Let's start by being honest here. Many people don't like interviews. You can just imagine: nervous candidates sat in a quiet room making occasional small talk. Sweaty palms. Someone in the corner madly revising from their copious notes saying "Do any of you know the share price from this morning, I seem to have forgotten it?" Add to that the fact that everyone else looks very smart indeed, and probably knows more than you (it's easy to talk yourself down when in the company of your competitors), you didn't sleep well last night and you hear that these interviewers are really bad cop bad cop! Not really conducive to getting the best out of people is it?
Well, we can work on all those problems. Interviews should not be terrifying experiences; an interview should be an open, relaxed exchange of information between an employer with a vacancy to fill and a candidate who wants the job. The challenge that all good employers should accept is to make the candidate feel as welcome and relaxed as possible, as they need to see the real candidate, not a bag of nerves.
So, let's work through some FAQs about pilot sponsorship/flying school entrance/first flying job interviews. Depending on how much time you have before your interview, work through the following and pick out the areas that you think will help you most. Throughout the Q and A session below, we will refer to external books, magazines and articles. You'll find the suggested books on the hyperlinks below, or through the Jetscreen Online Store.
Q. Why do airlines and flying schools interview pilot candidates?
A. Commercial Airline Pilots hold enormous responsibilities on their shoulders during their working lives, and the companies that train and employ them must ensure that they are selecting the right people for the job. To recruit the correct people, airlines use a battery of tests that could include any or all of: psychometric tests, psychological profile, mathematics, English as a second language, English comprehension, Physics Theory, Aircraft Technical Tests, Medical Examination and Simulator Tests.
Should a candidate pass all of these tests, then it is likely that they will be invited for one, two, or maybe more, interviews. The interviews are designed to give the employer the chance to meet the candidate, and to discuss their application further. The interview gives the interviewers the chance to see the human that wants to join them, and to talk, face-to-face, about the applicant's motivation, experience and suitability for the role in question. It is also an opportunity to expand on any responses given to prior questioning, and for interviewers to 'plug any gaps' that may exist in a candidate's work history or understanding of the role they are applying for. In the eyes of the employer, the interview should be confirmation that the candidate, having passed all prior tests, is right for the job. For the first recommended book, we suggest you buy Irv Jasinski's excellent guide to airline interviews. It is packed with information and sample questions, and if you buy only one of our recommendations, make it this one.
Q. How should I prepare for an interview?
A. Start with your application form/s, and think about what questions were asked of you. It is likely that you will be asked to either expand on the answers you gave to them, or give further examples to the same questions. The areas you should focus on revising/learning about will vary but will be designed around a series of topics, that may be something like:
• Experience - how much flying experience do you have, how was it gained, who paid for it, what has each phase of training/job taught you.
• Motivation - why did you become a pilot/why do you want to be a pilot? How did your interest start, and how do you maintain it? How do you see your flying career progressing?
• Management/Leadership - often go hand-in-hand, but are quite distinct and separate. What evidence can you give of your competence as a manager and leader? (NB - pilots are not recruited as First Officers, but as Captains in training; Captains must both manage and lead).
• Business Awareness - what do you know of this industry? How did you find this out? Are you a pilot at work and that is all, or do you read manuals/books/reports/magazines related to aviation in your spare time.
• Social Life - no-one can just work work work! How do you relax, who do you relax with, what pursuits do you have other than flying?
Once you have prepared for the interview according to the application process questions, you can expand into other fields of Human Resources (HR) by looking through generic interviewing books. Be careful though, pre-prepared answers are obvious and good interviewers will have read 'Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions' too, and may know what the 'suggested' answer is. Best bet? Just be honest.
Here you will find some free, online selections of interview questions. By no means should you prepare answers for all of them (it is unnecessary and would take an age) but dip in and out of these question banks to get a feel for interviews:
BusinessBalls.com - an enormous site, with free interview and selection questions.
Interview Questions and Answers - free, online interview question site.
Job Interview Questions - large site, lots of information.
BBC's One Life Interview Section - excellent, free, online resource from the renowned Radio 1 One Life Series.
You will also find books with interview questions and answers in our Jetscreen Pilot Shop:
Pilot Interview Books
Interview Skills Books
Irv Jasinski's Airline Pilot Interviews Book
You should also spend a lot of time researching the flying school/airline you are applying to. This should be obvious, as there are many choices when it comes to paying for flight training, and also when selecting the company that is to benefit from your time and effort as an employee. make sure that you know the company you are applying to, where it came from and where it's going, and exactly what you are getting yourself in for. It is an unwritten rule that you do not ask how much something (type rating) will cost, or what you will be paid, as any good candidate will have prepared this already. You might even be asked how much you think you will be paid, or be expected to pay for a bond!
Lastly, you must prepare yourself mentally, emotionally and physically. You need to do your reading as above, and talk to people in the airline/flight school already to get their opinions and share their knowledge. You must also plan the logistics of your interview, ie - how you will get there and how the day/s will run, and ensure that you are sufficiently rested and well fed. It might be a good idea the night before to have a pizza and cola for dinner, but if you are kept up all night due to stodgy food and caffeine then you won't be able to concentrate the next day!
Q. What should I wear?
A. With one or two exceptions - some low-cost airlines we know of - the rule of thumb for airline/flight school interviews is simple and smart. The word 'conservative' may only make you think politics, but it explains interview attire well: classic, not outlandish, not overly modern would all do as well. Sound a bit old, a bit fuddy-duddy? Well, our only advice is to think that you will be expected to hold a responsible position if you succeed at interview, and more than likely will be expected to wear a uniform that resembles a suit. LIke it or not, passengers and other company employees make judgments based on the appearance of pilots and it is standard for them to look smart and presentable. Specifically, here are some tips that reinforce our advice, from Recruitment Agency Adecco:
• Choose the best quality clothes you can afford. One good suit in navy or grey worn with a white or light blue shirt is a good start (although women can interpret this more freely than men.)
• Men should wear dark socks and well-polished shoes. Women should usually wear shoes with a closed toe and heel.
• Aim for clean lines with a minimum of decoration, restricting splashes of colour to your tie, scarf or blouse.
• If you wear jewellery, make sure that it is understated and discreet.
• Perfume and aftershave should be used in small amounts, if at all.
• Details matter. Hands, hairstyle and make-up should be simple and meticulous, and good personal hygiene - including clean nails and fresh breath - is vital.
Q. How can I make a good impression from the start?
A. This one is easy! Just treat everybody you encounter as your future colleague. You wouldn't start a new job and be rude or discourteous to your new workmates, so why would you do it to someone involved in recruiting you? Believe it or not, some applicants still think it acceptable to give short shrift to receptionists, recruitment call centre staff and even fellow candidates. Quite simply, it's not on!
Being timely means that all your communications with a company are dealt with promptly, be they e-mail, telephone calls, letters, faxes, meetings or interviews. All paper and e-based forms/letters should be responded to as quickly as you can, ensuring that they arrive well before any closing date set by your potential employer/flying school. Telephone calls should be given as much time, effort and respect as face-to-face interviews and not treated as anything less than a key part of the recruitment process: it is commonplace for overseas airline to interview candidates by telephone before going to the trouble of inviting them abroad for interview.
Being friendly means just that! You might be very intelligent, well qualified and keen, but if you can't get on with people you meet anew, then the airline industry may just not be for you.
Lastly under this question we recommend that you read this book, "The Primacy Effect" by Dr. Michael Shea.