SWA interview prep confusion

[Farscape]

It seems a little confusing the way SWA is telling people to be ready for the interview. On one hand they want you to know the basic questions that would be asked and come in with some level of preparation. On the other hand they don't want you to prep but just come in and be yourself so they can get the best idea of who you are without some canned responses. Knowing the basic questions SWA would ask implies that you prepared and practiced how to answer those questions. SWA seems to be implying that being yourself means just coming in and having a casual conversation about your work/life experience without prior knowledge of the process.
In my opinion the interview demands that you do some preparation and maybe even a prep (Craig Thornton). It really seems that those who will get hired are those that can prepare and be themselves without sounding like a memorized script or canned response. I know that many have said that the process is easy going with no tricks and I believe them. This does'nt mean that they will hire you. The interview is still a minefield to be negotiated with care. Anyway, what do ya' all think.

p.s. no call yet but enjoying life in the mean time.

 

[Snoopy58]

There is good prep, and bad prep.

If somebody is giving you stories to use, that's bad. If you're using stories that are not your own, not told in your own words, or memorized from a script, it will show, and it will hurt you. Don't let somebody prep you that way.

On the other hand, what Rob Beeks did (with great success for his clients, I might add) was to help you present your stories in your words as effectively as possible. Sometimes it's a matter of selection: things that are mundane can reveal as much about you as the greatest "there I was" bar story. If the question is "TMAATT you mediated a dispute between two people," then defusing a situation at your kid's soccer game fits the bill just fine. If they add "during a flight" to the question, not so much. (LISTEN to the question before deciding which story you want to tell!)

Prep can also help you prune away the useless "gee whiz" elements to your stories: if you're talking about your actions in the cockpit, mentioning that "wx was at mins" may be part of the story; a 3 minute recounting of just how awful the weather was may not add anything, and might be better left off.

Prep can give you enough of an insight into the process that things seem less unfamiliar & unexpected. Good prep can give you useful hints to keep you from saying or doing something stupid. One of Rob's bits of advice was to assume that each interviewer was a Captain with (whatever your background wasn't -- military for the civillians interviewees, or vice versa). If the interviewer says "I'm People department" or "I'm an FO," no problem; if you treat one of our female interview captains as if she must be a non-flyer... not smart.

Anyway, that is the sort of thing that the good interview prep services can do for you. You still have to do your homework & have a large bag of stories you can draw from, and be able to tell them in your own words, able to hit the important points without spending time on trivia. Bad prep can & will hurt you, but good prep can be incredibly useful.

Best of luck to all getting ready to interview!

Snoopy

 

[Bill Nelson]

I am not trying to tell anyone what to do. Do what you feel is right for you. BUT... I will tell you that it was pretty obvious that they were referring to the specific guys named above when they told us the spill about Interview preps.

I am not saying don't prepare, but SWA has hired some of these "prep" students in the past and has taken measure as to not do it again.

Please, do what you feel is in your best interest. What do I know anyway, right? I am merely passing on the info we got at the interview. Good luck to everyone.

 

[AlbieF15]

...um...er...uh...

I tend to think I'm in the "good prep" department. However, if anyone wants help and asks about my stuff, I'll send you emails of former clients who are now on at ATA, JB, FedEx, AirTran, and even (yes) SWA.

I'm only as good as my last client, so if you want help on an interview ask your "prepper" for references first. When someone asks me "what can you do for me?", my honest answer is "I don't know...everyone gets something different or is looking for something THEY need help on..." Then I throw some former clients by you to ask yourself. That's not a sales pitch--its just a way of letting a potential interviewee get some insight from someone who has recently gotten some help. If they say "Albie gave me some help and so and so..." and they don't think they need that, fine. If they just want the big picture, I'm sure the former client can provide a nice little Readers Digest version of "stay postive, focus on these things....blah blah". If the potentail client says "hey...maybe this might help me.." then boom...I get someone else at a workshop.

I am 100% convinced, however, that anyone who hears 30-50 folks interview a month can spot a PHONY, FAKE, or FALSE story a mile away. I also they your REAL CHARACTER is hard to mask. So...I don't think I create a "model" client. I cannot speak for Rob or Craig...never had their classes and don't know what their success rates are like. However, if you really want to know how to be successful, I'd ask someone who has been through the process recently and had a positive outcome. Then you can decide for YOURSELF what you think you need to do to prepare. None of this is rocket science--its a first date with 3 people (at SWA) who haven't met you...and you've got 45 minutes or so with each of them to win them over.

Good luck....they need 450-600 new beaus for the dance this year alone!

 

[Resume Writer]

I think if someone preps you with canned answers that are not your own - watch out.

When you get prepped for an interview, it should be designed for you to put your best foot forward, with your stories that relate to what you can bring to the company, in addition to understanding how to answer the situational type interview questions.

I can most certainly vouch for Albie. I had a client who had needed to explain why he was leaving his corporate gig after so many years in position. (most employers have a hard time understanding why a person was leaving a $90k a year job to go work for about $30k) There were some compelling reasons for the move, but wording it in a way that did not put this person in a bad light was difficult at best.

I did not hesitate to call Aaron for a second opinion. His suggestion for an answer was right on target! It did not sound canned because he asked my client what the whole situation was and then helped him to formulate an answer based upon the specific situation.

Just a couple of suggestions for everyone. First, take some notes when you are speaking with someone who is prepping you. You may forget some of the concepts presented.

Second, make your appointment well enough in advance so that you can sit with the information you are taught and then be able to ask questions of your prep person before your interview happens.

Third, think of about 10 good stories that have happened in your "professional" life that would be applicable to the interview questions. When asked about a goal that you have set for yourself, that would be something that could be related in a personal sense. When asked about a situation that you had to handle where the outcome was not what you had hoped, that is a professional story.

Fourth, do not prep with several people. Do your homework, find out who is the best and go with that person. If not, you will just get confused with too much input. Make sure the person you work with has you answer the question in your own words and then helps you by pointing out things that may put you in a trap with the HR people.

Fifth, when you answer the questions in the actual interview, at least LOOK like you are having to think about the answer - do not just spout it off. Have a definite beginning, middle and end to your story. After you are done answering, remember, the HR people are going to remain silent. We do this for a reason - to make you uncomfortable and get you to "confess" more! Just smile and wait for the next question.

These are just my suggestions having sat on the hiring side of the table. I do not proclaim to have all the answers - only from my experience of hiring for so many years in corporate America.

Good luck to everyone!

Kathy

 

[Yahtzee]

I'm not an interview expert, but I would balance the need to "Be Prepared" and the need to "Be yourself". Everyone is different. I also believe there is a great difference between "Being Prepared" and "Being Canned". To me being prepared means having all the required documents (high school diploma, transcripts, etc) before getting a call from SWA. It means having your logbooks and references up to date, and getting new letters of recommendation. Being prepared to me means controlling what you can, and being flexible with the things you can't.

Maybe I'm not laid back enough, but I don't recall ever taking a scheduled test in high school or college without at least a little studying first. I never took a scheduled checkride without preparing in advance, and I'm not smart enough to read something once and remember it for a lifetime so I have to crack open the books more often than most. Just imagine how much worse I would have been had I gone to Auburn? Sorry Albie.

In my experience, there were no games and the interview wasn't a "mine field" to be navigated. Many others had told me... "they want to get to know you". I followed the advice of many SWA friends....and was just me. Did I say things I regretted, and forget to say things I wanted to? Yes. I'm no "Verbal Kint" , so I just told real stories...stories where I did things well and stories where I could have done things better. I made mistakes in the interview and you'll probably make some too. We're human and I believe they want real people not fake ones.

Best Wishes.

Yahtz

 

[JPB]

Well said Yahtzee

Be yourself .
You must be prepared to answer a bunch of questions and you should think about them before the interview . However, I don't think that formulating a full answer is a good idea .
Just think about the subject in general ( Who is the worst guy you have ever flown with ...... you shouldn't have to think how you made it work since you were there. Keep some spontaneity for the interview.
So what if you can't think about an answer ..be yourself and deal "in Live" with a difficult (not really) situation . Say something funny. Take advantage of being outside the box to show who you really are . What kind of crewmember and partner you are going to be when facing the unusual.
Be yourself, have fun and remember: It's all about the LUUUUV
If you make it fun for the interviewer to spend 30 min with you, that should do. It's like.ho ho ho i got it.....no really .......it's here...it's right here...dejavu.....waaaaaaaitttttttt......yes..yes...yes... yes.. yes... YESSSSSSSSSSSSS ...A FIRST DATE.

 

[Resume Writer]

My comments that I made about the HR people were in a general sense, not directed specifically to SWA. I know the comment was made that the interview was not a mine field, however, there are reasons why they ask the questions they do.

After several years of hiring, I cannot tell you how many people would come up with answers that would either be sticking their foot in their mouth or putting themselves in a trap that begged for "the rest of the story." That is why I am saying have a beginning, middle and clear ending to your story. What did you learn or gain from the experience? What was the outcome?

Let's put this in another context. When you first got your driver's license, did you practice driving? Most people do. Were you prepared for every situation that the examiner could throw at you? Maybe or maybe not. Did you ask your other friends what experience they had? Probably. Did you practice parallel parking or just wing it? I see interview prep as no different; the concept is the same. You get all the knowledge you can, you practice and then you go take your test (interview).

Of course they want to see how you really are in every day life. As I have said in previous posts, they want to see if you are someone they could see flying with on a 4-day trip. Interview prep should be viewed as getting some insight into the process and knowing what types of things to expect. Your answers should always be your own; not something canned.

I was giving my HR perspective on this. I would way rather see someone who is on the ball and knows who they are and what to expect than someone who fumbles and had no preparation at all. But that is just me!

Kathy

 

[AlbieF15]

I generally don't gloat, but went 13/14 for May Jetblue phase I successes.

Want some prep? Great. Ask for references. I've heard good things about SWA prep, Beeks, and others but you need to ASK THE CLIENTS if it was worth the time/money/effort.

Results speak for themselves. If your coach has a good track record, you'll know. If he/she is reluctant to steer you towards RECENT successes, then look elsewhere.

Do you have to have a coach? No. More get hired without them than with them when looking at raw numbers. I didn't use a coach, and I got hired by JetBlue and FedEx (my only interviews). Recently Catfish has been bending the boards ears, and as far as I know he used only his steely Navy nerves to prep for his big days.

By the same token, before you suggest someone "go in cold", take a look at the percentages. Everyone is an individual, but if the off the street numbers are 50-60%, and those who got some help are averaging 80-90+%, you might want to at least consider what a good coach might offer your friends who are interviewing.

And the corollary to that is if you don't prepare and take it seriously, either with or without a coach, know you will be walking into a room full of folks who have absolutely busted their tails to be on their A game. As they say in a fighter squadron..."don't bring it weak..." There are some folks in the interview who are deadly serious about getting the job, and they are fired up, sharp, and ready to go.