SWA 2nd interview wait time

[Headfake14]

okay...here it goes...I heard from a fellow pilot at work who heard from his buddy, (not his dry-cleaner) that said he got a call for his 2nd try at only 10 months. I made sure I clarified that the 10 months was from first interview date and NOT the 1yr anniv. date. Perhaps there was some mis-info between said "friend" and his "buddy".

If this is true...is the 12 month waiting at their discretion? I imagine we (us fine FI folk) would've heard about a reduction in the wait time if it was official.


...questions, comments, concerns, snyde remarks.................

 

[AV82SKI]

Well, I hope you are correct.

When the SWA rep was in my HPA class, she told us the application becomes invisible to them for twelve months. As you may have realized, you can still update your original SWA apllication after being turned down.

That's all I know for sure. :laugh:

 

[RedDogC130]

Second Call

I got my second call in September of 2006. My first was June 2005 with a DB that July. I highly doubt that it was 10 months. I figure it is 12 months from the DB. That was mine.

Remember, you will not get a second call if you are in the same position as you are now. You have to change something. Change aircraft, positions (FO to CAPT to Check Airman) Change companies if it will give you different experiences. I heard it regarding myself and it worked. Why would they call you back when you would have nothing new to offer that what you just showed them. Like your money...diversify...I think that is how you spell it.

 

[Headfake14]

...I know...thats why I threw this thread out there to see if anyone heard something. I don't know the qualifications of this "10 month" guy. Maybe he got typed on the Space Shuttle after his first "letter". I changed over from ATR to the CRJ.

...anyone else hear anything...

 

[RedDogC130]

That is a good start. Fly it for a 1000 hours and if nothing happens, switch companies to fly something bigger. Good Luck.

 

[Pilottodd2]

I had my 1st interview Jan 05, and have been updating 2x a month ever since. Still no call. I have been a CRJ captain all that time and do not want to become check airman. (Our company really abuses them, and I have a family to think of). I have been calling Lindsey Lang every other month or so and she says that everything is in order, and that I will definately get another shot. It is just a matter of time.

 

[RedDogC130]

She will not tell you no. Why would she want to be put in that position. I would stop calling. You don't want to be that person that nags them. You calling will not get you another shot. If you are in the same position, why would they want to give you another chance? Nothing has changed. You not wanting to experience more stuff by becoming a check airman probably shows them that you just want to go to work and get a paycheck, not grow or make the company better. Remember 2nd chances are not for sure. Mabye they do look at the past interview, who knows.

 

[Irishav8r]

She will not tell you no. Why would she want to be put in that position. I would stop calling. You don't want to be that person that nags them. You calling will not get you another shot. If you are in the same position, why would they want to give you another chance? Nothing has changed. You not wanting to experience more stuff by becoming a check airman probably shows them that you just want to go to work and get a paycheck, not grow or make the company better. Remember 2nd chances are not for sure. Mabye they do look at the past interview, who knows.

I'm sorry but doesnt jumping ship to fly something bigger display a lack of loyalty? You are assuming that they are turned down due to flying experience when we all know that there is much more to it than that. My .02 If someone is asking advice I would tell them to keep working hard, make sure all of the criteria; min flt times for the past 12 24 and 36 months are all met, attend any seminars where the PD will be attending for face time and keep prepared. I am not saying to not advance yourself in your current company; checkairman does not hurt, but I don't think it is an absolute however, I do think jumping job to job to fly something bigger would be more harmful than good, especially if someone were a CA in an RJ then to the right seat of a 747. The PIC 121/135 jet or tuboprop, IMHO, carries much more weight. Good luck to you and Happy New Year!

 

[RedDogC130]

Fair enough, I disagree a bit but that is just my view, various experiences makes you who you are. The interview is what matters I guess. I wish everyone could get a second chance like me, but sitting at the same current position is not going to get one set aside in the stack of thousands. You still have to remember it is competition. Just because you have an ATP and PIC time does not mean you should get a job. It is all how you rank in the competition.

 

[Hardcorr]

Jesus Red Dog. Where do you come up with this you have to change something to get a second interview junk? That's crap. Do you work in the SWA people Dept? SWA loves to re-interview. It shows how bad you want to work for the airline.

 

[Dude]

No degree, 100% of PIC was turboprop and mostly smaller ones. I knew a couple of folks but nobody really important, was never an angel in my youth and still got the job.........bigger equipment and competition my a$$.

Desire and desperation are distinctly different things and I am confident the interview team can tell the difference. You can't beat the system, be yourself and don't be an a$$. They want to hire people that will help protect what has been built here and culture can not be part of a training evolution. Their focus isn't on the quals, but the dude sitting in the chair in front of them. Here's a thought..............instead of telling them how great SWA is and what SWA can do for you, try telling them what you can do for SWA and what you bring to the company and the pilot group.

Just a thought or two. I may be completely full of ********************e.......hard to tell.

 

[Headfake14]

oh boy...all good insight. Buuuuuut back to the topic at hand fellas.

2nd interview calls...I've heard of a few getting called at 6ish months after their yr was up.

I originally mentioned that I heard someone may have been called back after only a 10month wait. Has anyone heard similar...

 

[Charlie Brown]

I originally mentioned that I heard someone may have been called back after only a 10month wait. Has anyone heard similar...

No. I know a couple guys still waiting for their second chance, and a few that had it and they were all well past the year wait.

Good luck, and enjoy the wait. Also, I think the advice given earlier about not getting another shot unless you have changed something in your career is off-base. I know personally one dude who had a second chance and was doing nothing different than the first time around. Also they made no mention of this during the open house I attended back in June.

 

[Lear70]

I'm at 2 1/2 years since my interview but, to be honest, I wasn't really updating every month after I hit the one year mark. Still kind of irritated at being turned down I think and just didn't have the motivation to do anything but fly my trip and go home, plus had a little one on the way so I was busy.

Updated a lot more regularly about this time last year, then I got the call from AirTran so I stopped updating SWA - for almost half a year. Started updating again this past month, we'll see if it helps.

I don't believe SWA cares anything about you switching companies as long as it's not a lateral move. Why would they hold your personal career and financial goals against you? For instance, I left an RJ CA job to come be a 717 F/O. It's a short-term pay cut, but a long-term investment in a much higher pay scale and a more stable (not dependent on NWA) environment.

I sincerely doubt they'll think that's opportunism or some type of problem. SWA hires at least 1 or 2 guys a month from AirTran, which verifies that it wouldn't cause a problem.

Additionally, while I don't believe switching companies would necessarily *help* you, changing your position from turboprop to jet or from PIC to Check Airman is ALWAYS a good thing. Moving up within your company always looks good on a resume.

Lastly, I wouldn't call LL every single month. That may be a bit overkill. Send a Christmas card, say Hi in the summer months with a postcard on vacation, along with updating every month. Anything else probably gets annoying, she has better things to do than field 10,000 phone calls a month from applicants in the pool.

Of course, since I haven't been hired, all that may be worth exactly SQUAT, but it follows with every single piece of job advice I've ever received and I at least made it *this* far.

Good luck to everyone, and Happy New Year!

 

[Headfake14]

I was pretty sure the 10 month thing was an error...probably 10 mo. after the anniv. date.

...I figure I'll make a call at the 1yr mark. Make sure I'm back in the line up...all looks good...just to throw my name out there ya know. Also, this will coincide with a good year blimp I rented and a sky-writing squadron flashing messages in my favor.

 

[ERJpusher]

When I was at Higher Power in September for my type, the SWA PD came in to talk to our class the first week. Someone brought up the question as to what they should do to prepare themselves for a second shot, if the first doesn't work out. Ryan H. took the question and his answer was, quote,"One of the worst thing you can do is leave your current company to go fly something else, even if the new company is flying 737s. We would MUCH rather see you keep flying your regional jet or turboprop and building PIC time than sitting right seat at some other airline." Unquote.

Straight from the PD. Take it for what it's worth.

Good Luck

 

[Captain Overs]

I agree with the above post. It's all about determination. Moving to the right seat at another company can be percieved as a "lateral" move. If SWA is where you want to work then stay the course.