SWA Interview an "Audition"

["GO AROUND"]

I'll be there with bells on unless something unplanned comes up.

 

[1BigRodeo]

It isnt a perfect process, but it does help that they dig past the robot interview and weed out the blaring weenies in the bunch. Come on people, we all have flown with the guy who is a social misfit with above average skills. I personally would rather fly a three or four day trip with a "good guy" who may be an average pilot, not some bonehead that somebody from the "unit" recommended because he was "sh#@ hot" in the viper. Or how about the dork who was a check airman at his commuter job and used to brag about his "kill ratio". Nine times out of ten he wouldnt be able to pass his own checkride. One of those weenies from my former life got in here, how I will never know. Getting people talking can spotlight some of this stuff.

Also, alot of great guys have been passed over for this job. Its very competitive, and theres alot of talent "for hire" right now. I dont think that the interview result has any bearing whatsoever on the individuals ability to fly a jet, or reflect on the personality or quality of the human being. Many great people get turned down, some because they didnt interview well, some because of their inability to sell themselves, some because they didnt gel with the interviewer. Dont take it personally, its just not perfect. While I say that, SWA is a great place to work, and if you havent made it through the interview, its worth trying again. Anything worth doing is worth shooting for again.

Some people are a fit, some arent. Interviews dont always provide the best view of that, so yes, the rest of the process is as important as the one on one with the people department. Play the game, be nice, come fly.

 

[learflyer]

It isnt a perfect process, but it does help that they dig past the robot interview and weed out the blaring weenies in the bunch. Come on people, we all have flown with the guy who is a social misfit with above average skills. I personally would rather fly a three or four day trip with a "good guy" who may be an average pilot, not some bonehead that somebody from the "unit" recommended because he was "sh#@ hot" in the viper. Or how about the dork who was a check airman at his commuter job and used to brag about his "kill ratio". Nine times out of ten he wouldnt be able to pass his own checkride. One of those weenies from my former life got in here, how I will never know. Getting people talking can spotlight some of this stuff.

Also, alot of great guys have been passed over for this job. Its very competitive, and theres alot of talent "for hire" right now. I dont think that the interview result has any bearing whatsoever on the individuals ability to fly a jet, or reflect on the personality or quality of the human being. Many great people get turned down, some because they didnt interview well, some because of their inability to sell themselves, some because they didnt gel with the interviewer. Dont take it personally, its just not perfect. While I say that, SWA is a great place to work, and if you havent made it through the interview, its worth trying again. Anything worth doing is worth shooting for again.

Some people are a fit, some arent. Interviews dont always provide the best view of that, so yes, the rest of the process is as important as the one on one with the people department. Play the game, be nice, come fly.

Good post. that explains it in a nutshell.

 

[pipejockey]

Our hiring percentage has always been low

Not to be a wiseguy, but I seriously doubt your statement is true. Back in the late 90s and 2000 when all the career airlines were hiring like mad, I would venture to guess less than 10% of pilots considered SWA their #1 choice. To the other 90%, SWA was the booby prize. Now everyone is going gaga over them like little school girls. SWA management has to know most guys even today would not be interested in them if all the legacies were hiring and the contracts of old were in place. In other words they're all a bunch of fakes. It doesn't matter to me anyway. I won't be sending SWA a resume ever anyway. I don't hide my true feelings to get ahead in life like others. They would see through me as if I were a piece of glass.

 

[cptcrunch]

Not to be a wiseguy, but I seriously doubt your statement is true. Back in the late 90s and 2000 when all the career airlines were hiring like mad, I would venture to guess less than 10% of pilots considered SWA their #1 choice. To the other 90%, SWA was the booby prize. Now everyone is going gaga over them like little school girls. SWA management has to know most guys even today would not be interested in them if all the legacies were hiring and the contracts of old were in place. In other words they're all a bunch of fakes. It doesn't matter to me anyway. I won't be sending SWA a resume ever anyway. I don't hide my true feelings to get ahead in life like others. They would see through me as if I were a piece of glass.

one word for guys like you hater do us a favor dont apply asswipe

 

[pipejockey]

one word for guys like you hater do us a favor dont apply asswipe

Maybe with a little more schooling, you too can put together an understandable sentence. Never give up!

 

[Gorilla]

I seriously apologize if this is a hijack, but this thread reminds me of my own failed Delta interview. This was 1991... the Legacies were hiring like gangbusters. Delta was my first interview outside the military. I'd be interested in opinions, so I can lay my paranoia to rest.

The setup: I felt like the interview went O.K., but not awesome. The pschology dude asked some weird questions. My eyesight was and still is about 20/25, on the ragged edge of the required 20/20. I felt like I missed some of the eye test stuff.

But the weird thing - on the flight home (Delta, of course), they kindly gave me a first-class seat. The #1 said "Would you care for a cocktail" and proceeded to rattle off a list of yummy booze varieties. Hmmm, OK scotch and water, no ice. Thus began my slide not into oblivion but probably too many drinks... I was feeling relieved at having the interview over. Even more strange, a hot non-rev woman, maybe a FA, began to flirt, heavily. I am NOT a chick magnet. Stuff like this didn't happen to me. I ended up tipsy, and amazed that this woman would flirt as hard as she did.

I didn't misbehave at all, just a happy buzz and a beautiful babe on my arm. We carried on like that for 3 hours.

I was not hired. To this day, I wonder if the whole thing was a setup. As in the #1 was handed a clipboard, and told "Shhh, the guy in 3B is a pilot candidate. He is married. See how he behaves with a few drinks in him. Board mail this after the flight."

Paranoia? Or a test? :erm:

 

[1BigRodeo]

Could have been a test, you never know. Hope youre somewhere good now though.

Pipe jockey, hope you find what youre looking for in this industry. We obviously arent a fit for you, and you definitely arent a fit for us. Its not hard to see why so many would rather fly the "Big Iron" overseas, have the long layovers in exotic places. Some of us prefer not to sit around for five to ten hours to get there. I would only like to do that kind of flying from first class with a beverage of MY choosing in hand. Just my .02.

Lets face it, for many young guys this industry has been ruined by those who came before us, both union and management alike. If we were to live by a standard that you leave things better than you found them, Id still aspire to wear the double breasted coat and white hat. In SWA I have found the ability to go to work with people that want the company to succeed, both union and management alike. We do our darndest not to furlough, manage our money, and go the extra mile to treat our customers well. We are capable of these things because our leadership knows that treating us well means we treat others well. If that isnt important to longevity and stability then I dont know what is. This is the mess that deregulation has forced on the business model. We are good at it. No, most of us didnt dream of flying baby poo brown or barney butt purple 737s around the contiguous US for the rest of our careers. Many of us had dreams of military glory, or flying the clipper with 14 hot little "nurses" to chase around Rome or Paris all day. The guys who came before us blew it. Union, management, government. If you find the one guy who you could blame, go ahead and start with him. I dont know where Frank Lorenzo lives, but he might be the antichrist, go blame him.

What I do know is that it takes alot of energy to want, hate, and spew venom. None of the above betters ones lot in life. Best of luck.

 

[canyonblue]

I would venture to guess less than 10% of pilots considered SWA their #1 choice.

I would venture to guess that your wife never considered you her number one choice, how did that work out?

 

[cptcrunch]

Maybe with a little more schooling, you too can put together an understandable sentence. Never give up!

Im sorry you could not understand my reply. I had just returned from the bar when I wrote that. Let me try again, some people use the word "hater" derived from the term "player hater" to describe some asswipe who labels ALL the employs of a successful company fakes out of some sort of jealousy. Hope this helps.