Proper attire for CFI interview?

[lowtimeguy]

Is a suit necessary for an interview for flight instructor position at, say ERAU?

What would be proper attire?

 

[BoilerUP]

You can NEVER go wrong wearing a suit and tie to an interview. If you are overdressed and both they and you know it, you can always lose the coat and take off the tie and still look very presentable. Perhaps some ERAU instructors can chime in on this?

Just my $.02

Best of luck in the interview!

 

[rumpletumbler]

I remember that bar where all the CFI's used to party and about every 10 minutes or so the theme to Benny Hinn would blare through the place and they would all play along with the music with spoons on the bar. I'll bet that wasn't allowed at the interview.

 

[chperplt]

I don't care if you're going to interview at McDonalds.. If you want the job, you wear a suit!

When I was doing interviews at the DAB campus, if you weren't wearing a suit to the interview you weren't hired.

 

[350DRIVER]

easy answer.

If you want the job then you wear a suit, simple.

3 5 0

 

[bobbysamd]

Proper PILOT interview attire

It doesn't matter for what company or type of pilot job; you should dress as if you are interviewing for the airlines. In other words, wear a suit.

I wore suits at every pilot interview I attended, including ERAU. I got the job, and it turned out to be my best flying job. My FSI interview was conducted over four days; after I got it all sweaty during my flight on Friday I ran right over to the dry cleaners and had it cleaned and pressed to be ready for my interview with the Chief Pilot on Sunday. I was hired there, too.

Opinions differ on the following, but Kit Darby is right about the kind of suit, i.e. navy, with a white shirt and red tie.

 

[mmmdonut]

Benny Hinn is the whacko christian who steals people's money.

Benny Hill is the fat, flamey Brit who runs around to that fun music.

 

[pilotman2105]

Suit and tie in any professional setting is quite necessary. I find that a tie is a bare minimum, with the suit being somewhat the icing on the cake. If another candidate shows up in a suit and you don't, you both have the same qualifications, who gets the job?

It's simply boils down to how much you want the job. That will be evident in the way your present yourself on paper, on the phone, in the interview, and by how you dress.

 

[rumpletumbler]

Benny Hinn is the whacko christian who steals people's money.

Benny Hill is the fat, flamey Brit who runs around to that fun music.

haha....yeah...odd that I did that. I can't see Benny Hinn ever doing anything happy. He looks into the camera like he wants to hypnotize the audience. Its funny till you realize he actually has a following.

 

[BornAgainPagan]

You can NEVER go wrong wearing a suit and tie to an interview.

Never say never.

I had an interview for an instructor position at a flying club that was based at a country fried airport consisting of an 1800' grass runway. It was a cold and drizzly november morning and the field was half sloppy from the chilled mud. The interview itself was in a machine shop and the impromtu desk was the corner of a large drill press machine. On the check-out flight, the first take off was aborted because the wheel pants on the 150 became clogged with mud. After helping him remove the farings, we jump in again. On this take-off roll, clumpy mud splash slapped (and some stuck) to the bottom of the wings. He took it around and showed me the quirks of the patch then I did one lap. HE jumped out and told me to fly it around the patch and the area for a couple of hours. After instructing from 5000' asphalt runways, this was the most eye opening interview I ever had and probably will have.....also the most fun I would probably ever have in any interview. I ended up working there 3 years.

If I had worn a suit (or anything other than jeans and hiking boots) to this interview I probably would have been immediately presumed as some kind of idiot.

I'm sure there have been and are many more aviation positions for which wearing a suit for the interview is inappropriate.

Remember, there is a lot more to aviation than mega flight school pilot factories, crisp zero time to regional f/o goldenboys (and girls) and pavement. Aviation is much bigger than the airlines.

 

[Resume Writer]

There are always exceptions to the rule. However, in about 95% of interviews, you need to wear a suit.

About a year ago I was doing an interview for a magazine story on a local newscaster here in PHX who races Mini Sprint cars on a dirt track. Now, in typical journalistic style, I would have worn at the very least a dress to most of my interviews. However, the mud out at the track is clay; very sticky and very dirty. My attire? Jeans, tennis shoes (old ones) and nothing that was white! It did not ruin my credibility in this situation because wearing anything else would have garnered a few chuckles from the guys and gals out there.

Many years ago, when I was conducting a seminar at a local medical trade school, one of the job seekers insisted that they could wear "scrubs" to the interview because that was their normal dress. I disagreed with her on this point, as an employer wants to make sure that you can "clean up" appropriately, in case they need to send you to a seminar or a training session. Once she understood that, she realized the value of dressing up.

I know that Kit Darby says blue suit, white shirt and red tie. But, if someone showed up in a black suit with a blue tie, that would not get them bounced from the interview. What I always wanted to know was that a candidate would take the time to look nice, with a properly fitted suit, shined shoes, matching socks and their hair and nails clean. It was an indication of what they would look like when they showed up for work.

Kathy