SWA Application update

[InHot]

Any other Poolies get this? I got mine today. "We would like to update your Pilot Supplemental Application packet that we have on file. Please take a moment to complete the enclosed form and return to us by Feb 28, 2003 so that your application will remain active in our files." Application?? Hell, I've been bobbing around in this swampy water for over a year. So...umm..WTF..over

Inda -

I'd give LL a call and see whats up.

 

[ivauir]

here is your bone

I am number 55 on our list and I have NOT recieved any application update - it sounds like a mistake, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Mil-BushPilot]

I think the update forms are for applicants...not poolies. If you are in the pool there is no need to update your "application." Is that what other people's idea is of this update form?

 

[Lindy]

I also received an update letter. Applied October 2002 (prior to the 737 type requirement).

What is interesting, I am civilian (and noticed that everyone else has some type of military background).

Excited to even be recognized in this market.......

And I do not possess a 737 Type at this time.

 

[KODI#]

Just rcvd mine today. It was post-marked 13 JAN. I got my app in prior to the NOV 02 deadline and do not currently have the type yet.

 

[learjetguy]

got mine too

Just checked the mail and got mine too. Nice to know
that they have not forgotten me!! Looks like late 2003
for a face to face.(sent my stuff in back in oct)

 

[tredding@swa]

Interviewees...

I know that not everyone can afford it... or has time off to do it, however, IF you can get the type BEFORE interviewing... it will weigh heavy on your future IF you get hired.

Just look at the Poolie List and take note of where people are in the pool by looking at the interview dates & type dates..... lots of folks leap-frogged over others who interviewed months prior, due to having their type prior to the interview date.

Your senority # will decide EVERYTHING for you once hired.... If you believe that ALL you want to be is a SWA pilot - then by all means - stack the deck in your favor!!!

Once again, those who are in the pool and were unable to get the type, but were hired, PLEASE take no offense - I am just trying to give those behind us a reason to think about why a 737 type may be a good idea....

Good Luck to all those waiting to interview.... can't wait to see you get a chance.... and looking forward to "evolving" back to dry land for ALL of us patient rats!!!

Tred

 

[looseca]

You are correct Tred.... if I had my type when interviewing, I'd be about 40 spots up on the list!!

 

[learjetguy]

?

Tred,Looseca,
can you folks share some insight as to what you think
made your interview a success? You know,secret handshake...
stuff like that. I know alot of folks,including myself,really
would appreciate any words of wisdom from such obviously
great and wonderful aviators as yourselves!!!

p.s. sucking up is allowed on this board isn't it??

thanks,
Learguy

 

[tredding@swa]

interview prep...... (an opinion)

Rule #1 ALWAYS be yourself, don't attempt to "be" what you think they are looking for! Now, with that out of the way.....

When I was called for my SWA interview...(one of the BEST days in my 20+ year aviation career, ONLY topped by the call that I was "successful in the interview process"...., both to be overshadowed by a call (soon, perhaps?) inviting me to DAL for my training - pardon me, I digress...) let's try this again;

When I was called for my SWA interview... I called a buddy of mine who is a SWA FO (who also does interview preps) and asked him to please be honset and tell me why I should even consider using his (or some else's) services??? After all, SWA wants to see YOU as a person - with NO preconcieved notions, etc., etc.

If anything, the interview process @ SWA is WELL documented and I felt I had "most" of the current gouge.

He agreed with all of my observations. He said that I may in fact get through the interview just fine, and could possibly do so without any "help".

However, he said....
IF you thought you might increase your chances of not completly blowing the interview, by spending a rather small amount of $$ in the BIG scheme, would you do so as a "hedge" or perhaps "insurance"????? Would you do it knowning that it might increase your awareness of what the interview was going to be like?? Would you consider doing it if there was no downside, other than be out a few $$$??

Of course, I answered yes to all of the above questions. Honestly, I prepped, studied, worried and then studied and worried some more BEFORE we started my formal "prep" work. It was MY intention to do a couple of things; 1. use his time effectively, as you pay by the hour,. and, 2. show him that I was serious and ready to interview with, or without, his help.

Let me tell you something - I believe that FOR ME, his assistance was very helpful in preparing ME for MY interview. I must explain - I suffer "slightly" from "performance anxiety", aka "stage fright". Funny thing too, I am a musician who has performed in hundreds of nightclubs & concerts, in front of crowds ranging from a few friends to over 5,000. I have given seminiars to groups up to 100 where I am the ONLY speaker... yet every single time, I wig out right before (sometimes at the beginning) of EVERY performance.

By "preparing" me for my SWA interview - I was put in a very similar situation(as the actual interview), asked similar questions & role played my way through the entire process 5-7 times. Video taped twice. Guys and girls, this did not change ANYthing about me or the way I handled the actual interview... but as the old saying goes.... practice makes perfect. FYI - I erased the first video - it was HORRIBLE!!

Do whatever you want to do. But please accept a little advice. If you think it is competitive getting on with a major airline. Think about what it is like with ONLY 1 major pax airline interviewing/ hiring!!!!!? Perhaps you should consider a little insurance too?

As is SO overused - "IMHO" - you should do EVERYthing possible to increase YOUR odds of knocking it out of the park when/if you are lucky enough to get a chance to interview.... think about it.

Best of luck to EVERYone that follows us Rats into the future. Hurry up and get on board so I can get off reserve! (of cousre, I would give almost anything to BE on reserve right NOW!!!!)

Tred

PS - www.swaprep.com for those who are interested....

 

[Skyrunner]

Gracias Amigo

Hey Tred,

Thanks for the advice. Hope I get to use swaprep in the near future. I, too, need practice. When I am in front of a crowd in a vunerable position, I feel like Chris Farley from Tommy Boy when he is trying to sell car brakes.

If anyone is interested, I completed a paper for my masters on LUV hiring versus the big 3. I think it has a lot of good insight from a different perspective. May help, may not. Anyway, if anybody would like a copy, just PM me.

Take care and fly safe,

SR

 

[HPaul3]

Lear guy,

It was definitely the secret handshake. If you don't know it yet, I guess you're SOL.

Seriously, the thing I remember most about the SWA interview was how conscientious and "professional" it was....not in the way you'd normally think of the word "professional," but in the way that gave you (me) the absolute best possible chance of being successful. In short, the interviewers were very concerned about following their own rules for the interview, asking questions only from their prepared material so everyone got an equal opportunity for success, and asking careful follow-up questions to clarify everything. I was very, very impressed with the way they approached the interview. I truly believe they were out to give me the best chance of succeding. Contrast that to another interview I attended (what was I thinking!) where the first thing the interviewer said to me was (as he slapped his folder on the desk), "well, there's the list of questions I'm not going to ask you." Huh? As you can see, that leaves a tremendous amount of room for all sorts of bad things. What if you just had a little personality conflict with the interviewer? What if he or she just asked a few "pet" questions, and what if he or she didn't like the answers you gave? How could that interviewer respond in good faith to his or her company about your fitness for hire? Not at Southwest. They were very interested in finding out who I was, and they put a great deal of faith in the professional procedure they had created to answer that question. I couldn't have been much more comfortable with the time I spent at the People department.

That said, I do agree with the Tredmeister about preparation. At the very minimum, you should write a notebook about your career to this point. Things you had to overcome, challenging your boss, personal relations on the flight deck, proper use of diplomacy, emergencies, all that good stuff. I did that, and reviewed it often before going in. I did not prepare with a Southwest expert, but I did conduct two practice interviews with one of the career placement professionals at Randolph Air Force Base (thanks Fae : - ). That was invaluable simply because it gave me an opportunity to practice sitting in my suit in front of an interviewer and translating the notebook into something intelligible for the interviewer. Great experience....recommend it highly.

Hey I gotta go! Best of luck to you....PM if you want any more info.

Cheers!
HP

 

[roughneck]

Thanks fellas,

Yall just made me so nervous I can't eat my dinner.

 

[UGApilotDAWG]

I agree with HPaul3

Besides my parents who raised me with manners and Southern Hospitality, Fae at Randolph was a big reason I passed my interview.! I purposely went into the first interview prep cold turkey to get a good baseline to start with. She went over everything from suit and tie to family and faith. Of course the first one was not a "polished" interview and it showed. It's very difficult to watch yourself on tape but it showed how much I was always moving in the chair (thanks Leo Mazzone!) After another session or two I was confident on self presentation. The hardest think I thought was to remember the stories about flying. Granted in the military I love flying but the countries customs and people are what I truly took to heart around the world. So it took at least ten brainstorming sessions to come up with flying experiences that were worthy of a good positive story...but that's just me - I'm very laid back and if the wings weren't falling off the plane, it was no big deal! So all the precious time as well as $$$ you spend in preparation is as the add says...priceless!

Hope that helps,
Les

 

[ETXflyer]

My .02

The best advice I can give you is

1) Be yourself

2) Relax or at least try real hard to

3) Be honest and sincere

4) Make an appointment with Rob Beeks before you interview.

Let me expand on the last point. Rob didn't give me a secret handshake or canned answers to interview questions, but what he did do was help me understand how to answer questions in a way that relayed to the interviewer that I was a safe, professional pilot that would fit in well at SWA and that is exactly what they are looking for. I give a lot of credit to Rob for getting hired and he isn't paying me to say that, but I'd sure accept any donations!

 

[ivauir]

Let me pile on too

Ditto all,
I used Rob Beeks and it saved my life. His stated goal was to convince me that all I had to do was be myself. He was successful and so was I.

My advice is standard, trite, tried and true: pay attention to your appearance, review your stories, be truthful (especially with things you write!), get interview prep, and pray (a lot).

Best of luck to all hopefuls, especially the ones on the street ...

 

[Thunderchief]

I didn't get mine yet!!!

I haven't gotten any kind of an update yet. Little nervous...
How long ago did ya'll get your's????

 

[RocketRob]

I got the update letter a few days ago and don't have the type. But what about the requirement to have a type before interviewing? Is this for people who have not applied yet? or are they going to send me another letter that I have to get typed prior to them scheduling an interview for me? Or perhaps I'm recalling this requirement totally out of context

 

[SWAnnabee]

Chances with SWA?

I am a USMC jet instructor(former AV-8B pilot) here in Kingsville, Tx. I am an Embry-Riddle grad (Aeronautical Science B.S.) and a graduate of the Aviation Safety Officer's Course, Naval Post-Graduate School. I will have my 1500 hrs turbine/1000 hrs turbine PIC by late summer as well as around 365hrs civilian time for around 1900 TT. I intend to get my ATP/737 type also by this summer. Currently hold Commercial, MEI ratings. What are my chances of getting on with Southwest in your opinion?? Also, if I put my app in by early fall 03, when could I expect an interview and class begin? I appreciate any feedback.

 

[hopeful]

rocket bob-

there is a requirement as of november that you have to have the type to apply. If you already applied without the type then the requirements have not changed for you. you still just have to have the type before you can be hired. you can still be called for an interview without it. (assuming you applied before the req. changed in november.)