FlyCRJ.com

There is a big secret in the airline interview, but I’m not going to tell you what it is. Not yet anyway. I’m going to let Jason from Flightdeck Consulting tell you what it is. If you’ve been following along, this is the third article in a series of five from Jason at Flightdeck Consulting.

Jason has graciously volunteered to contribute his knowledge and expertise to this blog to help you get through your airline interview. If you missed the first two articles, here they are:

• Airline Interview Series by Flightdeck Consulting – Part 1 of 5
• Airline Interview – Part 2 of 5 – Structuring Your Answers

Anyway, I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I’ll just let Jason take it from here…

_____

Airline Interview – The Big Airline Interview Secret – Part 3

by Flightdeck Consulting

I’m going to let you on a little secret this week, be prepared, because this is going to shock you! Wait for it…

That representative from Human Resources, sitting opposite you in your interview room, doesn’t care whether you can fly an airplane or not!

That’s right! You made it this far, they know you can fly an airplane. They are not interested whether you’re military trained, went to a prestigious aviation university, have thousands of hours flying turbo props, or failed your last check ride…they are simply interested in you, the person.

So with that said, “Be prepared…or prepare to FAIL!”

With that in mind how do we prepare for that one question that is absolutely guaranteed to be asked?

“So <your name>, why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?”

By its very nature this question is usually first up and although usually thought of as an “Ice Breaker,” nothing can be further from the truth. They are trying to find out who you are.

Knowing that you are going to face this one first up, how are you going to structure your answer so as to engage and interest your audience to the point that they like you and the job is virtually in the bag?

Remember the old saying about first impressions? The interviewers will form an opinion of you in that vital first couple of minutes that will be virtually impossible to reverse if you get it wrong. Impossible! In our coaching session at Flighdeck Consulting, we spend approximately 40% of our time on this one question alone. That’s the level of importance we place on making sure our clients nail this answer.

Before we get started, a word of warning. Don’t mention anything that might be considered even slightly controversial. Are you listening?

If you say, “In my spare time, I help raise funds for the Republican Party!” even if it’s true and you are extremely passionate about it, those could be your final words before the executioner flicks the switch!

And here are a few more ”DO NOT’s”:

- Mention religion (even if you’re the Pope or the Dali Lama)
- Mention political affiliations
- Mention union association
- Mention extreme sports
- Mention medical conditions
- Mention prior terminations

If they do ask, but they shouldn’t, find a way to casually side-step the answer without offending. You are not here to debate but to get an airline job. Stay calm, smile, and try to move the interview forward.

OK, with that out of the way lets get on with putting together your answer. We encourage you to use what we call a “closed loop” response using the following guidelines:

Start off with a quick introduction of yourself, your interests (excluding the ones mentioned above), and the current position you hold.

Then go all the way back to the beginning of your interest in aviation, leading into your first job, and subsequent career.

Try to balance your answer with a 50/50 split between your aviation career and your interests. Remember, the interviewers are looking for a “well-rounded” person.

Bring your story to a close with a brief summary of your current employment. This is referred to as closing the “loop.”

Here’s an example:

“My name is Chuck Yeager. I am 28 years old, married and the father of two young girls. I am a keen fisherman and enjoy keeping fit by cycling and chasing around after my girls. I am currently employed as a Dash 8 First Officer with Central Plains Airlines. After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 2002, I completed my commercial pilots license at Proflite Flying School in California and was immediately employed as a flight instructor. In 2004 I relocated to Phoenix to take up a First Officer position on a Brasilia with Phoenix Air Charter. Unfortunately, shortly after my initial line check, the company went into liquidation. To support my family I undertook casual waiting jobs at night while pursuing flying jobs by day. In December 2006, I was offered and accepted a position with Central Plains Airlines in Arizona on the Metroliner and have worked my way up to the position of First Officer on the Dash 8-400.”

Notice, we started with your current job, you gave a brief history of yourself, and ended with your current job. Be articulate, deliver your answer with passion and enthusiasm, be succinct, smile, and make eye contact with everyone in the room. This will allow a positive environment to be set for the remainder of your interview.

Practicing this is essential! Essential!

Next week we are going to cover the deal breaker question, “So, Chuck, why do you want to work for our company?’

Flightdeck Consulting are world leaders in providing interview coaching to airline pilots. Through their On-Line Courses, One on One Interview Coaching and DVD’s, they have helped hundreds of pilots worldwide achieve their dream of becoming an airline pilot.

_____

OK, was that cool or what? I remember when I went through my airline interview with ExpressJet, TransStates, and SkyWest, I used these exact techniques. I was offered jobs at each airline. You are next. You could be offered that airline job too, but remember, these things that Jason is talking about are important and there are a lot more things that you have to consider.

To Your Interview Success,

Jeffrey

Be Sociable, Share!

•