Difficulty of getting hired hired as a ramp agent at Southwest?

[DeltaRR]

Hey yall,

From what I've read and heard, Southwest seems to be the airline you want to be with if you plan to stay in the industry and make decent money. What are the odds of getting hired? I passed the phone interview and have an in person interview this coming week for a full time ramp postion at SFO. I am currently a ready reserve ramper for Delta (Soutwest is right across from us) and have been on the job for about 2 months. I like working for delta, and we have a great route system and good pay, but Southwest seems like the place to be in the long run. I don't want to leave delta and find out I should have stayed.

Thoughts??

 

[Burrito]

Mainline Delta, or DGS?

From what I know of SWA at my own station, the union makes the airline both incredibly lucrative and incredibly difficult to get in. Nepotism only goes so far when the union goes "Nah you're already at another airline," and shoots you down. That experience was not personal; a colleague of mine tried moving sideways from one airline here at MHT to Southwest, and ended up getting declined because she wanted to stay PT. Good luck in whatever decision you make.

 

[ZL340B]

The interview itself isn't really difficult and having pilot/ramp experience backing you should also help you out. Most questions are scenario based and very typical HR questions. I think personality counts a lot at the company so just be yourself. They're looking for the right people to fit their 'fun' attitude; even on the ramp.

The company does definitely look after you and the benefits were pretty top notch after experiencing other employers. I was told that FT's there were making very decent OT but just before I left, they were cracking down on that at my station and trying to hire PT to cover excessive OT.

 

[DPApilot]

They hired me at one point so their standards can't be too high...

 

[bksslc]

The interview process is pretty straight forward. Expect several tell me about a time questions. I remember mine being a fairly relaxed atmosphere.

The key thing is to have a good attitude, and a good personality.

Good luck in the interview.

 

[TaxiBack]

Hey Ramp Team,
I just found these 2 listings at Southwest, can somebody tell me what the difference is??? Who's the boss of who and who' s the big boss? Where is the station manager in all of this...?


Manager Ramp and Ops I
03-Ground Ops

Ramp Agent Supvr
03-Ground Ops

 

[DeltaRR]

At my Delta station, the manager is in charge of the whole below wing operation, including the supervisors. We have an above wing manager and below wing manager, which each manage their own supervisors.

Supervisor=boss

Manager= boss's boss

Note: this is for Delta, not SW

 

[TaxiBack]

DRR,
Thanks. I think it is the same at most places. I agree..Thanks for that info. Are you at SFO?
I just don't want to aim too low...or too high for that matter. The job descriptions are pretty simple without much detail.

 

[DeltaRR]

Yes, I am at SFO.

For a supervisor position here, they say you need at least three years of ACS (airport customer service), be very knowledgeable about the operation, and preferably have a college degree. I believe manager almost always need a degree and several years experience.

 

[Ayork62493]

Yes, I am at SFO.

For a supervisor position here, they say you need at least three years of ACS (airport customer service), be very knowledgeable about the operation, and preferably have a college degree. I believe manager almost always need a degree and several years experience.

Man, you have managers and supervisors with degrees? Entirely different world than DGS

 

[DeltaRR]

Some have degrees, but not all. It doesn't matter to me, and not really to Delta... they were hired mostly in part because they do their job well. A degree doesn't guarantee a great work ethic, or an understanding manager. If you are good at what you are doing, have aptitude, and are driven, you have a good chance of moving up within Delta.

DGS isn't like that? Where are you based out of Ayork?

 

[Burrito]

DGS can be a special breed, but it reeeeeeeeeeally depends on the group that's there. Going back a bit, our Regional Elite crew was a combination of fresh-outta-college "This is my interim job, while I make more money, to fly multi," guys, mixed in with a bunch of hardened ex-Northwest guys. That lasted about a minute, and after the dust settled from the DGS shenannigans it became a bunch of college kids who knew the realities of aviation -- or just getting a job in particular. Some are there for the weekend trips to AMS, but the ones who work their asses off are the ones that end up moving up the ladder and vanishing into sup/managers' seats, or TDYing forever.

 

[DeltaRR]

Hmm, I see. There seem to be three main reasons people get in the airline business: the flight benefits, plane\junkies, or those who started here when they were going and just stayed with it. It usually isn't for the pay haha.

I started for the flight benefits, but now that I see the growth potential, I am willing to learn, work hard, and move up the ladder.

 

[Burrito]

Hmm, I see. There seem to be three main reasons people get in the airline business: the flight benefits, plane\junkies, or those who started here when they were going and just stayed with it. It usually isn't for the pay haha.

I started for the flight benefits, but now that I see the growth potential, I am willing to learn, work hard, and move up the ladder.

They pay me in cheeseburgers and gas cards

 

[scoobs]

How do you afford to live in the bay on ramp pay?

 

[jayd1038]

Hmm, I see. There seem to be three main reasons people get in the airline business: the flight benefits, plane\junkies, or those who started here when they were going and just stayed with it. It usually isn't for the pay haha.

I started for the flight benefits, but now that I see the growth potential, I am willing to learn, work hard, and move up the ladder.

I will say, holy crap. 2 days into ramp training as a PT CSA, even before OJT, my company offered me a FT CSA sup. position, and I have/had 0 aviation experience what so ever. Kind of shocking and even puzzling a bit to be honest but I'm not complaining.

 

[motoboy]

Hey yall,

From what I've read and heard, Southwest seems to be the airline you want to be with if you plan to stay in the industry and make decent money. What are the odds of getting hired? I passed the phone interview and have an in person interview this coming week for a full time ramp postion at SFO. I am currently a ready reserve ramper for Delta (Soutwest is right across from us) and have been on the job for about 2 months. I like working for delta, and we have a great route system and good pay, but Southwest seems like the place to be in the long run. I don't want to leave delta and find out I should have stayed.

Thoughts??

I'd say your chances are pretty decent, considering you got invited for the face to face interview. They like previous airline experience, so you obviously have that box checked. Be yourself, smile a lot, and think of some unique ways to answer the standard pre-canned HR style questions. It should be pretty straight forward, no curve balls. It will most likely be a manager or supervisor, along with a recruiter from the people department, the recruiter may just be on the phone conference call style, or they may fly in just depends on their schedule. The interview itself will most likely only last 20 minutes or so.

*And I just realized the OP posted this awhile back, not sure if you got the gig or not.

 

[ChasenSFO]

They're about to hire part-timers at SFO, per my buddy who is going part of the interview team. The window is open for a VERY limited time. Be ready!