ERAU and a major airline job....

[de727ups]

"As for getting hired by majors, my husband and I have a friend that does a lot of interviewing for Delta and Riddle on someone's application is a definite plus for the person."

Well....the above statement was made at another board I frequent. I pretty much disagree that an ERAU background means anything special when it comes to a major airline interview. I think the main thing about having a degree is you get to check the ever important box on the application. No big deal which school you went to or even what your major was....

What do you guys think?

 

[T-handle]

erau grad '99

Being a Riddle graduate myself, I don't think I got any special treatment when I interviewed and was hired. I know alot of Riddle dudes thought they were the best thing since sliced bread when they graduated but when they entered the real world, they realize that you don't need a Riddle dilpoma to get hired. I wouldn't say it's a "definite" plus, but it could be just "a plus". Any 4 year degree is a plus- doesn't matter where you got it and what you got it in, as long as you have one.

I do apologize for any Riddle brats that walk around with a chip on their shoulders, esp. the ones who got hired at ACA via that bridge program. I hear these low timer a-holes are walking into the jet thinking their sh!t doesn't stink. Too bad they have to set a bad rap for us.

 

[chperplt]

Since there are a lot of Riddle grads at the major level, it may help if they are being interviewed by a fellow graduate.

I graduated from the Daytona campus and they most certainty tell you over and over again that the "Riddle" name will land you that sought after interview.

As T-handle said, It's too bad much of the product that comes out of Riddle today feels they are owed that jet job with 500 hours. I hope that Sep 11 has had some effect on those bridge programs.

 

[bobbysamd]

ERAU: Advantage or Not?

No one will disagree that you MUST have a four-year degree in SOMETHING to get hired by a major.

I instructed at Riddle-Prescott from Dec. '88 - Jul. '91. I have mixed feelings about Riddle and the program as a whole, but I always felt that ERAU students who applied themselves received a great education, especially in aerodynamics and systems. I had as least two students of whom I'm aware who made it to the majors. I had others whom I know made it to the commuters, including at least one who's done very well. Nothing succeeds like success, and I have to believe that Riddle had a lot to with my students' success. The ERAU name means something in this business. It invites attention. So does UND's name, Parks College's name, LeTournneau University's name, F.I.T.'s name, et cetera.

On the other hand, I had students at Riddle who didn't have a chance in hell of being hired by Joe's FBO and Bar and Grill. Riddle's name couldn't help them.

Apart from education, I'm a believer in going to a recognized school because name recognition will invite attention to your app. One needs as many advantages as possible to rise to the top of the hoardes of people applying for what are really very few jobs. But plenty of people who attend Smalltime Community College and train at an FBO also get hired.

Just another two-center.

 

[snowback]

I went to North Dakota and they told us the same stuff about UND's name getting you an airline job. We all bought it.

Some benefits a larger aviation school does have though are the number of aviation internships available, the ability to participate in a large network of fellow graduates and instruction on how to look for a job in aviation. Other than that, a four year degree is a four year degree.

 

[Alaska]

So tell me... how are all the people who were flying pre Sep 11 with riddle degrees doing now? Working at home depot with a professional aeronautics degree in their pocket? Knowing what I know now, I'd never go to riddle if I had a chance to do it over again, get a degree that you can use when you get furloughed!

 

[ifly4food]

I would say that with the exception of a few airlines (Delta being one of them) Embry-Riddle on the resume will actually hurt you. An interviewer sees that and the first thought that comes into their head is "well here comes another cocky a-hole".
I can't tell you how many times I told people where I went to school and got the "oh", as in "Oh great, I can't believe I have to spend the next month with this guy". Of course, I go out of my way to prove I'm not one of the typical arrogant you-know-whats, but the stigma is still there.

There's deffinitely a mentality at Riddle that the average student will graduate into a United 737. They go out into the world thinking the world owes them something and usually fall flat on thier faces.
The rest of us got out of there and made a career on our own, and didn't try to ride the Riddle name.
Bottom line: great education, especially systems and aeronautics, but no better than any other school.

 

[bobbysamd]

Riddle mentality

Sadly, you're right about the stigma. I had all kinds of students. Some affected the "Riddle, my [bleep] don't stink attitude." But, I did have some real nice, cooperative, and extremely fine people in my cockpit whom I enjoyed tremendously; at least three of whom made it to the majors and/or are doing well otherwise. One made it to United, another to FedEx, and the other is a bigshot at a big regional.

 

[chperplt]

Ifly4food

I would have to disagree with you. I don't think hiring professionals think here comes another cocky this or that. If that were the case, there wouldn't be so many bridge programs, and riddle grads flying in the regional or majors for that matter.

I get the same response from the people I fly with, and have to prove to every one of them I'm not an a@@ hole.

I think more and more people in the industry are starting to realize what type of pilot Riddle is producing these days, but I don't think it's quite where you place it yet. Soon though...

 

[bssthound]

Looks to me like it boils down to the individual. I've met some superb folks who went to Riddle and have met some real nimrods.
When it comes down to filling out an airline app a degree is a degree; either you have one or you don't. A degree from a prestigious academic school, such as Duke, Stanford, etc. might raise an eyebrow, sure. Since people go to ERAU to end up at an airline, though, interviewers are used to seeing them and will end up evaluating them on their merits and not on any preconceived notion they might have about ERAU grads.
Airlines usually don't just pick anyone to conduct interviews. They try to select people who will make a logical, unbiased decision. These people interview a lot of folks and can be counted on to evaluate the individual and not his/her university.
Anyway, it's the person. If the person is pleasant, confident, and seems to have a grasp on manned flight he or she will more than likely get hired. If he or she is socially retarded and/or hamfisted there probably won't be a job offer.

Just another .02; all those pennies should
add up nicely to the next $5,000.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Any job in the airline industry boils down to who you know. If the person doing the interviews at ASA is a Riddle grad, I am sure attending the school helps the applicant find common ground with the interviewer.

However, if the interviewer is not a Riddle graduate, then it is just as likely that the candidate receives a neutral, or negative bias. Some of my friends feel that Riddle is a repository for snot nosed rich kids. Certainly most Riddle grads did not work their way through the ranks of night cargo, or corporate, while trying to achieve a degree.

At Delta, and many majors, there is a very strong military bias, simply because the interviewers are mostly ex-military.

Once you are in the interview there is nothing you can do about the bias of the interviewer. Most of us who have interviewed pilots are simply thinking - Would this pilot be a good person to fly a month on the line with? Do they have a sense of humor? Are they calm when things go wrong? Are they professional and would they do something dumb to get me in trouble if we were flying together? Would they make a good Captain someday?

Some of my best friends and some darn good pilots are Riddle Grads. There are some other Riddle Grads that I would not put my wife in an airplane with. It is purely individualistic.

 

[g159av8tor]

Just another stupid generalization about ERAU grads. I cannot deny that walking around the campus are some better-then-thou pr*cks. Most of those guys were from the Norhteast anyway and are children of doctors and lawyers whom really never wanted to work for a living and want to make a lot of money.

Except for the price tag and the 1:12 guy/girl ratio, I really enjoyed my DAB ERAU experience and continue to do so via the Net. The beach was 3 miles from campus, slutty UCF were 30 minutes West and easy St. Augustine co-eds were 45 minutes North and 24/7 nudy bars were scattered all around the Space Coast and MCO. The airplanes were maintained well too.

Most Riddle guys and are down to Earth beer guzzling airplane fanatics. Don't let one butthole ruin for everyone else. Except for all those ERAU grads from our "sister" school in Prescott , most of us are good people.

Tailwinds...

 

[T-handle]

G159,

You got something against us Preskit folks? From my 4 years there, it seemed to me that many DAB students transferred over to PRC after 1 year because 1) they weren't gettin chit done at DAB besides puttin their parents dollars down a nasty stripper's panties 2) they constantly complained the flight line was understaffed and 3) had no airplanes to fly.

Even our female to male ratio was better and there is even a woman's volleyball team at PRC.

 

[jaybird]

There's a womans volleyball team in DAB. At least I think they are female.

 

[g159av8tor]

T-Handle,

For the most part you're right. Airplanes were difficult to schedule at times and the flightline was way understaffed.

Not only did Riddle have to schedule airplanes for its reguler AirSci students, they had to set aside airplanes for the special programs that they and government agencies (NASA, FAA), domestic private industry (new Piper, Cessna, Frasca, Flight Safety and various regional and major airlines) and foreign industry (Korean Airlines) were involved. This put strain on the fleet and flightline and sent regular students to other FBOs to finish ratings, other universities with aviatin programs or to Prescott. It wasn't fair to students that were spending ma and pa's hard earned cash on an overpriced aviation education (although many of my friends and aquaintences worked through college and are now paying 600-900 USD per month on student loans). It is all about $$$ at Riddle.

I worked as a student employee on the flight line for nearly 2 years. It was hectic from 0800-1900 M-F. Those basic trainers flew 16-18 hour a day. That was in 1996-98 when the fleet was being converted from TB-9s to Cessna 172s. I think there is more than 110-120 planes now.

BUT, because ERAU is a small university of 5,000 to 6,000 students, the professors knew you and were available for extra help (I used to have beers with my WX/Flight Phys professor after classes on Thursdays), you could get to know the Admin (I used have coffee and doughnuts on Fridays with the head of the AirSci dept and sometimes the president of the university). I was involved with many aspects of the university from philanthopy to my fraternity to other clubs and organizations.

And, since it was an aeronautical school, the networking possibilities were and are endless. I go back every year for alumni weekend. It's really not the name on the resume (though it has helped me get my last 2 flying jobs and my wife her curent job at Lockheed), it is the contacts that one can make in the industry due to life long friendships born from common interests (drinking beer, airplanes and strippers) and shared experiences during the "college days". Sorry for the sentimental tone...I was just remembering this one girl from spring break in 1998.

Tailwinds...