His question? How to turn down politely the interview that could offer him a viable, if not long-term, flying position - without burning any bridges. We figured out the correct approach, which we'll share later, but the key to dealing with this situation is to avoid it in the first place.
"Well, of course," you are saying, "but common sense says to never to put all your eggs in one basket. Shouldn't you apply to as many places as possible?" The answer is an ambiguous "not necessarily."
More than 20 years ago it was a safe approach to apply to every airline at the same time because airlines offered fairly similar pay, working conditions, and financial stability. With deregulation and increased competition this is no longer true.
As my client did, it's fairly easy to list airlines from most to least desirable. All you have to do is review the airlines' financial reports, aircraft orders, time to upgrade, and pay structure to figure out which airlines offer the best opportunity for a successful, long-term career.
The problem arises when you're ready to apply to the majors. You must decide whether to apply to the "middle" major carriers, those airlines that have a solid history but are perhaps in a period of financial uncertainty. These are not the airlines you feel could offer you a viable job until retirement, but a job with them would be more desirable than with a historically weak or start-up carrier. Besides, the experience you'd gain could dramatically increase your marketability.
The answer to this sticky problem of deciding which airlines to apply to is to set priorities.
Let's say you're a pilot flying for a regional airline, and you're ready to apply to the majors. Your application list might include five of the stronger carriers and five of the struggling airlines. Your first goal would be to research the hiring plans of all the first-choice airlines. If you learn that they are currently hiring at a strong pace, or will start hiring in the near future, then it's imperative to apply to them as soon as possible.
If your current job is fairly secure you might decide not to apply to your second-choice airlines until you get some response from the first-choice carriers. To gauge the possibility of getting an interview you need to network with pilot friends and read information from pilot research groups that publish statistics on recent pilot new-hires.
If you don't get an interview after three or four months, you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Would it be a step up to work for a major carrier that had an unstable future versus staying at a commuter or small corporate job? If accepting a job with a struggling major carrier would offer new experiences that would make you more marketable in the long-term, the answer might be yes. If your current position is stable and gives PIC, jet time, or crew experience, the answer might be no. Your decision depends on your circumstances.
If you're finishing your flight instruction career and are ready to apply to a commuter or regional airline, your decisions won't be so daunting. A number of good commuter and regional airlines offer the experience and flight time you need to progress to the majors. But in this job search you want to set priorities by different criteria.
Major carriers are interested in multiengine and PIC time, so you need to pay close attention to the regionals' upgrade possibilities and the types of aircraft they fly. Also, make sure you talk with pilots who currently work for the commuter/regional airlines you apply to. Are they happy there? Is the company concerned about its employees? Does the company take pilots seriously?
No matter what stage your career is in, a word of caution. Every airline spends thousands of dollars to train its new pilots. It is unfair and unprofessional to go through training, then quit to accept another job. Also, you must realize that your behavior could affect someone else's career. For example, a struggling carrier hires five pilots from the same commuter airline. Of the five, three quit within a year. Be assured the next time someone from that commuter applies, the airline that lost the three pilots will be wary. Is this fair? I don't know, but it's reality.
Another potential problem is your employer recommendation. If you leave without proper notice, and perhaps right out of training, what kind of recommendation do you think your employer will give you?
I had a client who was caught in this trap. He didn't respect his job with a struggling carrier. When the strong airline he'd interviewed with was doing its background check, the pilot didn't receive a glowing recommendation from his current employer - and it retracted the job offer. Luckily he was able to repair the damage with his current employer, which allowed him to continue flying for it. However, he learned a valuable lesson the hard way.
In any pilot job search you must research the companies, learn about their hiring trends, and then set your employment priorities. For the majors you might base your priorities on financial stability, upgrade time, pay, and aircraft orders. For a commuter or regional you might want to base your priorities on upgrade possibilities, types of aircraft flown, and industry reputation.
Finally, be realistic. Revisit your job search plan monthly and stay current on industry trends. Change your approach when necessary. Don't be rigid and focus on only one carrier for a long time.
How did the applicant turn down the interview without making a bad impression? Fortunately, he was in line to upgrade to captain with his current employer.
He told the interviewing company he felt it was important to gain some experience in this position so he'd be as competitive as possible when he interviewed with them. He was able to defer his interview. Although he'd worked for his current employer for more than three years, to maintain a positive recommendation he made a commitment to continue in their employment for at least six months after upgrading.
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