As those who are interested in Southwest know phone calls for one week of Nov interviews & a couple of weeks of Dec interviews have been going out. That of course is great news for those who got the call & for those waiting....you're further up the food chain in getting the next round of calls.
I don't know if all of Dec has been filled yet but even if it has here are some thoughts on what to do when that phone call comes from the PD regardless of whether you get the call for Dec or sometime in the future. The first inclination is to take the first available interview date they offer. Sometimes the PD calls with a specific date in mind to fill up slots that are vacant, i.e. x Dec or xx Dec date. Sometimes they give you a broad range of dates. Should one take the first date? What happens if I turn down this month, will they offer me one for next month if I can't do it for next month? What are your options & which day should you choose?
First of all one must ask oneself "am I ready to interview right now?" In other words do you have all the paperwork (logbook, references, documents, letters of references, etc....there is much more than just these, don't be fooled) ready to go. Additionally have you done the things you need to do to "prepare" for the interview? What does that mean? Have you reviewed your flying career & recalled the stories that will make up the bulk of the interview time? Have you done your homework on the "culture" behind Southwest & are you familiar with its history and leadership? Keep in mind that Southwest will be sending you additional info that will need to be filled out properly. It will take a day or so for that to arrive & then more time to fill it out properly. All of this & more takes time. If you've collected the necessary info in advance it isn't a big deal...if you haven't, it may take awhile. There can be much more but these are the basics in my view.
Don't be quick with your answers because if you fool yourself & aren't adequately prepared & fail to get hired (possibly for not being prepared) you will have to wait for 12 months before you can apply again & probably another 6 months after that before you get another call due to the number of folks who will be waiting for a call. If you take that first available date you MUST BE READY or your next time in the on deck circle will be awhile.
Secondly, if you believe by taking an early interview that you are doing Southwest a favor & in turn "they" will understand that when it comes to the interview....sorry, bad logic. The PD are great folks and are offering you a slot because it is "your turn"...you're not offending them or hurting their feelings if you can't take that date due to short notice...you wouldn't take a checkride if you weren't prepared...don't take an interview that could be life changing unless you are ready either. The folks at the interview won't know any of the "reasons" why you are there on the day you interview....no freebies for filling an interview slot. The PD will level with you about available dates & the option to interview for the next month (again no guarantees in this business & the risk is there may not be interviews the next month...reality 101 in this business) may or may not be available. Stack the deck in your favor & don't swim upstream if you don't have to.
What happens if you ask for a later date? The PD will look at their calendar & answer honestly if there are any more & what they are...if there are no other slots & you don't won't to wait until the next month....we'll you've made your decision...I don't encourage you to not take the only available date but one MUST be ready to go on a short notice.......don't assume that since you are just putting in your resume you won't get called for several months....it doesn't always happen that way so be a Boy Scout...BE PREPARED! Asking if you can be slipped to the next month is not a taboo question....if they say yes then you're in there, if they say no then you have your answer also. Again if you're ready, a short notice call is no big deal....if you're not, it can be a HUGE deal.
Don't try to read a lot into this post.....most folks (including me) were waiting for the call, hoped it would come & were happy to get one. I purposedly delayed my interview one month because it lined up with my vacation schedule thus giving me the necessary time off to prepare. Did they work with me then? Obviously. Did I lose some seniority due to that decision? Yes & most everyone will yell "seniority is everything"....well folks it is only everything if you're hired...if they don't hire you the seniority issue is moot.
Good luck to all of those who are coming up to interview....the DB for the folks this month will probably not be until after Christmas so don't get wrapped around the axle about when..."patience young Luke..."
Continue to stack the deck in your favor & do the things you need to do to prepare. Most of all enjoy the experience during your interview, take advantage of the entire experience and take the time to enjoy the smells, sounds, and impressions of the Southwest culture in Dallas. Have a great weekend.
I don't know if all of Dec has been filled yet but even if it has here are some thoughts on what to do when that phone call comes from the PD regardless of whether you get the call for Dec or sometime in the future. The first inclination is to take the first available interview date they offer. Sometimes the PD calls with a specific date in mind to fill up slots that are vacant, i.e. x Dec or xx Dec date. Sometimes they give you a broad range of dates. Should one take the first date? What happens if I turn down this month, will they offer me one for next month if I can't do it for next month? What are your options & which day should you choose?
First of all one must ask oneself "am I ready to interview right now?" In other words do you have all the paperwork (logbook, references, documents, letters of references, etc....there is much more than just these, don't be fooled) ready to go. Additionally have you done the things you need to do to "prepare" for the interview? What does that mean? Have you reviewed your flying career & recalled the stories that will make up the bulk of the interview time? Have you done your homework on the "culture" behind Southwest & are you familiar with its history and leadership? Keep in mind that Southwest will be sending you additional info that will need to be filled out properly. It will take a day or so for that to arrive & then more time to fill it out properly. All of this & more takes time. If you've collected the necessary info in advance it isn't a big deal...if you haven't, it may take awhile. There can be much more but these are the basics in my view.
Don't be quick with your answers because if you fool yourself & aren't adequately prepared & fail to get hired (possibly for not being prepared) you will have to wait for 12 months before you can apply again & probably another 6 months after that before you get another call due to the number of folks who will be waiting for a call. If you take that first available date you MUST BE READY or your next time in the on deck circle will be awhile.
Secondly, if you believe by taking an early interview that you are doing Southwest a favor & in turn "they" will understand that when it comes to the interview....sorry, bad logic. The PD are great folks and are offering you a slot because it is "your turn"...you're not offending them or hurting their feelings if you can't take that date due to short notice...you wouldn't take a checkride if you weren't prepared...don't take an interview that could be life changing unless you are ready either. The folks at the interview won't know any of the "reasons" why you are there on the day you interview....no freebies for filling an interview slot. The PD will level with you about available dates & the option to interview for the next month (again no guarantees in this business & the risk is there may not be interviews the next month...reality 101 in this business) may or may not be available. Stack the deck in your favor & don't swim upstream if you don't have to.
What happens if you ask for a later date? The PD will look at their calendar & answer honestly if there are any more & what they are...if there are no other slots & you don't won't to wait until the next month....we'll you've made your decision...I don't encourage you to not take the only available date but one MUST be ready to go on a short notice.......don't assume that since you are just putting in your resume you won't get called for several months....it doesn't always happen that way so be a Boy Scout...BE PREPARED! Asking if you can be slipped to the next month is not a taboo question....if they say yes then you're in there, if they say no then you have your answer also. Again if you're ready, a short notice call is no big deal....if you're not, it can be a HUGE deal.
Don't try to read a lot into this post.....most folks (including me) were waiting for the call, hoped it would come & were happy to get one. I purposedly delayed my interview one month because it lined up with my vacation schedule thus giving me the necessary time off to prepare. Did they work with me then? Obviously. Did I lose some seniority due to that decision? Yes & most everyone will yell "seniority is everything"....well folks it is only everything if you're hired...if they don't hire you the seniority issue is moot.
Good luck to all of those who are coming up to interview....the DB for the folks this month will probably not be until after Christmas so don't get wrapped around the axle about when..."patience young Luke..."
Continue to stack the deck in your favor & do the things you need to do to prepare. Most of all enjoy the experience during your interview, take advantage of the entire experience and take the time to enjoy the smells, sounds, and impressions of the Southwest culture in Dallas. Have a great weekend.
Last edited:
