Greatly discouraged today....

[A300Capt]

Man, I love you guys (and gals) on this website. But what can I do if I get turned down? I mean, it says all that but in all honesty, can;t they just say I was turned down for other reasons?

A little over 20 yrs ago I interviewed at American Airlines. It was my first interview for a major airline. Of the 10 of us in the group that day I was the only person with only a civilian flying background. I didn't get hired! Didn't make it past phase one of three phases. Needless to say, I was devastated to the point of even considering leaving aviation as a career. I mean, most people's dream job just blew up in my face and I didn't know why...they won't tell you. I felt like I had just been blackballed from any major as word would spread or I had to tell the next airline interviewer. Didn't have any support groups from the Internet to gain info from ( Al Gore hadn't invented the Internet yet )and I didn't know anybody, and I mean NOBODY, who flew for a major airline.

Fast forward 3 months later.........

UPS offered me a job in 1988 for their new fledgling airline division. The airline, like the company, prospered and 6 yrs later at the ripe old age of 32 I became a B757 Capt. I couldn't have dreamed or achieved that accomplishment at American if I had been hired there.

Bottom line...what seemed like the worst thing to happen to me at the time turned out to be the BEST thing that could have happened and better things were right around the corner!!

Not getting this job you're after may turn out to be the BEST thing...you just don't know it yet.

 

[derg]

You'll do fine, screw 'em!

Seriously.

I was crashing out in the bay area, applied for a pretty lucrative CFI job literally a stones throw from where I lived at. The money was great, the operation was great, lots of well-equipped clean aircraft and motivated students. Late $30K to start, mid $40K after building some tenure with the company.

Well, even after the "Love your app! You're a shoe-in! You interviewed great and tested well! You da man!"... Those dorks never called.

About a week later, I was able to find another opportunity in San Jose, a long drive with lots of traffic at a small flight school for $10/flight hour.

But you know, that job that I found put me in the right places at the right time to meet the right people that helped me springboard EVERYTHING. UPS 747 captain walks in for a Cessna checkout, we have lunch, BAM! He becomes my mentor and starts teaching me CRM on the weekends.

A few weeks later, a couple of United guys drop by looking for a flight training for one of their friends, more networking opportunities and guys that want to lead me through the application process after I had some turbine time.

Then my mentor's friend from (defunct) Air Cal takes the reigns at Skyway Airlines and is looking for pilots... During a time when NO ONE was hiring and even West Air (who was the place to be at the time) wanted 4000 hours and 2500 ME for the Jetstreams and Brasilias.

Don't be discouraged. Sometimes, not always but more often than not, things happen for a reason. Good things are around the corner, you just have to have the right attitude to recognize it and enough preparation in order to accept the challenge.

Screw that company. Probably a bad place to work for anyway, bro.

Long story short, if I spent an inordinate amount of time dwelling on the company which I thought was perfect that didn't hire me, I wouldn't have been able to light the fuse on the chain of events that plopped me in 727 school at 26.

Come on, devil dog, kill it!

 

[frog_flyer]

A little over 20 yrs ago I interviewed at American Airlines. It was my first interview for a major airline. Of the 10 of us in the group that day I was the only person with only a civilian flying background. I didn't get hired! Didn't make it past phase one of three phases. Needless to say, I was devastated to the point of even considering leaving aviation as a career. I mean, most people's dream job just blew up in my face and I didn't know why...they won't tell you. I felt like I had just been blackballed from any major as word would spread or I had to tell the next airline interviewer. Didn't have any support groups from the Internet to gain info from ( Al Gore hadn't invented the Internet yet )and I didn't know anybody, and I mean NOBODY, who flew for a major airline.

Fast forward 3 months later.........

UPS offered me a job in 1988 for their new fledgling airline division. The airline, like the company, prospered and 6 yrs later at the ripe old age of 32 I became a B757 Capt. I couldn't have dreamed or achieved that accomplishment at American if I had been hired there.

Bottom line...what seemed like the worst thing to happen to me at the time turned out to be the BEST thing that could have happened and better things were right around the corner!!

Not getting this job you're after may turn out to be the BEST thing...you just don't know it yet.

LOL! The MIL guys you interviewed with may just be able to hold S80 CA. DOUBTFUL!

 

[TXaviator]

Man, I love you guys (and gals) on this website. But what can I do if I get turned down? I mean, it says all that but in all honesty, can;t they just say I was turned down for other reasons?

yes, the can and will.

welcome to every employer. my good friend is AF reserve and can barely get a job stocking produce at the supermarket

college student + reservist = unhireable.

 

[tonyw]

Yup. They can say they didn't hire you because of a variety of reasons and say the reservist thing never crossed their mind. Are they lying? Sure. But since you can't examine people's thoughts, they'll probably get away with it.