smellthejeta
The plane I solo'd in
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2003
- Posts
- 588
Now that Air Wisconsin is taking over the UAX flying at IAD, I decided to humor myself and go interview for ground staff positions that they have open.
Sometime, interviewers ask plane out dumb questions that invite lies or suggest a scripted answer where it is obvious that "the truth" is not the appropriate answer.
First hand, I now feel the frustration a pilot has when he has to start over at a new company, even within the same "system." It flat out sucks to be told that your experience, knowledge, and training will bring you absolutely nothing extra.
At my first airline job, the interview was non existent (touch tone prescreen, no live "in person" questions) and really just a pulse check. This time around, the interview was actually quite legit. Having experience in this industry makes it rather amusing to listen to the "fluff" and the slant HR puts on things. This woman wasn't too bad, actually. A little better than ACA putting ads in the Wash Post advertising their "United Express" affiliation.
To start, Whisky's ground staff took concessions just like every other labor group. They advertise a rate of something like $9.42 per hour, but in reality it will be $9.25 per hour because of the contract concessions.
She asks me how many days I called in sick this year, and I made up some smal number. To be honest, if I admit to using the company's allowed sick time, I get in trouble. However, my company DOES offer sick time as a "benefit" and I should be able to make full use of my benefits.
Another question she asked me was "tell me about a time you were short staffed." I believe I told her that I could tell her about a time when we actaully had full staff. Like the day after 9/11 and then management gave out voluntary leave and we were back to being short again. Or the best answer I could come up with: "we did absolutely nothing, because if we made all of our bags and on-times, then management would think we could do just fine with the short staff and that would now become the status quo.
The NRSA flying benefits are all fine and good, on $9/hr, affording a hotel room is difficult. After 9/11, security no longer allows an NRSA to sleep at an airport, so making use of those NRSA travel benefits becomes more difficult.
Then, having seen my resume, she asks, " are you comfortable with the physical requirements?" Uh, look lady. That would be an unqualified yes.
Oh, and if I ever hear the words "we pay competitive for the regional airline industry" one more time, I'm gonna scream.
Anything else to add?
Sometime, interviewers ask plane out dumb questions that invite lies or suggest a scripted answer where it is obvious that "the truth" is not the appropriate answer.
First hand, I now feel the frustration a pilot has when he has to start over at a new company, even within the same "system." It flat out sucks to be told that your experience, knowledge, and training will bring you absolutely nothing extra.
At my first airline job, the interview was non existent (touch tone prescreen, no live "in person" questions) and really just a pulse check. This time around, the interview was actually quite legit. Having experience in this industry makes it rather amusing to listen to the "fluff" and the slant HR puts on things. This woman wasn't too bad, actually. A little better than ACA putting ads in the Wash Post advertising their "United Express" affiliation.
To start, Whisky's ground staff took concessions just like every other labor group. They advertise a rate of something like $9.42 per hour, but in reality it will be $9.25 per hour because of the contract concessions.
She asks me how many days I called in sick this year, and I made up some smal number. To be honest, if I admit to using the company's allowed sick time, I get in trouble. However, my company DOES offer sick time as a "benefit" and I should be able to make full use of my benefits.
Another question she asked me was "tell me about a time you were short staffed." I believe I told her that I could tell her about a time when we actaully had full staff. Like the day after 9/11 and then management gave out voluntary leave and we were back to being short again. Or the best answer I could come up with: "we did absolutely nothing, because if we made all of our bags and on-times, then management would think we could do just fine with the short staff and that would now become the status quo.
The NRSA flying benefits are all fine and good, on $9/hr, affording a hotel room is difficult. After 9/11, security no longer allows an NRSA to sleep at an airport, so making use of those NRSA travel benefits becomes more difficult.
Then, having seen my resume, she asks, " are you comfortable with the physical requirements?" Uh, look lady. That would be an unqualified yes.
Oh, and if I ever hear the words "we pay competitive for the regional airline industry" one more time, I'm gonna scream.
Anything else to add?
