Career Adviser: Pearls of wisdom

» A: First, the internet is crammed with information, known as “the gouge,” on airline interviews. Much of the scoop is pretty good. Of course, there is nothing like picking the brain of a new hire at a major airline to get the inside story.

Also, I fly quite a bit on Delta because my home is near one of its major hubs. Recently I sat next to a former chief pilot who is one of the hiring interviewers for the company. Not only did I bend his ear for more than an hour, but just last week I came across a Delta recruiter as well. What I am sharing is unofficial, but I walked away with some keen insights for readers aiming for a pilot position with a major airline.

What puts applicants over the top? The recruiter mentioned the word altruism.Delta’s interview process takes multiple days and is complex. There is a battery of tests, an interview with a psychologist-type, and a panel interview with human resources personnel and captains. As you can imagine, many highly qualified applicants have a lot of time and an airline transport pilot certificate, show good interviewing skills, and do very well on tests. But, what puts applicants over the top?

The recruiter mentioned the word altruism. He said the company is looking for the kind of pilot who, when he sees a lost or confused mom with kids in the terminal, will go out of his way to help.

The captain said to me, “When we see that an applicant is involved with Habitat for Humanity, the Boys Club, Big Sisters of America; well, that is a ‘bell ringer’ for us.” A membership in Women in Aviation International and attending its conferences is also good, showing engagement and support.

One does not become a good citizen a week before the interview. It is a lifestyle. I wonder how many aviation colleges, academies, and flight schools emphasize to future aviation professionals the need to be a good citizen.

Here are a couple of other tidbits gleaned from my conversations:

Never have a gap in flying without good cause. The captain recalled an interview with a chap who had a two-year gap in flying. Of course, he was questioned hard: Why did he stop flying? The applicant told how his wife’s father, who owned a family business, had struggled with cancer. With nobody else in the family to run the business, the applicant gave up his flying job through his father-in-law’s death. When the pilot sold off the business and liquidated the assets, he resumed flying. The captain said the entire interview panel was a little misty-eyed. The guy got the job.

Finally, be courteous and don’t do something stupid. The captain was in the midst of an interview when the applicant’s cellphone rang. The guy got up, said, “I got to take this,” and walked out of the room. When the applicant returned he was asked about it and he said, “Oh, nothing important.” The interview ended right there.

Getting the job at a major airline may be more dependent upon the kind of person you are than time in a logbook or a score on a test. Start preparing now for that ultimate step up the career ladder.

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