When Swa Does Start Interviews...

[thebluto]

When SWA does start interviewing again, how many interviews will they do and in what timespan? Any idea how many will be interviewed? To put it another way: How long will it take to interview all of the 600+ folks in the stack with type-ratings? Is there a certain number of interviews they can do in one month?

 

[madjack]

Check airman on jumpseat was saying that SWA will interview many (11,000 apps) to fill 500 seats in the next 1 1/2 years. Maybe finally some growth at SWA. Get that type rating.

madjack

 

[thebluto]

GOT IT

Madjack: Thanks for the advice.

Got the type, got the 1000 pic turbine, got the blue suit and red tie, I'm current and still flying, just waiting for the pool to dry up and the call for an interview. I guess my big question was how many interviews can SWA conduct in a given period of time? 100 a month, 400 a month? Any ideas out there?

 

[chase]

Some thoughts

While the pool of current folks awaiting class is still 200+, I've heard more rumblings lately that interviewing may start back again shortly after the summer timeframe, sooner than what I thought but of course no guarantee.

However, the numbers of fully qualified (with types) that are sitting awaiting for the interview call is in the 600+ range. Approximately 3500 + total applicants of all folks are on file. SWA projects to interview slightly less than 1000 folks to fill the required need for next year's (04) hiring. This will probably drain the current apps w/types but if you don't have a type (& you've applied already) then the wait will be later in the year ('04) or the following year ('05) to get the call. Having the type will get you to the "call for interview" assuming everything else is kosher, quicker to interview than without a type but at some point those without types will get the call because the required number of interviews (based upon the projections of new aircraft, pilot retirements, etc. see other thread on this topic under my name) will only be going up in the later years ('05-'12).

Assuming a 1:5 or 1:4 ratio of new hires over interviewees, the prospect of over 100 interviews per month beginning in '05 is realistic. Folks who haven't even discovered this board will be on interviewed during that timeframe. Folks who are reading this now who meet the requirements + have a type + already are awaiting a call, will for sure be interviewed within the 12 months & maybe even later this year. Folks reading this now, who have all all the requirements to include the type but who haven't applied yet (window is close) will most likely get interviewed next year which should be good news. Folks reading this now who have all the requirements except for the type but haven't applied yet will be behind the 3500 + current apps. My best guess is you won't be interviewed until sometime in '05 if the numbers hold true. How to move yourself up? Get the type.

Again I will caveat all of this to say as I always do, no one really knows. Lots of things can change all of these predictions, war, terrorist attacks, economy, etc. Lots of air guessing going on & cyber junk thought, no science to it.

Additionally, to those who may deduce that even those without types will get a call one day for an interview so the type requirement may go away again, yes that is true. So one will have spent money on a type when it wasn't required for the interview.

That statement above is correct but the question is when will this occur. Opening up the app window to those w/o types at some point will occur in the future. This won't happen though IMHO anytime within the next 18-24 months. So in the mean time one can wait (which maybe smart economically depending on the circumstances) & know that SWA isn't in your future for that period of time or decide to get a type & be ready to go when the window opens up and be in the smaller pool of those with types vs. those without types. REMEMBER: There is no guarantee of being hired with a type over those without types when everything is stacked together so please don't read anything into my comments above. Always have plans to have several irons in the fire, not just SWA.

To those who say "hey chase is promoting getting a type". Yes, if you're serious about trying to make yourself competitive for SWA. To fully disclose, I am an instructor at HPA & while I haven't taught in quite awhile & receive no monetary gain except for when I teach (which isn't often which is good for the students there . Regardless of that fact, I still stand behind my thoughts but please don't put your family or yourself in a financial crisis over the ramblings of forum poster...never good advice.

My desire is not drum up business for type schools but to provide info to readers on how best to plan for a future with SWA. SWA is not your average airline company & personality match is important. None of us believe we are jerks but we can all identify the one's we've flown with. This can & does come across in interviews. Look in the mirror & determine for yourself if you think you meet the criteria (again obviously there are exceptions because they let me in!) Not all of us are are comfortable at interviews either. Is one mentally prepared to be turned down & go after it again? If you can't answer yes than you may wish to reconsider going through the mental anquish of applying & getting turned down. You must decide for yourself if this road is worth going down. I have no secret formulas or insight other than what I hear & see. Hope it has helped.

 

[SFR]

I always wonder what is competitive? It can't be flight time. All of us pilots honestly know that there is no difference between 3,000 hours and 10,000. If you are a good pilot at 3,000, you probably will be at 10K. Vice versa too! If you are bad with 3K, another 7K won'y help much.

Also, if it is flight time that makes someone competitive, where would the line be drawn. My point on this is that it is relative. A 20K hour pilot may think the 10K hour pilot is a low timer, and so on.

Someone may say "I have 5000 PIC turbine, therefore I am more competitve than the 1000 PIC turbine guy". If people actually think that they are rediculous. I have flown with people that had 11,000 hours in the left seat of the Brasilia and still knew nothing about it or how to handle it.

I just wonder what compeitive is? College I guess is one item. Good driving record? What else? (Good Personality is required)

Thanks

 

[C-21Pilot]

Has anyone heard of any upcoming interviews on the 19th and 20th of May?

 

[chazman]

no... Have you... I think if there were interview rumors at SWA this board would be humming...

Chaz

 

[kelbill]

Don't quote me, but as for May interview rumors, I think there won't be any. About a month ago the company officially came out on the website we use to check e-mail and bid and said no more thru the end of the year. As for Chase suggesting the type, I agree. I got it where he teaches, HPA in Dallas, and you can bet you stand out better in the interview if you have the type. Why? Because you must **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** well want to work here if you blew that much coin. Also, don't sweat the red tie/blue suit thing. Wear a SWA tie if you got it, just don't look like a bum. If you look like this isn't the most important interview of your airline career, it shows. That was a paraphrase from an interviewer captain I flew with.

 

[thebluto]

COMPETITIVE

Lindsey Lang told me to be competitive, you must:

1. Have a type rating.

2. Be current.

3. Be upgrading.

 

[reepicheep]

"Be upgrading"

Doesn't bode well for me or any of my fellow US Airways hopefulls.

 

[roughneck]

"Be Upgrading"

I think that she means that you are showing progression through your career. They want to see ambition and see that your employer has faith in your abilities (upgrades).

That is what I have been told by some SWA interviewers.

 

[CaptWidgeon]

Bluto,
don't necessarily think you need a red tie. the tie i had had tropical fish and coral on it. it was dark blue with bright colored ocean type fish and some coral. for a bright tie i thought it was somewhat "tasteful". i guess my interviewers didn't mind it either since they hired me, in fact the people dept girl said she liked it. think outside the box a little.

best of luck. are you from the lawrence area? i'm a kck dot who's been transplanted to dallas. spent a year at KU though before heading south.