. If I goofed the sim eval or interview then I could only blame myself, not the system. At least then, I was given a chance. Somehow it seems to me that denying people opportunities, no matter how competitive, is very un-American. It was about a decade ago that nepotism was either a no-no or at least frowned upon. Now, it seems to be the way "forward".
I don't think it is any single person at my carrier of choice that is dogging me, rather, the actions of a few of my former coworkers that got hired more than a year ago. Of course I cannot be 100% certain. I have several people I know there from my former employer and one of them mentioned this could be the reason why I am being cold-shouldered.
The only other thing I'll mention is that I used to work for this airline 10 years ago in 2 different positions (one temp, the other a salaried, professional position) before I got laid off. I had a good attitude and completed all the required tests and training courses but being a probationer, the rule last in, first out prevailed when the beancounters decided to layoff several hundred employees. I still have the documentation to prove all this. Maybe they don't rehire laid off workers but they don't tell you that either. So, quite simply, it is not clear cut why this is happening.
The final thing is that I was not automatically rejected for interview. They told me that my app would be kept on file for 1 year. Why?
I have had a number of layoffs in my career, no furloughs and the last thing I want to do is get another job, when I already have one (albeit overseas) which is not with my preferred carrier. Too many jobs is not a good thing to have on a resume. I guess my only chance is to stay upbeat, be thankful I have a job and keep using my #1 LOR at this carrier. Sure would be nice to be given an opportunity where I could present my credentilas, play the game and convince them that I fit their mold. I am just as picky as they are!
Always In Training!