Latest SWA interview Intel

[320AV8R]

Trip Report for Southwest Airlines Interview ​

18 May 2004
THE INTERVIEW:

Flew to Dallas day before, checked in. Remember everyone is your friend. Flew from BWI, recommend checking in a little early, took the ticket agent about 15 minutes to coordinate my must ride pass. From the gouge I tried to look around to see how crowded the flights were. Glad I did, they asked. Carried on all my luggage/suit, paperwork and logbooks. Recommend flying in business casual, that’s coat and tie. Never hurts to look nice as your must ride pass will indicate you are heading to Dallas for a F/O Interview.

Called the Renaissance Shuttle after arriving at Dallas Love. Checked in and signed up for the 0700 shuttle. Previous gouge said the 0730 is fine, I disagree, given the amount of new-hire training going on, and the interviews, you can easily be late. Better to be there a little early. Don’t forget to tip the driver!

Met in the lobby with the other candidates, took the shuttle to PD. Once everyone arrived we moved to the conference room and started separating our paperwork. PD folks reiterated you are not competing with everyone there, you are competing with yourself. If they like you, they will hire you. Be yourself, they only have about 45 mins/interview to get to know you. That’s your shot.
Half went off to do their LOIs in the morning while the rest stayed for the interview. All the gouge applies, 2 SWA captains, 1 PD person.

First interview was with SWA Captain, first item, went over my logbooks and flight time. Having all my time broken out, easy to follow I believe was a great benefit. Then to the contact list. Everyone at SWA worked very hard to ensure we were as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Very sincere. Questions were:

Why SWA x2.
Why Hire you x2.
TMAAT you took the controls away from a qualified pilot (not as an Instructor)
Why are you leaving the military x2?
TMAAT you had to divert.

First Interview lasted 20 mins max. He told me not to be concerned with how long/short each interview was. All his interviews were fairly quick.

Second interview was PD. Longest of the three. Again very concerned that I was relaxed. Questions in addition to those above:
TMAAT you went over and above in your job.
TMAAT someone questioned your integrity.
TMAAT you had a conflict with a co-worker.
TMAAT you broke a rule.
TMAAT your scariest flight.
TMAAT you were reprimanded by your supervisor/CO.

The PD interview was the most ‘cut and dry’. Very much as I suspected an interview would be.

Third interview was with female SWA Captain. Remember shooting the breeze with her more than any particular questions. Very easy (too easy) to forget that you are interviewing with a SWA Captain. She was very nice and profession, again concerned that I was relaxed as much as possible. Was routinely reminding myself not to let my ‘interview guard’ down.

TMAAT you saw something in the cockpit that could have been
disastrous if you had not seen it.
TMAAT your performance was not as good as it could have been.
TMAAT you had a conflict with a superior. (Not in the cockpit)
TMAAT you flew with someone you did not get along with.

She asked me the fewest questions, we were running behind to capture the folks going to lunch.

Lunch was great. Be sure to bring a few extra bucks in case your $7.00 coupon does not cover everything. Excellent food and view. Everyone eats as a group. There was one dude who was eating with some buds that had started in the new hire class. It seemed awkward him sitting away from everyone else. Don’t recommend it.

LOI was after lunch. All the previous gouge applies. The scenario I had was flying from MSY to Tampa, over water with a line of thunderstorms between my aircraft and Tampa, and hot military warning areas to the north.
Return to MSY, go over 50 nm offshore, bingo to Birmingham etc. I had seen this scenario in the gouge, in fact had used it as practice to develop my thought processes for the LOI. I decided to play it straight up, and pretend I had not seen the scenario before, asked lots of questions, gave the F/O control, spoke with ATC, dispatch etc. Interestingly the 7 minute clock was inoperative, and when I looked down it indicated I was out of time. I think it had only been in the LOI about 3-4 minutes, little surprised to see the clock at 7. I wrapped up my thoughts, gave them my decision and they left. When they returned they asked me if I had felt rushed. They indicated the clock had malfunctioned. I took this opportunity to review with them why I decided to return to MSY (my ultimate decision), to ensure that they understood my thought process. That was it. Critically debrief yourself. SWA has never hired the perfect pilot, and they understand that it is a condensed timeframe.

LESSON’S LEARNED/RECOMMENDATIONS:

-- Believe prepping for the interview is essential, but look out for being overly prepared. I think this has bitten a few folks. Don’t write out long, detailed answers.
-- Most strongly recommend spending some $$ on a well tailored suit. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. I stuck with the Navy Blue suit, White shirt, red tie thing.
-- Many folks recommended I head down to the bar the night before your interview, perhaps meet some of the interview team. I chose not to do this. I did not want the ‘interview’ to start until I was ready, in my new suit, best appearance. Last thing I needed was to accidentally spill a beer in someone’s lap. This is an individual thing.
-- Take the 0700 bus to the interview.
-- If you are in the military, leave the rank at home. I ensured my stories did not contain SGT Jones or Petty Officer Smith. I referred to them by aircrew position.
-- I emphasized teamwork in my stories. They know I got the credit for a job well done, I wanted to highlight how people helped me, how much I appreciated their efforts, the differences it made, into my responses. Believe this to be a fundamental pillar at SWA.
-- I read the first 3 chapters of NUTS. The first two are worthwhile, the rest is a regurgitation of the same thing and my opinion a waste of time. I did have a good working knowledge of SWA’s financial history, published plans of aircraft accessions, and financial standing. All of this off the web, most from the SWA website. I knew 10 facts about the company and 10 facts about the airline industry. Makes the, why SWA, answer pretty easy.
-- Make a copy of your SWA package you receive prior to the interview to fill out in case you make a mistake.
-- Pay particular close attention to the contact list, ensure the phone numbers are accurate.
-- Make sure all your flight time on your application, logbooks etc., matches up. Lots of awkward stories here. Recommend breaking out your flight time if not done so already, including instructor time.
-- Recommend arriving day before interview. Many showed up the morning of. I also departed day after, as to not worry about missing a flight. Hand carry all your documents/suit on the aircraft.
-- Recommend obtaining LORs from people who know you well and can personally speak to your flying abilities. I did have some from dudes who worked at SWA but the majority were not. I had nine LORs, 5 of which were from non-SWA dudes, and some were called. Folks in my interview group seemed focused on only having SWA pilots writing them LORs. SWA pilots can provide online recommendations.
-- Last but most important, try as best you can to relax and to be yourself.

I was contacted on July 18th with the fortunate news that I had successfully completed the interview process. Have completed my drug screen and background check, awaiting my class date. Best of luck to everyone.

 

[320AV8R]

Southwest Trip Report – 6 July 04​

Ryan Hurling came out and herded us into the conference room. Basically gave us the ROE for the day, and emphasized that we were not competing with each other – they could hire all of us or none of us. Melissa Dexter had us gather our paperwork into 2 piles – if you have fancy binders, tabs, etc, they’re a waste of time, since you’ll pull what they need out anyways. Ryan listed for us who would be in the a.m. interview group, and who would go to the LOI first. I happened to be on the a.m. interview – just luck of the draw I think.

Interviewers (may not be complete list):
Ryan Hurling
Dan Schuman (spelling?)
Jay Bellar
Kevin Cagle
Jim Tomalo
Mike Piscitelli
Rebekah Krone
Tad Corgill
Melissa Dexter
Craig Henrichsen
That’s all I can remember. All of them were really nice, seemed interested in getting to know all of us.

My interviews:

First was with Mike Piscitelli. Former Eagle guy from Langley and KC-135 Reserves, so we talked a bit about that. Gave me the ROE, even showed me one of their interview sheets. Each of them has a packet of about 7-10 papers. Each paper has 3 questions from which they can choose, with the bottom 2/3 of it having sections for them to write the HEART format (basically Situation, Action, Result as briefed in other reports) from your answers.

-TMA a person who frustrated you
-TMAAT a supervisor had a policy you did not agree with/what did you do about it?
-Why Southwest?
-TMAAT something catastrophic would have happened had you not intervened.
-TMAAT you initiated something on your own, without being asked?
-TMA your scariest flight?

Next interview was with Tad Corgill, a senior SWA Captain. He also did my logbook review. Had a spreadsheet that showed how I got to my numbers, included instructor and evaluator time. He asked me about some of the times, and then wrote those on his sheet. -Logbook questions did not need a SAR format:
-Ever hooked a checkride?
-Ever had FAA violation?
-DUI?
Etc.
Interview questions:
-TMA the flight where you worked the hardest and felt the greatest sense of accomplishment?
-TMAAT you got a group of people to work together. I asked if a non-flying example was alright, and he was fine with that.
-TMAAT while flying you thought “this is great”
-TMAAT you went against the FARS/ATC.
-There are 7000+ people trying to get to this interview. What 3 things do you bring to SWA that show why we should hire you?
-TMAAT a supervisor asked you to do something wrong?
-What 3 things do you like about SWA?
-TMAAT you changed a policy/initiated a policy and what were the results?
-TMAAT a flight did not go as planned?

Final interview was with Rebekah Krone, an HR employee.
-TMAAT you got between 2 people?
-TMAAT you went above and beyond?
-TMAAT a flight did not go as planned?
-TMAAT you initiated something not in accordance with company policy?
-TMA your most pressure packed flight?
-What did you do to prepare for this interview? (***had not heard this one)
-What do you like most and least about your current job? (***had not heard this one)
-Why SWA?

At the end of each interview, they all asked if I had any questions – just mentioned that “if I haven’t already expressed this, I really want to be part of SWA....”

The interview team then took us to the Landing for lunch – as briefed, and they give you a $7 voucher. Great food and a great view. VERY busy place, with all the classes, checkrides, etc going on. Pretty exciting atmosphere.

Next we went over to the sim building for the LOI. 2 sets of 2 interviewers took us one at a time. Everything as briefed previously. One interesting question – they asked if I had a cell phone on me – apparently someone may have tried to “phone a friend” during an LOI recently, and they wanted to make sure we didn’t do the same.

LOI scenario:
OMA to MDW – you are enroute, when ATC tells you that MDW is closed due to unforecast thunderstorms, gives you a hold at Bradford VOR at FL 250 with an EFC of 45 minutes due to the storms and arrival traffic. Current fuel is 11k. Alternate is IND, arrival fuel is 5k. The storms have not yet hit IND, and current wx at IND is basically VFR with 3000’ ceilings. Min fuel is 4k, emer fuel is 3k. They ask if you have any questions. The questions I had (where’s the T-storms that haven’t hit IND yet, and what is our fuel flow) they said I should wait till the timer starts to ask.
They leave for about 5 minutes. You have a small white board to jot down anything you want.
Once they came back in, timer and fuel countdown started. I gave the jet to the FO, asked him to talk to center, comply with our holding instructions. He asked what our holding airspeed should be. I told him 265 should work. Next I asked him what our fuel flow has been at 250 – he said approx 5k per hour. Next I “typed” in the FMC Indy to see how long to get there – approx 30 minutes. Did some quick math in public, figured 2.5k to get there, arrival fuel is 5k, padded by 1.5 k, and told the FO as a going in game plan to look for 9 k on the gas to start our divert to IND. Next, called dispatch and asked the wx at IND, both current and forecast, as well as wx at OMA. IND was still forecast to be alright, OMA was perfect VFR. Asked ATC about the line of T-storms – was it between my location and IND? Have you been able to vector guys thru, are there good holes? There weren’t – they just said they’ve been able to squeeze some people thru. I asked dispatch how fast that storm looked to be moving toward Indy, they said it was about 50 miles away and closing. Then told Dispatch our situation, asked them where they preferred for us to go. Dispatch said hold until about 6500 lbs, and they wanted me to arrive at IND w/3k. Yeah right. Now the clock is showing about 1 minute left. Asked the FO his opinion on what to do. He said he thought storms would be in IND by the time we got there. Asked jumpseater if he had seen this before, what he would do. He said last time he landed at a Podunk field, and he thought OMA sounded best. I said “that’s exactly what I was thinking.” I told FA’s that we were on way back to OMA. Called dispatch and told them to rebook all 137 pax from OMA again, asked FO to call ATC and request direct OMA. Basically said we were going back to OMA as time ran out.
They leave for 5 minutes, come back and you debrief them. I had a lot of things I thought of that I could have done better. They don’t give you any feedback, so not sure on this one.

It was a great day, and overall pretty fun. Went back to PD, got my bags, and got on the next shuttle back to the airport, where they changed my flight to get home earlier! Good luck – be yourself! Apparently if they start calling your contacts a week later you made it through the 3 interviews, and then you’ll hear the DB results in 4-6 weeks.

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[320AV8R]

Southwest Trip Report - 12 July 04
Standard ops as stated in previous reports on the intro and paperwork drill. The interview team consisted of Ryan Hurling, Cliff Polson, Troy Parlin, John Dalton, Tex Mascot, and Leslie Bellar. The training center team for the LOI was Lee Kinnebrew, Don Buford, and Jay Bellar. I had the AM interviews with Ryan, then Troy, followed by John, which included the logbook review. That was a snap since I had the spreadsheet all laid out and it made everything easy for him. I forgot to add a conversion factor to my IP and EP time so he came up with some numbers and added them in for me. I thanked him for that!

Here were my questions,
TMA how you became interested in flying
TMAAT you had to deal with a difficult boss
TMAAT you had to take the controls (not as an IP)
TMAAT you had to deal with a difficult transition
TMAAT you had an emergency
TMAAT there was a breakdown in CRM
TMA your scariest flight
TMA a flight that was really busy
TMAAT you bent a rule/policy/procedure
TMAAT you motivated someone to perform to a higher level
TMAAT you counseled someone
TMAAT you were pressured by a supervisor to do something wrong
TMAAT you were counseled on your flying
TMAAT you had to sell something that wasn’t yours and didn’t believe in
TMAAT you had a divert
Did you bust a checkride? What happened?
Have you ever had an FAA violation?
Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

2 questions I thought for sure I would be asked was “Why SWA?” and/or “Why would you be a good fit for SWA?” I didn’t get asked either one.

Each interviewer was very relaxed in a friendly atmosphere. I had to remind myself several times I was doing a real interview! The moral: don’t let down your guard! That could happen easily if you’re not careful.

We were escorted for a fabulous lunch up top, where we could chat with some of the interviewers and/or meet with old friends going through training. Then you can browse around the gift shop.

We all met outside the gift shop at 1330 then walked to the training center, where we got a nice tour of the facility. A lot of happy people there. I’m looking forward to it! We were then corralled into a room and were briefed on LOI ROEs. Once done, I was the lucky first one to be called.

I was escorted to the cardboard trainer and handed the scenario card. It was a birdstrike after takeoff at MAF and caused the number 2 engine to vibrate heavily. The destination was DAL. Wx at MAF was below mins, ELP was the takeoff alternate. The FO got into the imaginary QRH and said it would stay in limits and be OK to leave running at low power settings. I said go ahead with that but still employ single engine procedures for the recovery. I then transferred control then started gathering wx and airfield status for ELP, AMA, SAT, and LUB. I also asked the FA if there were any visual cues outside with the engine. There was nothing. Due to thunderstorms, LUB and SAT were closed, AMA was clear but had 35G40 kt crosswinds (35 is the limit). Wx at ELP was 400/2 with a VOR approach. I asked the FO first, he said ELP. The jumpseater wanted AMA. I opted for ELP and advised dispatch as such to take care of the pax and FA to give them a heads up. Landing weight was no factor. I had about 15-20 seconds left on the clock. Lee said, “OK you made a decision” and they left me alone for ~5 minutes for me to gather my thoughts for the debrief. When they returned I said I thought the areas for improvement were to consider Wx trend info (getting better? worse?), possibly some more destinations (DAL? AUS?). Good stuff was including all the players to include the FA with the visual part of the FEVER check.

They thanked me repeatedly for coming out and I took the opportunity to thank them for an overall great day and the chance to interview, which was warmly received. I was escorted to the door with a “good luck” and I was done by 1400. I returned to the Renaissance and chatted with some of my fellow interviewees (and we DIDN’T talk about any interview specifics) at the bar in the evening. Once home, I dropped a Thank You note to Melissa Dexter thanking her and my interviewers by name in the mail the next morning. It was a fantastic experience that leaves you feeling that you wouldn’t want to even consider working for anyone else! With the kind of work environment and overall positive attitude at SWA, why would I want to?? I sincerely hope my fellow interviewees and I all get good news in the weeks ahead. Best of luck!!

 

[320AV8R]

SWA Trip Report for 21 Jun 04
- They split us into 2 groups of 6…one group goes for interviews while the other group goes to the SIM building for LOI’s. Rejoin at 1145 for lunch with the second push across “Student Gap” with roles swapped at 1255. They do not build groups based on alphabetical order…so plan on being at SWA till ~1545. I interviewed first then LOI’d, finished with whole thing by 1400. (i.e. Do not make travel arrangements before a 1645 departure time, otherwise plan to spend the night). The whole process took about 7-8 hours so be ready and stay in your circle.
- Each Interviewer asked 7-8 questions, very straight forward:
o Why SWA x 2
o Why should SWA hire you/list three characteristics that make you a good fit with SWA
o TMA your DUI (over16 yrs ago)
o TMA your most challenging flight
o TMAAT you initiated a new program and what were the positive results
o TMAAT you had low fuel/fuel was critical
o TMAAT you diverted
o TMA how you help mentor someone outside of being an IP
o TMAAT information was presented to you as factual and you knew it not to be true (new one for me!) – had to come back to it
o TMAAT you noticed/monitored something in the cockpit to prevent something bad from happening
o How did you get interested in flying
o TMAAT you had a conflict in flight and how did you resolve it
o TMAAT You went above and beyond to do your job
o TMAAT you disagreed with a policy and/or procedure and what did you do about it
o TMAAT you intentionally violated a policy/procedure and why
o TMAAT you had to take the aircraft from another pilot
o When was the last time you asked for outside help/advice for a project
o TMAAT you had…an in-flight emergency…situation you weren’t expecting

They briefed us at the beginning of our interview that you can use the same story more than once if it answers the question asked by different interviewers. Also, they want to hear experiences as Captain, Flt Lead, and IP. Not as a Copilot or wingman.

Logbook Review: Use the attached sheet to help show the breakdown in your flight time. Scanned the entire interview package and used WORD to fill in the paperwork. The interviewer commented on the quality of the paperwork during the logbook review and greatly appreciated the use of the spreadsheet to breakout the AF Form 5.

LOI

Same setup that everyone should know by now so I won’t go into that detail. There are too many scenarios to really get too gouged up so do what you would normally do in any checkride and take it to a logical conclusion. Remember to use all the available resources to include FO, Jumpseater, Flight Attendants, Dispatch, ATC, etc. Seven minutes goes by very quickly so stay on top of the clock situation. My scenario was the Midway to Nashville flight with holding at Terre Haute FL330. (He asked what speed to hold at…I said 265 kts) Then a 29 year old girls gets a reaction from eating peanuts, doctor on board says we gotta land now…and oh by the way a plane went off the runway at Nashville and the airport is closed for 30 minutes… “What will you do?”
1. Maintain A/C Control (I flew/maintained in the hold)
2. Analyze the Situation (Used Jumpseater to query situation from FA and used FO to query dispatch for Nashville status/alternate status)
3. Take Proper Action (Query for alternatives once you have presented your solution and then, You decide and stick to your guns)
Both the FO and Jumpseater asked purposely-distracting questions to eat up time and see how you handle the situation. I politely refocused their efforts on the situation at hand.
Best thing you can do for your LOI, is to read through each initial set up from the various gouges. Then set your microwave clock to count down from 7:00 and roll play out the questions you would ask, and decision you would make based on the info that would flow. Do that for each scenario. Keep a SWA napkin in your pocket to know of which other SWA landing sites you have to choose from to check weather or consider for “viable” options. Try to get your pacing down to the 5:00 to 6:00 minute window (some use much less time). This will help you get ready, and not be surprised how fast 7:00 minutes goes by. After you get your LOI situation, you will have a 14” x 10” white erase board to write questions on to use during the LOI…then you can put your debrief points on it after the LOI is over. I cover those things I thought I did well, and those things I thought I did poorly/could have done better.

Make a decision. Stick to your decision.

The SWA interview team folks were awesome which made the interview process as pleasant as it could possibly be.

OH Yeah…

It pays to keep your head on a swivel…we were talking in the shuttle on the way from the SIM building to the airport. After we had been discussing our experiences for a while, a pilot seated behind us spoke up and asked us about our experience. The pilot was Bill “Mama” Cass, in Charge of Pilot Hiring. You just don’t know who is going to show up or pop up from around a corner, so for me the interview started when I left my home and ended when I got back in my car at the airport. I wore a suit traveling to the interview and remained in my interview suit for the trip home. Be pleasant and courteous. You have prepped hard for the last month or more, you have earned the right to go sell yourself, just relax and be the person everyone likes in the squadron…GOOD LUCK!

 

[320AV8R]

Trip Report
Jul 04

I stayed at the Renaissance – great place to meet up with others in your interview group & SWA employees. I definitely recommend it. Go to the bar and look for the 30-40 yr old age group wearing slacks and a nice shirt – that’s your interview buddies. The guys wearing jeans and a golf shirt are a few months ahead of you . . . . (i.e they’re in the new hire class!) Quoted a higher rate, but it was changed to $52 as advertised when I showed up. Took the 7am shuttle & was at HQ by 7:30 ready to go. We had a good mix, about half civilian and half military. 12 Agent Smiths - only about 3 or 4 in the red power tie, though . . .

Remember to smile and try to enjoy your time there.

Paperwork drill was standard. BTW, most people are filling out paperwork by hand, typewriters are virtually dead. Remember to get your transcripts ordered early or you will be pulling your diploma off the office wall to carry in. Get the NDR notarized.
2 HR reps and 4 pilots. LOI is done by different group of pilots.
LOI was per other trip reports. Sick passenger, weather sucks . . . Use all available resources to make a decision – such as FO, jumpseater, doctor if available, MedLink, Dispatch, checklists and/or company policy/operating procedures. Get weather & notams from dispatch and their preference if applicable – may depend on the nature of the passenger or emergency. FO and jumpseater will likely offer differing opinions, requiring you to make a choice that possibly neither one agrees with. 7 minutes goes by fast when you’re trying to get as much information as possible – remember to delegate duties, such as having the jumpseater get all the info from dispatch and having the FO fly and talk to ATC. Make your decision based on the info & stick with it! You will have time to debrief your scenario afterwards – this counts toward your LOI deal, so be sure to bring up anything that you forgot or could have done better. Nobody’s perfect . . . be willing to admit to mistakes or what you could have done better, and show that you learn quickly by briefing those afterwards.

Logbook review was done in the first interview. No surprises here. All interviews were pleasant, with friendly pilots and HR who are trying to get to know you – if you didn’t have the experience they are looking for, you wouldn’t be there. So remember to sell yourself – they are hiring you based on your personality, enthusiasm, “cultural fit,” etc. That doesn’t mean you have to be a comedian, but you should be more interesting and a little more personable than the desk between you and your interviewer. Be sure to read “Nuts!” It is a great overview of the company and the type of people they are looking for.

Interview Questions:
Why SWA? (3 times)
TMAAT that fuel was a factor.
TMA your scariest flight (x2)
TMAAT you broke a rule or policy.
TMA your most memorable flight.
TMAAT a peer that frustrated you.
TMA a project you initiated and the results.
TMAAT you were counseled for something good.
TMA a co-worker who had trouble “fitting in.”
TMAAT you had to divert.
TMAAT a supervisor asked you to do something wrong.


Finished about 4pm – still smiling but totally wiped out walking out the door, mostly from all the anticipation beforehand. They told us that about half were being hired . . . so now the anticipation builds again! Good luck!

 

[320AV8R]

Trip Report
15 June 2004


It’s been a few weeks since the actual interview, but I’m providing my experience just in case it might help. First of all, KUDOs to the gougemeister. I did not encounter anything during the interview that I had not been briefed on. Many of the questions took on different forms, but they were essentially the same as laid out in previous trip reports. Try to have as many stories from your past as possible. I ended up having to use one story/situation twice with the same interviewer to answer his questions. I don’t think it hurt, since I flavored it for a different personality trait in the end. Read all the previous reports if you can. Obviously there is a lot of redundancy in the reports, but repetition settled my nerves. I did not try to memorize anything the previous guys did or said, I just wanted a flavor for the pace of questioning and intensity. It helped me…

I was called by Melissa Dexter approximately two weeks prior to the first interview opportunity – she provided me with three choices. I took the second because it allowed me the greatest flexibility with my work schedule. There is always the chance you are giving up seniority numbers by delaying. With classes backing up, you want to get to the review committee as soon as possible. I tried to book the Renaissance, but their best rate was nearly $200. They offered to book me at the Courtyard Marriott down the street for $149. I ended up at the Radisson for $65. My opinion…where you stay does not matter, just be on time in the morning. There were 4 other guys there as well. Transportation was not an issue. The hotel provided a shuttle to the airport for pickup and a shuttle to SWA headquarters.

I flew in to DFW from DCA using jumpseat privileges on United. I wanted to minimize the number of legs to travel. As I mentioned, the hotel had no problem with picking you up…just check with them in advance. It’s a 20 min ride so tip the guy well.

There were 12 candidates in my group. About half retiring military / and the other 121 carriers. 1 minority in the group and no women. Of the military equal mixture of fighter and heavy. Everyone was very friendly and appeared well at ease (only on the surface I’m sure)

Processing-in began promptly at 8am. After the initial welcoming we were eventually split into two groups for the interview/LOI sessions. Groups were already designated by a sheet that was handed out after the welcome. If there was a pattern to how the groups were formed, I couldn’t figure it out. It appeared random to me. My group did the LOI first and one-on-one interviews after lunch. We finished around 4 pm. Plenty of time to make an evening flight. I even made it back to DFW to catch a 6pm flight to DCA. If you do the LOI’s in the afternoon, you’ll finish much earlier since it’s only a 20 minute exercise.

Waiting for my turn was the most difficult part of this whole experience. By some strange coincidence, I was the last person called to do both the LOI and face to face interviews. No smoking-gun questions and all were pretty straight forward. There was even a little prompting to end the story with a positive twist. My LOI was MDW – MCI, sick passenger after departure with destination closed temporarily due to emergency on runway. You are told to hold and asked for your plan. I made my decision with 20 seconds to go after getting as much input as I could from all parties I could think of. Self critique was solicited after a short break.

All in all, I had a very positive experience. I don’t think any interview is really enjoyable because of all the stress you put yourself under to look good. I received a call from Wendy at SWA a little over a month later that I was recommended by the selection committee and would ‘continue the process’ through background checks and enter the pool. Target class date – Dec or Jan.

Good luck!

 

[320AV8R]

Trip Report 20 Jul 04​

Got a phone call from Melissa Dexter approximately 1 month prior. Chose the first available date. Received the package about a week later. Absolutely no surprises on what to fill out from the information in previous reports. Based on previous advice, called the Renaissance right away and booked a room. Said I was coming up for an interview and received the SW rate.

Flew up from San Antonio. Minor confusion with the must ride status but fairly quickly resolved. Make a copy of your interview invite letter for later use at the Renaissance. Wore non-interview coat and tie. I asked one the Flight Attendants about the crew’s names and attempted to ingratiate myself by picking up some trash. I didn’t crack the code on the Renaissance van and since it was 2 Billion degrees and I had a tie on, I grabbed a cab. Picked up a quick shoe shine in the airport. They were almost too good and somewhat distracting on game day! When I checked, in I signed up for the 0700 shuttle.

The Renaissance had a Mary Kay convention going on so the SWA dominance was a little less apparent. I didn’t hang too long in the bar at dinner and didn’t recognize any of the pilots or new hires.

After a quick breakfast, I found the group of funeral directors waiting for the bus. About 7 of us took the shuttle to HQ. After we arrived there was a line to tip the guy. We all filed in, checked our bags(and cellphones) and chatted and waited. We started a roster and the administrative staff made copies for us all. 12 Total, half civ, half mil(1 AF, 5 Navy)

As per previous interview reports we were divided into 2 groups. I had the AM LOI and the PM interview. First they gathered us all up, made introductions, and gathered our paperwork. They allowed us to keep our briefcases etc in the first conference room.(I wouldn’t bring in anything you wouldn’t want them to see) No need to be fancy with the paperwork. Have it organized in a 2 slot folder and produce it in the order they require.

LOI
I went first in the LOI.
This was the unruly PAX trapping the FA from Phoenix to San Antonio while over El Paso. (All details previously reported) The 5 minutes to think it over seemed to last about 10. I jotted down some possible alternates which I wanted to check on the small white board. The FO and jumpseater are fully up to speed so you can hit the ground running. The 7 minutes seem to last about 90 seconds. Be prepared for this part to fly! Beware of distractions, e.g. Albuquerque needs us at 35 or 37, I just picked an altitude. First tried to work with the FA(Played by the jumpseater) situation seemed unsolvable, FO would not go back to help because of security concerns. Couldn’t get her to do it. Got the WX and NOTAMS at selected bases from dispatch (jumpseater as well). Asked for input. Both the FO and jumpseater wanted go to different places. Made the call to go to PHX (WX VFR) landable but crummy at others except ELP which was bad. Quickly justified the decision, informed the FA and dispatch and turned the jet around as the time ran out. They left and I scribbled down some notes on the white board. I used the good things/not so good things to organize the de-brief. They returned after 5 minutes (seemed like 10) I shook hands and that was that. I was very anxious about the LOI but it happened so fast I didn’t have the time to get nervous.

Impressions: set a time to make a decision and execute e.g..3 minutes left. Get inputs but try not to get too distracted or sidetracked. Watch out about changing your mind. As I informed the flight attendant that we were going back she indicated that things were coming under control. Even though you may have a good idea about the various scenarios, watch getting locked into a pre-set course of action. React to the inputs as they happen. This, I believe, is where they look to evaluate your responses.

Lunch was as advertised. Be friendly, try to relax and sit with the group.

INTERVIEWS
A disadvantage of doing the interviews in the afternoon is that you get to leave late in the day. Nonetheless, the three interviews went pretty much as advertised. One People Dept, Lindsey Lang, Capt Rick Doran and Capt/Flight log review Larry Voliva. One thing that I hadn’t heard was that each of the interview rooms were decorated in State themes, the Florida room for example. These decorations were somewhat distracting as I thoughtfully tried to compose my answers. In between the interviews we went to the fingerprint machine and had our fingerprints taken. All the interviewers invited me to take off my coat. All were extremely friendly. All took copious notes. Based on my Air Force Flying summary report and a personal spreadsheet(include IP time) the Logbook review went very fast. As a matter of fact I was a little surprised at the speed to which the nums were reviewed and didn’t know if I’d just blown it or not. The longest interview was with Lindsey and the quickest was with Larry and the logbook. Once done, I said goodbye to the guys and grabbed the shuttle to the airport. I had no idea how I’d done and although I kept up the smile till I left the airport in San Antonio I felt a little let down.

Impressions: Just like the LOI, even though you will probably know the questions, take the time to listen. It seemed that several of the questions I was asked were just a little different. Repeat the question in your head and carefully select a story. I had gone to great lengths to memorize the flight number, names of the crew in the flight that I flew up on but was never really asked that question. My first question had to do with my journey up but ripping off names and flight numbers wasn’t appropriate. A simple “excellent, no problems” was all I replied.

The overall experience was extremely worthwhile. All the people from the company whom I met were extraordinarily friendly and professional. I have the impression that all the SW folks, although very relaxed and casual, are extremely good interviewers and know exactly what they’re doing and what they’re looking for. Prepare, prepare, prepare and on game day be yourself.

Questions

How was the journey up?
TMAAT when a flight didn’t go as planned?
Why SWA?
What qualities make you a good fit for SWA
TMAAT you had to intervene in a dispute between co-workers
TMAAT you spoke up about a policy that you thought was unfair
TMAAT that you had to ask for outside help
TMAAT that you had to break a FAR, rule or policy when flying x2
TMA your most challenging flight
TMA your most scariest flight
TMA how you got interested in flying
TMA someone was upset at a decision that you made
TMA a flight you are most proud of
TMA a project you initiated
TMAAT you had to change a plan short notice

 

[320AV8R]

SWA Trip Report​

A

I stayed at the Renaissance. Made reservations immediately after setting interview date. Shuttle picked me up from the airport and swung by SWA HQ to pick up one of the interviewers. Had a chance to talk to him for 10 or 15 minutes while we drove to the hotel. Hotel is as advertised. Lots of SWA guys running around. Food is half price. Next morning, took the 0700 shuttle with two other interviewees. Make sure you schedule the shuttle when you check in at the hotel.

We got to SWA HQ at about 0720. Five guys were already there. The rest straggled in by 0740. Group was about 50/50 military/civilian. Everyone had a type rating. All but one was dressed in dark blue or black suit. Mostly red ties, a couple of yellow ones. Last guy wore a brown suit. There is a room to store your luggage in for the day. People Department opened just before 0800. Handed in our fingerprint paperwork, showed IDs, and had a chance to get a glass of water. Then we moved into another room to get briefed on the day’s events and separate into our different groups. I had the LOI first, interviews in the afternoon.

LOI scenario was PHX to SAT with unruly passenger. Had about five minutes to gather thoughts. They supply a small dry erase board. I jotted down some notes and came up with a gameplan. As stated in previous reports, the fuel gauge is not a factor. Time on the other hand is. Seven minutes went by VERY fast. I had FO fly and jumpseater get more info about the situation while I made initial contact with dispatch and got weather info for all possible landing fields. All had poor weather except SAT and PHX. Passenger was female. I asked about cockpit and passenger security being at risk? Not at that time. Any other SWA personnel to help out? No. Asked for recommendations from crew. FO said press to SAT. Jumpseater said go back to PHX. I agreed with the PHX option and told FO to get clearance back. Time ran out as I told dispatch we were heading back to PHX and to start booking passengers on new flights. There’s a lot to cover in seven minutes. They leave for a few minutes while you get ready for debrief. Debriefed what I thought were the strong points and what I thought I could have done better. They don’t give you any feedback. Just handle it like any other problem in flight and make a decision and you’ll be fine.

Interview was very relaxed and straightforward. Had logbook review first. Took all of five minutes. I had my own spreadsheet summary showing how I got all my figures. Questions I was asked:

Why SWA?
How did you get started flying?
TMA your scariest flight.
TMA a flight where you worked the hardest and had the greatest sense of reward.
TMAAT when fuel was critical.
TMAAT when you had to counsel someone.
TMAAT when you were counseled by a supervisor.
TMAAT when you noticed something in the cockpit that prevented something bad.
TMAAT when you bent a rule/policy to get something done.
TMAAT you made a quick decision and later regretted it.
TMAAT when you had a conflict with another crewmember in flight.
TMAAT you had an in flight emergency.
Describe a typical day for a SWA pilot.
TMA your best flight – had the most fun while flying.
What do you like least about your job?
How did you prepare for your last checkride?
Ever busted a check ride?
TMAAT a mission didn’t go as planned.
TMAAT when you were pressured into taking an aircraft that shouldn’t have been flown.
TMAA project you initiated at work.

Overall, it was a great experience. Stay relaxed and be yourself and you’ll do fine. Good luck!

 

[320AV8R]

SWA Trip Report – Feb 05​

Timeline – Type in Sep 04 with K&S Aviation in Phoenix, AZ. Stayed in AZ for sim (200 with 300 upgrade) to save a little cash ($500 discount offered at the time). Submitted application in Nov 04, phone call for an interview offer in Dec 04, interviewed in late Jan 05, phone call in mid Feb 05. Read “Nuts” and majority of “Checklist for Success” to educate myself on the culture and interview process as well as 2 mock interviews with current SWA pilots. Cannot stress enough the importance of the mock interviews.

Most time critical items: Transcripts from high school and college as well as a current passport (blue cover). Also, to avoid full rates at Renaissance Hotel call them ASAP (214-631-2222) for reservation and be sure to tell them you’re there for a Southwest interview. I was able to confirm one night at that rate and the next night was offered at a general airline employee rate.

Overview : Flew to Love Field out of Norfolk. My routing was a little long but worth it. When talking to Reservations, ensure that they know you’re trying to get to Love for an interview, as the original response I heard from agent on the phone was that Norfolk to Love was not offered. After explaining my reason for travel we worked through some different routes. I opted for Norfolk – Jacksonville – Tampa – New Orleans – Love Field. Left at 8amish and arrived around 3pmish. Other options didn’t arrive until past 7pmish and didn’t want to stress any potential enroute hold-ups. As recommended in multiple other reports, I packed lightly and carried everything on. Used one small roller bag as well as a suit bag and nothing more. Highly recommend packing lightly to avoid having to check baggage and risk not having your luggage for interview day! Arrived uneventfully and called Renaissance for pick-up. Shuttle arrived within 10 minutes and took me directly to the hotel, along with a few other folks. This was my first indication that SWA folks are ALWAYS around. These same faces appeared the following morning for the shuttle to SWA but were not interviewees. Took a quick look at my suit in my hotel room to ensure nothing was demolished during the trip. Hotel lobby food is great. Just remember and expect it to be full of SWA employees. Not the time to show your ass! Ordered room service for a small breakfast in the morning and took the 7am shuttle for the 8am interview. Promptly at 8am interview team gathered all interviewees in a meeting room, introducing themselves and explaining the process to all of us collectively. Took a roll call for the 12 expected, realizing there was one no-show. Not good I assume! Anyway, they will split you up, half for the interviews first followed by LOI after lunch and the other half vice versa. I had the interviews first, lunch collectively as a group (some interviewers included) followed by the LOI in the afternoon.

My first interview was the logbook review with a SWA pilot. Spent a few minutes conversing with the interviewer before diving into logbook. I had military logbook as well as an electronic excel version that had a coversheet with flight time break-downs, all bound together in one book from Kinko’s. That appeared to be a hit as the interviewer mentioned several times how impressed he was with the clarity and neatness of the spreadsheet. He never went beyond the first page! After copying some info onto his sheet he asked a few questions and I was finished with my first interview. Upon completion, he asked if I had questions and then thanked me and mentioned again that he was impressed with the logbook presentation. The next interviewer was with a female People Dept interviewer. The third and final interview was with another pilot. Several questions were repeats from different interviewers. In opening remarks, the team mentioned this as a possibility and that the same response is completely acceptable but warned that if the same stories were told but didn’t quite match up amongst interviewers it wouldn’t be good! In other words, don’t get caught in a lie.


Questions asked of me, in no particular order….
Why SWA (x2)
Why you
TMAAT you made a quick decision and the outcome.
TMA your military career
TMA a crewmember you didn’t get along with
TMA your most challenging flight (x2)
Three things you bring to SWA
TMAAT you were asked to do something wrong
TMAAT you helped a coworker, not necessarily airborne
TMAAT you were the first to notice something critical while airborne (x2)
TMA a project you initiated
TMA your most rewarding flight
TMAAT you were the mediator between two coworkers.

Lunch was on the company in the cafeteria. Very impressive dining facility. After lunch we broke back down into our groups and I went for the LOI.

LOI – You are invited into a CPT in the sim building one at a time, given a notecard with a scenario and then left alone for 5 minutes to digest the info. After 5 mins, interviewers come back, ask for any questions, and then start the clock. You have 7 minutes to work through the situation. You are the captain, and you have an interviewer playing the role of co-pilot and another interviewer playing jump-seater. As mentioned in other reports, best to realize there really is no right answer. You WILL be out into a corner so just expect that. Knowing this, I took it as an opportunity to prove that you know how to assign tasks, gather info, and make a decision. As I heard over and over from others – Don’t let time expire without making a decision! After a decision has been made or 7 mins elapse, whichever comes first, the clock is stopped and the interviewers leave the room for 5 minutes, allowing you to collect your thoughts before debriefing them on your perceived performance. I made this a typical fighter pilot debrief in that I was super critical on myself. There is a small whiteboard provided for your use during the LOI and I used this to write down weather reports during the scenario as well as debrief thoughts post scenario. In the debrief I was careful to be critical on lots of smaller points but remained confident in my overall decisions. The interviewers are in “receive mode only.” They will not provide any feedback whatsoever. After that I was escorted to the front of the building (ensuring no gouge could flow back to any other interviewees) where my day concluded.

Overall – Lots of self exerted pressure but extremely rewarding when you get the nod!

 

[coex]

Mike: Thanks for running that website, it was very helpful to me when I was in the job hunt. (As was this site).

FJ

No problem! Glad I could help



320AV8R........wow, you must be bored today with all that copying and pasting haha

 

[T2Pilot]

Wow! Thanks for emptying your hard drive 320AV8R.

I've seen people mention that they brought additional recomendation letters beyond the required three. Anything gained by that. When does it become too many?

 

[AlbieF15]

Nice to see flightinfo with some real gouge. Go A320, go!

Back when we used the digital revolution to help each other, this crap was all over the internet.

FYI...Rebekkah Krone is watching. Hope you already got your class date...

 

[T2Pilot]

Nice to see flightinfo with some real gouge. Go A320, go!

Back when we used the digital revolution to help each other, this crap was all over the internet.

FYI...Rebekkah Krone is watching. Hope you already got your class date...

I'm confused by the mixed message. Are you saying that SWA or any other company personnel will take revenge upon someone for sharing their experience? This is an aviation interview forum - is it all just a set-up? As I stated before I don't want anyone violated on my behalf. Is it your expert opinion that participating in this forum for its purpose is detrimental to a career?

 

[Deuce130]

I'm confused by the mixed message. Are you saying that SWA or any other company personnel will take revenge upon someone for sharing their experience? This is an aviation interview forum - is it all just a set-up? As I stated before I don't want anyone violated on my behalf. Is it your expert opinion that participating in this forum for its purpose is detrimental to a career?

Not exactly. I bet, however, that SWA interviewees sign some kind of non-disclosure agreement prior to beginning the interview. We did at FedEx. Disclosing info that you said you wouldn't disclose would be grounds for not hiring someone or terminating the employment of someone recently hired. Yes, this board is supposed to be anonymous but are you willing to stake your future career on it? My advice? If you have info to share, then share it quietly with your buddies. They can share it with their buddies and so on and so on and, eventually, someone with no dog in the hunt will post it all over the internet.

 

[firstthird]

Southwest is not Fedex and Fedex is not Southwest. I did not sign any type of non-disclosure agreement at Southwest (admittedly over 4 years ago) when I interviewed and other people have stated the same. Companies are different. Fedex had a non-disclosure form a few years back and apparently still does. To each company their own.