Delta Disqualifiers

[mastermags]

There is some indication that times are changing for the better in this category, as well.

A friend of mine did not pass the tech portion but was told the panel went great -- stay tuned to come back in one year.

Only six months elapsed and he is scheduled to interview again.

Makes you wonder what the real point of the tech portion is to begin with, but I suppose that's another discussion entirely.

Straight from the horse's mouth on my interview day: "We know the test is hard and has a lot of stuff you'll never use again. We send you a study guide. We want to see if you are capable of preparing for a difficult test because it gives us an indicator of how hard you'll study and prepare for your initial training."

FWIW.

And the four year degree isn't a disqualifier. My buddy had six years of college from a community college and an extended campus aviation school. He interviews next month.

 

[GypsyPilot]

In your case it is not an automatic disqualification due to the difficulty of your degree and the fact you graduated with honors. Each Delta application that comes up for review is graded by an actual person, not a computer so there is common sense aspect to it. Easiest way to get your app reviewed is to have a current Delta pilot email Pilot Recruiting or attend job fair.

Thanks, I really appreciate your input on this!

 

[Nick]

Straight from the horse's mouth on my interview day: "We know the test is hard and has a lot of stuff you'll never use again. We send you a study guide. We want to see if you are capable of preparing for a difficult test because it gives us an indicator of how hard you'll study and prepare for your initial training."

That's essentially all it could be for -- and I don't disagree with the logic behind it.

The only thing I find peculiar is that if they (any airline for that matter) tell an interviewee they did very well on the panel and they like them and want to see them again in a year, then what does waiting a year to re-study for a nearly arbitrary test really accomplish?

In the end I totally get the cooperate/graduate, demonstrate-the-ability-to-learn thing. It just seems a bit odd sometimes. Perhaps re-interviewing people in half the originally planned time is a sign of revised thinking on airline's parts, which in my opinion is a good thing.

 

[Maurus]

I honestly don't think there are any 100% dis-qualifiers other than say a recent DUI or some other illegal action. The points allotted to your application will go down or up depending on what Airline X wants that day.

The interview selection process, in the old days I could get face time and explain the GPA and the time frame it took me to get my degree.

I understand this 100%. I fear my 1st year GPA is killing me. It is extremely low (1.5ish) and me changing schools after my first year means they know exactly what that GPA was on my app.

Your choices after failure are what really dictate who you are. I changed schools and studied a field that I actually enjoyed and was not provided by my first school. My GPA at graduation was 3.67. The fact my schooling was online really helped me learn how to study properly which then contributed to my success in finishing my certificates and all my training at AMF and XJT. There is an added stress knowing that my first year can be dragging me down in an app when it actually was the best learning experience I have ever had.

I honestly don't like all the unknowns involved in getting your app looked at. The United open house was a good start but there are factors that could help make my app stand out if a person reviews it that airlineapps clearly can not distinguish for a HR person at this time.

 

[Nick]

I understand this 100%. I fear my 1st year GPA is killing me. It is extremely low (1.5ish) and me changing schools after my first year means they know exactly what that GPA was on my app.

Your choices after failure are what really dictate who you are. I changed schools and studied a field that I actually enjoyed and was not provided by my first school. My GPA at graduation was 3.67.

I have no idea, but I would think that such an improving trend would be seen in a positive light.

Funny sidenote -- I was in a triple room freshman year of college.

First roomie flunked out after one semester with a 0.76 GPA, and the other made it to the end of the first year with a 0.98 GPA.

The first one though, was actually a pretty sharp guy-- he had just never been outside the confines of his parent's constant butt-kicking to do his homework in high school. Though he ended up not pursuing aviation, he's doing well...just had to grow up and learn some time management habits. (not trying to relate this part to your GPA remarks...I just laughed thinking back to their utterly atrocious grade point averages!)

 

[bronco21016]

What if you did your 4-year in 2 years, 10 months, due to high school class transfers (AP courses).

I had a 3.7 GPA, is that too low for Delta elite???

Did you steal my identity?

I graduated in similar time frame with a very similar GPA. Does anyone know if there's extra, or at least full, points for graduating slightly under 4 years?

My other question relates to unfinished school. I started a post-graduate program and dropped it because of another opportunity. How bad does the unfinished schooling for a post-grad program score?

 

[Maurus]

(not trying to relate this part to your GPA remarks...I just laughed thinking back to their utterly atrocious grade point averages!)

Not a problem . Most people IMO that trash their first year need to grow up. I know I did. I was one of those people that were able to just show up in High School and still get a 3.0. Then I went to college and got hammered (not in the good way).

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

The problem with Delta (and I say this as a longtime fan and customer) has always been arrogance. There is nothing whatsoever superior about a Delta pilot when compared to a Northwest, United, Continental, Southwest, American, etc. pilot. They all use different processes and criteria, and they all get roughly the same result. Yet Delta will never admit that reality.

He used the S word!!!

 

[wheelsup]

Did you steal my identity?

I graduated in similar time frame with a very similar GPA. Does anyone know if there's extra, or at least full, points for graduating slightly under 4 years?

My other question relates to unfinished school. I started a post-graduate program and dropped it because of another opportunity. How bad does the unfinished schooling for a post-grad program score?

Probably not I never applied. I'm a lifer where I'm at now unless the place goes downhill, which is entirely possible with our leadership burning money.

 

[dasleben]

If that's true delta can suck me sideways. As a very poor family I had to work hard to afford every credit I earned. It took me a long time to get my degree. My two younger brothers now have there degree after much encouragment from me. It was a very proud day for me. And for delta to say my sacrifice wasn't good enough because I wasn't some trust fund baby like some of my aviaton peers is lame.

Yup. I'm told that the fact I've worked for 4 carriers looks bad.

Of course, I was furloughed from my first one. Second, third, and fourth carriers have all been good, logical steps forward. And really, I've networked, worked hard, and downright clawed my way to a pretty good carrier in the process. If that looks bad, then I guess I'm truly not Delta material.

 

[Avalon781ML]

I spent 7 years getting my degree. I worked my way through school and was flying while taking classes over the internet. I find it odd and disturbing that I am, at the present, disqualified from interviewing for taking the responsible (and IMO tougher) route to get through school. But as I've learned over time life isn't fair and if my desire to remain debt free during school is an interview killer then I'll focus on other carriers and not let it get me down. I'm a good pilot, loyal (to a fault at times) employee, and an overall great asset for any company. Delta pilot or not I'll be just fine. Good luck to everyone...

 

[Tld]

Wow this is certainly disappointing news. It took me 5 1/2 years to get my bachelors degree as my preferred university did not admit 16 year olds (the age at which I started college full time, and later transferred.) Sure glad I Doogie Howsered it so now Daddy D can judge my "aimlessness." Guess I'm not SoJets material either. These metrics of 4, 5, or 6 year completion time are downright silly, and certainly not all encompassing. Whatev.

 

[Dan208B]

Reminder here... taking more than 4 years isn't a disqualifier. In fact, very few things are direct disqualifiers. But they subtract from your total score. So someone that took longer but got their degree from a school that scores highly and got a 4.0 the whole time would probably still score well. Or someone that got it right on time with a lower GPA would probably score reasonably alright. Other things like having a masters afterwards would also add back towards the points. So don't get discouraged, find other ways to improve yourself and bring up the scoring.

 

[dasleben]

Reminder here... taking more than 4 years isn't a disqualifier. In fact, very few things are direct disqualifiers. But they subtract from your total score. So someone that took longer but got their degree from a school that scores highly and got a 4.0 the whole time would probably still score well. Or someone that got it right on time with a lower GPA would probably score reasonably alright. Other things like having a masters afterwards would also add back towards the points. So don't get discouraged, find other ways to improve yourself and bring up the scoring.

It's just the arrogance of it. The fact that we're expected to apologize for this kind of stuff (and "work" to bring our scores up) is downright insulting.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

On the bright side, this is great news for United. They'll get all of the great pilots that Delta was too arrogant to consider.

 

[Gonzo]

I'm a good pilot, loyal (to a fault at times) employee, and an overall great asset for any company.

Don't even start me on the loyal this. At the United FFD thing the head of hiring said in one breath it is great to see you stayed at Eagle and have been loyal and in the next breath tells me the only thing I am missing is PIC time and I really need to find a way to get it.

 

[wheelsup]

I think you guys are reading too much into this.

Look at the pilots they are interviewing. Military, Commuter IP, and strong internal recs, or of course a flow. Having boobies also helps.

If you can check those boxes (one or more) you're good. If you can't, and you really, really want to work there for whatever reason, find a way to check those boxes.

Anyone apply to AA? On their app, first page:

"Are you a fighter pilot yes/no?"
"Are you an astronaut yes/no"?

Not joking.

 

[TWP]

More importantly is what works. Here is some stuff that has gotten people I know (and some I don't) interviews and jobs at Delta;

One guy flew for the military, so you have that.

One guy went to every job fair he could, ran into a random delta recruiter, told him about all the job fairs he had been to and got a call for an interview a week later. This guy also has a masters.

Another guy did the freight thing, got a ton of hours, and didn't get a call until he got his masters, then boom, he was in.


The common thread here is they aren't just regional captains (in fact one of them is a regional FO) with 4000 hours and a bachelors. They have all done something extra, sometimes a couple of things extra.

If you are a regional guy and not taking online masters courses you are doing yourself a huge disservice. I understand it is expensive but it makes you stand out from the hundreds of regional captains with their bachelors and 6000 hours. Almost every pilot is walking around with a bachelors in his/her back pocket, it only matters now if you don't have it. If you aren't introducing yourself to people so you have recs and if you aren't making your name known in a positive way with the hiring department (i.e. job fairs, etc.) you are also hurting yourself. The job will eventually net you a quarter mil a year to play the seniority system so you need to pursue it like you have obsessive-compulsive disorder doing anything and everything you can to stand out from the crowd. Far too many pilots think they can just show up, fly, go home and do nothing, fire off an app and Delta will call them. They might eventually, but they are going to take your buddy, who has his masters, is published in magazines, has 3 Mars landings, and has made his name known through positive activities first.

I truly believe that the hiring will be such that everyone is going to make it, it's just a matter of whether you want to be the guy riding the front of the seniority wave or playing catch up at the back.

 

[hcaeborev]

I've always known I wouldn't "fit" at Delta. I just don't have the personality for it. That being said if they called I'd obviously go.

Now at least I know they won't call.

I am a completely different person now than I was 12 years ago in college. The fact that someone with an apparently advanced degree that creates "algorithms" for hiring pilots can actually think something like this matters at this stage of someone's aviation career makes me do a double take.

I mean are people actually failing initial at DELTA FREAKIN' AIRLINES?

What exactly do they think "time to complete degree" and GPA are really reflecting in a person? I am relatively young still. I can't imagine being 45ish applying to Delta and hoping that my GPA from college 27 YEARS ago isn't going to hurt me.

It's sad that someone's experience in the job that they actually do day in and day out means nothing. "O I see here that you have 10,000 hours flight time, of which 8,000 is 121 and 4,000 of that is PIC...Very nice." "Single pilot IFR at night in a mountainous region? Great...Great." "Gold seal CFI? Impressive." Looks like you created a training program for a 135 cargo operator? That must've been challenging." "You were a sim instructor, LCA and APD at your current airline? This is going very well." "Lastly it looks like you donate 100 hours of your time every year to various charity organizations! Very selfless. I'm sure you enrich many lives with your generosity."............."O wait I see here that you completed college with a measly 2.9 GPA. We Here at DELTA AIRLINES take this sort of thing very seriously. Unfortunately we have decided to go in a different direction. Thank you for your time.......BTW, don't apply here again."

This is such a F@#$ *& up career sometimes I can't wrap my head around it.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

I've always known I wouldn't "fit" at Delta. I just don't have the personality for it. That being said if they called I'd obviously go.

Now at least I know they won't call.

I am a completely different person now than I was 12 years ago in college. The fact that someone with an apparently advanced degree that creates "algorithms" for hiring pilots can actually think something like this matters at this stage of someone's aviation career makes me do a double take.

I mean are people actually failing initial at DELTA FREAKIN' AIRLINES?

What exactly do they think "time to complete degree" and GPA are really reflecting in a person? I am relatively young still. I can't imagine being 45ish applying to Delta and hoping that my GPA from college 27 YEARS ago isn't going to hurt me.

It's sad that someone's experience in the job that they actually do day in and day out means nothing. "O I see here that you have 10,000 hours flight time, of which 8,000 is 121 and 4,000 of that is PIC...Very nice." "Single pilot IFR at night in a mountainous region? Great...Great." "Gold seal CFI? Impressive." Looks like you created a training program for a 135 cargo operator? That must've been challenging." "You were a sim instructor, LCA and APD at your current airline? This is going very well." "Lastly it looks like you donate 100 hours of your time every year to various charity organizations! Very selfless. I'm sure you enrich many lives with your generosity."............."O wait I see here that you completed college with a measly 2.9 GPA. We Here at DELTA AIRLINES take this sort of thing very seriously. Unfortunately we have decided to go in a different direction. Thank you for your time.......BTW, don't apply here again."

This is such a F@#$ *& up career sometimes I can't wrap my head around it.

I'm pretty sure GPA isn't the killer in your scenario.

Delta Air Lines.