How to answer negative interview questions

Emerald coast doesn't tell you answers to interview questions. That would be impossible. What they do do is help you shape your experiences into a clear, concise summary in a format the interviewers want to hear. I've used it at 3 interviews. Been hired at all 3.
 
Interesting, never heard of them. I assume everyone that has used them has done the program in person? They have an online course but I don't see myself getting much out of that. $395 is the going rate for a seminar near COS next month.
 
I strongly recommend Emerald Coast and if at all possible you should try to go in person. The phone prep and online seminars are great, but nothing beats sitting in the "hot seat" in front of a group of people you don't know answering personal interview questions. It's a small investment for your future.
 
MoMatt said:
Interesting, never heard of them. I assume everyone that has used them has done the program in person? They have an online course but I don't see myself getting much out of that. $395 is the going rate for a seminar near COS next month.
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I did it online via a Skype like video chat program. Sat in my kitchen on my laptop and it was just as good as being there. Think there were 5 or 6 of us in the video chat.
 
Ok can anyone post an actual example of something the interview prep improved upon? I'm still having a hard time parting with my $375. I know lots of people have used it, but what I'm wondering is, do the folks not getting hired have a lack of general prep as well?

In other words, those willing to fork out $375 might be better prepared to begin with. I understand an unwillingness to share the secrets learned as you spent the money not those of us outside the circle, but maybe a tidbit?

I wouldn't be able to do the prep as a group unfortunately. Phone only at this point due to the timeline.
 
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wheelsup said:
Ok can anyone post an actual example of something the interview prep improved upon? I'm still having a hard time parting with my $375. I know lots of people have used it, but what I'm wondering is, do the folks not getting hired have a lack of general prep as well?

In other words, those willing to fork out $375 might be better prepared to begin with. I understand an unwillingness to share the secrets learned as you spent the money not those of us outside the circle, but maybe a tidbit?

I wouldn't be able to do the prep as a group unfortunately. Phone only at this point due to the timeline.
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Why do you have a hard time parting with 375 if they will give you a full refund if you don't make it through?
 
wheelsup said:
Ok can anyone post an actual example of something the interview prep improved upon? I'm still having a hard time parting with my $375. I know lots of people have used it, but what I'm wondering is, do the folks not getting hired have a lack of general prep as well?

In other words, those willing to fork out $375 might be better prepared to begin with. I understand an unwillingness to share the secrets learned as you spent the money not those of us outside the circle, but maybe a tidbit?

I wouldn't be able to do the prep as a group unfortunately. Phone only at this point due to the timeline.
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I recommend NOT calling Emerald Coast, that would leave more jobs for people trying to get to a major (like me). :)

Aaron Hagan firmly believes in his product, it will GREATLY change the way you answer questions. I am a Simulator/Line Check Airman, APD, and have lots of experience speaking in front of groups. I sing and perform in front of 50+ people on a regular basis. I was also the president of a non-profit group and would give speeches in front of 75+ members of our group. I am not trying to toot my horn, I am trying to point out that I'm very comfortable speaking in front of a group, I actually enjoy it a bit. At the interview prep my knees were knocking just thinking about sitting in the "hot seat" and it took all of about 2 minutes for me to put my foot in my mouth. The $375 is a small investment and for me well worth it, I would much rather have my foot in my mouth during my interview prep than at an actual interview.

There is a good deal of homework involved, there is audio prep you should complete before the phone prep/seminar. You can sit and work on your "general prep" all day long but if you don't know HOW to answer the questions your doing it wrong. Ultimately you need to sit back and ask yourself if this is where you really want to go and if it's worth $375 to mess up this opportunity.
 
wheelsup said:
How do you guys come up with answers for negative interview questions? I know we can all say a cop out, ie what is your weakness and you can say "I'm too methodical" or "I have extremely high expectations".

For those who have been successful, did you use cop-out answers or did you somewhat tell the truth? Example, FAA says there are 5 hazardous attitudes, do you mention yours? Is it safe to if you spin it correctly? I am aware of mine, personally I would find that refreshing if someone actually told the truth on an interview but you never know. I would think that would make a great answer showing you understand your weakness and can counter it but you never know how it will be interpreted.

Also this is at the major level not commuters (not that it should make a difference, but stakes are certainly higher)
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Never use a cop-out answer or tell half the truth. The only thing you will ever do at an interview is tell the whole truth. I have heard from many recruiters at the major and regional level that people are still making up stories and not telling the whole truth.

Every pilot wants to sound like they are the best pilot in the world. Every pilot has faults or failures in their personal life and professional life. They want to see if you are willing to be upfront about your faults. You need to be able to explain the situation, own up to your mistake, learn from your mistake and apply this new knowledge to the rest of your career.

I strongly recommend to everyone take a prep course for an interview, especially for a major airline interview. I am not saying this because I am the owner of Aero Crew Solutions. I was told by a certain airline recruiter to "be myself" at the interview. I did not prepare as I should have and I was not successful.

You need to prepare for the interview. You need to be able to express yourself as a person and a pilot. Think about the amount of time you prepared for your last type ride. You probably spent hours and hours reviewing the information. You need to spend hours preparing for an interview. Most interviews last 30-45 minutes and you have to show a pilot interview team that you will be a successful employee at their airline.

If anybody has any questions about an issue they are having please send me a PM.
 
chris said:
Word of caution on those interview prep courses...

Up north, Air Canada was running interviews non-stop for a good while. One company offered an AC prep interview course. Some people really liked it and swore by it. But after a while, the folks at AC began to get frustrated because they noticed people were giving the same type of "canned" answers. When I did my interview, the interviewers asked me about my weakness, then they said "and don't say____, everyone is giving us that answer". Even in the interview-invite email they put out a disclaimer saying "please do not sign up for the XXX interview prep course...."

If you're gonna talk about a negative, follow up with how you're changing it. For example, for my weakness, I talked about how I sometimes have difficulty keeping things simple. I gave an example of how during my university I had trouble keeping my essays within the word limit and how during my instructor course my instructor always told me my lesson plans were way too long. I followed up with how I was currently working on improving this by working on the side at my old flight school and improving my teaching skills. I added that I really want to join the training/CRM department down the road as well.
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I am sure the more reputable prep companies get you started in the right direction for their interview prep, rather than giving you canned responses to answers.
 
This is a reputable company... but the problem was that everyone was doing the same prep course, then these people would get together with friends and compare notes. Eventually the interviewers caught on and realized that people's answers were very similar I guess (not just the answers themselves, but perhaps how people were "structuring" their responses). Air Canada also has a "cog test" and a "psych test" as part of their interview though, so even if you score very high on the interview but you don't meet their criteria on the psych, you won't be hired.

Although if this Emerald company is offering a refund if you don't get the job, I'd definitely recommend you do it if you have any sort of concerns about your interviewing skills whatsoever. It's a small price to pay to get a leg up on your dream job.
 
Aero Crew Solutions said:
Never use a cop-out answer or tell half the truth. The only thing you will ever do at an interview is tell the whole truth. I have heard from many recruiters at the major and regional level that people are still making up stories and not telling the whole truth.

Every pilot wants to sound like they are the best pilot in the world. Every pilot has faults or failures in their personal life and professional life. They want to see if you are willing to be upfront about your faults. You need to be able to explain the situation, own up to your mistake, learn from your mistake and apply this new knowledge to the rest of your career.

I strongly recommend to everyone take a prep course for an interview, especially for a major airline interview. I am not saying this because I am the owner of Aero Crew Solutions. I was told by a certain airline recruiter to "be myself" at the interview. I did not prepare as I should have and I was not successful.

You need to prepare for the interview. You need to be able to express yourself as a person and a pilot. Think about the amount of time you prepared for your last type ride. You probably spent hours and hours reviewing the information. You need to spend hours preparing for an interview. Most interviews last 30-45 minutes and you have to show a pilot interview team that you will be a successful employee at their airline.

If anybody has any questions about an issue they are having please send me a PM.
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Can you give an example of how best to honestly answer a question such as "what is your biggest weakness"?

Obviously, there are more questions that can be asked and prepared for so an example like this would not impact your business. But what I'm wondering is what companies such as yours can do to help an applicant. Pick any weakness, it could be yours specifically, or one you see a lot of people state, or some random one. What I'm looking for is a specific example, ie TMAAT, that your company can help an applicant and why they should shell out the money on a personal coach vs. a book.
 
Thanks for the questions. I am here to help pilots be successful with their aviation career.

What is my biggest weakness? I sometimes get annoyed at people. You are probably thinking why would he say that? Because it is the truth and not your standard "I'm meticulous" or "I am too organized" response. The recruiters want to hear the truth about you.

To answer the question:
"I sometimes get annoyed at people because when I come to work at Delta or at Aero Crew Solutions I always give 100% to the task at hand. I really like my flying job and I also enjoy helping other people be successful with their career. I sometimes get annoyed at people who do don't put in the full effort at their current job or searching for a new career. Some people put in the minimal amount of effort to get by or be successful. I understand this is a personal weakness. I try not to get discouraged but encourage others to put in the extra effort by leading by example"

Why should you spend $399 for an interview prep? To be prepared for the entire interview process. Think about this example. If you had a child who needed help with a specific subject would you hire therm a tutor to be successful? Absolutely you would because you want your child to be successful in life. You need to do the same thing for yourself so you can be successful.

What we do different at Aero Crew Solutions compared to other companies is we help you prepare for a specific airline interview. We don't do general pilot interview preps or group interview preps. What Delta is looking for in a pilot candidate is different from what United is looking for in a pilot candidate. The same is for American, Spirit, Frontier and Virgin America.

You can only learn so much by reading a book. The book will provide a foundation for you to start. You need to deal with a professional so you can learn about the interview process. The 3 hour prep session is tailored specifically to you. We talk about your strengths and weaknesses. We clear all issues you might have about the interview.

At most airlines (especially Delta) you only have one shot at being successful. After the interview is completed you want to be able to say to yourself that you did absolutely everything you could to be successful. This includes networking, attending industry events, reading books and conducting a prep.

I have never had a client say to me after a one-on-one interview prep session that it was a waste of time or money. I know $399 might be expensive for some people. I get it because I was in your shoes. I wanted to get out of ASA so bad I did what it took to be successful. If you have any additional questions please post them or send me a PM. Good luck to everyone.
 
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