Interview Troubles

jetsguy737

jetsguy737

Well-Known Member
Hey all, in a bit of a career fix and am turning to the good people I know are apart of this forums site.

Becoming a dispatcher has felt like my biggest career accomplishment. I have been a dispatcher now for 5 years. Worked for a regional, a supp/charter carrier and am currently with an LCC. Experience includes domestic, supplemental, flag flying and a little ETOPS. Recently, I had the shot of my lifetime when I interviewed with DL and AA. Sadly, I was not successful with either. It was my first time in person with these two. In the past, I have had other opportunities with majors (a few swa tests and a few ual submissions) but have been unable to capitalize. Even with resumé tweaks and different study habits, I find I fall short at the in-person interview and/or tests. I have been feeling quite disheartened and need some good advice on proper preparation and techniques for these big moments. I have been dreaming of joining a legacy recently as I feel I have the necessary skills, but need to figure out why I keep falling short. I don't want to lose faith. For reference, I am 28.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you and congrats to those who have recently accepted offers with the big boys.
 
I would think with your resume and getting face to face interviews, you shouldn't worry. Everyone wants to be a part of the legacy. If you know the STAR method for HR questions that would help you. You could also try and go internal to the company you wish to be a part of and try that route. It's a much smaller group you'd be up against and would have experience over others too. Companies love to go internal. Stay on it. If you are getting face to face interviews, you're almost there.
 
Yes for AA. There will most likely be more than one class. Until your status changes or you get a TBNT email you are not necessarily out of the running.
 
You have to look at it firstly from a numbers perspective. How many hundreds of applications are submitted every time a major posts? Honestly the way the market is now, even regionals are getting at least 1-200 applications.

like others mentioned, the STAR method is widely used and there is ample info online for ways to make yourself a better interviewee. For the assessment / testing phase, everyone is a bit different, but there are loads (if not honestly, a bit too much) information out there about how each airline does their testing. A good bit of networking goes a long way too. As these postings continue to become more and more competitive, I can see this becoming a more important skill set. But that’s just my personal take.
 
jetsguy737 said:
Hey all, in a bit of a career fix and am turning to the good people I know are apart of this forums site.

Becoming a dispatcher has felt like my biggest career accomplishment. I have been a dispatcher now for 5 years. Worked for a regional, a supp/charter carrier and am currently with an LCC. Experience includes domestic, supplemental, flag flying and a little ETOPS. Recently, I had the shot of my lifetime when I interviewed with DL and AA. Sadly, I was not successful with either. It was my first time in person with these two. In the past, I have had other opportunities with majors (a few swa tests and a few ual submissions) but have been unable to capitalize. Even with resumé tweaks and different study habits, I find I fall short at the in-person interview and/or tests. I have been feeling quite disheartened and need some good advice on proper preparation and techniques for these big moments. I have been dreaming of joining a legacy recently as I feel I have the necessary skills, but need to figure out why I keep falling short. I don't want to lose faith. For reference, I am 28.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you and congrats to those who have recently accepted offers with the big boys.
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Go to Envoy if you want AA. Skywest if you want WN or UAL. Become a manager if you want Delta. Work the ramp in MEM for Fedex. Go to Atlas or Kalitta for UPS. Otherwise, you are fighting for a limited number of spots that are open for groups that are not favored at each airline.
 
jetsguy737 said:
Hey all, in a bit of a career fix and am turning to the good people I know are apart of this forums site.

Becoming a dispatcher has felt like my biggest career accomplishment. I have been a dispatcher now for 5 years. Worked for a regional, a supp/charter carrier and am currently with an LCC. Experience includes domestic, supplemental, flag flying and a little ETOPS. Recently, I had the shot of my lifetime when I interviewed with DL and AA. Sadly, I was not successful with either. It was my first time in person with these two. In the past, I have had other opportunities with majors (a few swa tests and a few ual submissions) but have been unable to capitalize. Even with resumé tweaks and different study habits, I find I fall short at the in-person interview and/or tests. I have been feeling quite disheartened and need some good advice on proper preparation and techniques for these big moments. I have been dreaming of joining a legacy recently as I feel I have the necessary skills, but need to figure out why I keep falling short. I don't want to lose faith. For reference, I am 28.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you and congrats to those who have recently accepted offers with the big boys.
Click to expand...

I’m not a big believer in interview prep companies, but I have some familiarity with interviews in general.

Some things to look into:

“The STAR” method. Be able to tell a story about an experience you’ve had highlighting what the situation was, the task, the action you ultimately took and the result. It helps you tell a story without rambling AND *foot-stomp foot-stomp* it keeps you from telling a story about what happened around to to helping you highly your ROLE in what the situation was.

Work on your elevator pitch. Be able to introduce yourself, have an actionable conversation and end it within an elevator ride:

You: “Hey, I’m looking for a job”
Then : *blank stare* “Good luck!”

Versus
You: “I see the United logo on your briefcase, I’ve always wanted to work there, what do you do for them?”

A lot of that skill will translate into getting your experiences communicated during an interview.

If you’re in the office, they want to hire you. Remember that. Most of the questions to answer coldly, they’re opportunities for you to let the interview know how well you communicate and participate in a professional conversation, a lot like you would as a dispatcher when the sh— hits the fan and you’ve got to work with maintenance control and a pilot under duress and solve a problem as part of a team.

Anyone can push a button and crank out a boilerplate flight plan, but are you inquisitive enough to find hidden threats, communicate those in the operation and be able to form an ad hoc team on a moments notice and have them perform while stressed?

Just some pointers
 
jetsguy737 said:
Hey all, in a bit of a career fix and am turning to the good people I know are apart of this forums site.

Becoming a dispatcher has felt like my biggest career accomplishment. I have been a dispatcher now for 5 years. Worked for a regional, a supp/charter carrier and am currently with an LCC. Experience includes domestic, supplemental, flag flying and a little ETOPS. Recently, I had the shot of my lifetime when I interviewed with DL and AA. Sadly, I was not successful with either. It was my first time in person with these two. In the past, I have had other opportunities with majors (a few swa tests and a few ual submissions) but have been unable to capitalize. Even with resumé tweaks and different study habits, I find I fall short at the in-person interview and/or tests. I have been feeling quite disheartened and need some good advice on proper preparation and techniques for these big moments. I have been dreaming of joining a legacy recently as I feel I have the necessary skills, but need to figure out why I keep falling short. I don't want to lose faith. For reference, I am 28.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you and congrats to those who have recently accepted offers with the big boys.
Click to expand...
I know it’s disheartening, and to be totally honest sometimes there’s no set rhyme or reason why majors hire who they hire. Sometimes it’s extenuating circumstances like Spirit being in bankruptcy and on thin ice so DL swooped in and snatched a bunch up this last time. Or AA wanting people who specifically know Flight Keys. Other times it really is who you know or who you’re related to. And sometimes it’s just amazing good fortune that the company saw you outshine others this time.

When we hear stories of first timers getting hired right away or people with barely a year experience, it’s easy to forget that many, if not MOST people have had to apply multiple times. Some put in a decade of work with different roles or companies, climbing their way up before they get the call from the majors. A lot of the internals at AA have put in at least 10+ years with the company. Some people I know that weren’t at Spirit long but got offers from Delta have about 10 years or more aviation experience in other roles or the military. A friend of mine who recently got hired at a major admitted they have applied over 6–7 times before finally getting it this time.

Not saying it’s going to take you 10 years, but keep your head up. We don’t know the path that other people have had to take in order to get where they finally land. But it is a very good sign that you have gotten an in person interview with two different legacies. Airlines love to see people reapply and come back. It shows that you really want it and are committed. The STAR method is definitely a good thing to master. I kept notes of specific scenarios I encountered that tested me as a dispatcher and would go over those before an interview. It kept my memory fresh and helped me to have a good “Tell me about a time” situation ready for the interviewers. Always have a couple questions to ask as well, and keep eye contact while trying your best to be confidant and talk clearly (even though your nerves are going haywire). Asking for this advice is a great starting point. Just keep studying, practicing and try again.
 
MountainsOrBeach said:
I know it’s disheartening, and to be totally honest sometimes there’s no set rhyme or reason why majors hire who they hire. Sometimes it’s extenuating circumstances like Spirit being in bankruptcy and on thin ice so DL swooped in and snatched a bunch up this last time. Or AA wanting people who specifically know Flight Keys. Other times it really is who you know or who you’re related to. And sometimes it’s just amazing good fortune that the company saw you outshine others this time.

When we hear stories of first timers getting hired right away or people with barely a year experience, it’s easy to forget that many, if not MOST people have had to apply multiple times. Some put in a decade of work with different roles or companies, climbing their way up before they get the call from the majors. A lot of the internals at AA have put in at least 10+ years with the company. Some people I know that weren’t at Spirit long but got offers from Delta have about 10 years or more aviation experience in other roles or the military. A friend of mine who recently got hired at a major admitted they have applied over 6–7 times before finally getting it this time.

Not saying it’s going to take you 10 years, but keep your head up. We don’t know the path that other people have had to take in order to get where they finally land. But it is a very good sign that you have gotten an in person interview with two different legacies. Airlines love to see people reapply and come back. It shows that you really want it and are committed. The STAR method is definitely a good thing to master. I kept notes of specific scenarios I encountered that tested me as a dispatcher and would go over those before an interview. It kept my memory fresh and helped me to have a good “Tell me about a time” situation ready for the interviewers. Always have a couple questions to ask as well, and keep eye contact while trying your best to be confidant and talk clearly (even though your nerves are going haywire). Asking for this advice is a great starting point. Just keep studying, practicing and try again.
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hello, very kind words, well put. thank you for taking the time to type that out. i do have fk experience. will certainly keep this advice in mind and im sure others on this forums site appreciate it as well! I have had three in person legacies actually, forgot my UAL one a few years back. I'll keep at it.
 
jetsguy737 said:
commendable patience my man
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You can do it. One of my friends had tried and failed a couple times to get in at our major. On the 3rd try, he worked with a career coach on the resume and some interviewing techniques. We also studied a lot on refreshing our 121 knowledge since we both had been at a non 121 shop and it had been a couple years since the regionals. 3rd time was the charm for him and we got in together. It was my first time trying and i was thankful to have a scouting report on what to expect.

Main point of this is, it's competitive so those little extra things you can do to make yourself that little extra appealing really are worth it. Your time is coming!
 
autosave36 said:
You can do it. One of my friends had tried and failed a couple times to get in at our major. On the 3rd try, he worked with a career coach on the resume and some interviewing techniques. We also studied a lot on refreshing our 121 knowledge since we both had been at a non 121 shop and it had been a couple years since the regionals. 3rd time was the charm for him and we got in together. It was my first time trying and i was thankful to have a scouting report on what to expect.

Main point of this is, it's competitive so those little extra things you can do to make yourself that little extra appealing really are worth it. Your time is coming!
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Thank you for the encouragement it is appreciated.
 
If it makes you feel any better, I graduated from Dispatch school at the top of my class and I interviewed at a ton of regional airlines before finally being hired over a year after graduating. I had to work at a Barnes and Noble in the interim and I almost considered giving up. Ten years after being hired, I got hired at a Major after just my second interview with a Major (Ironically the second airline then merged with the first airline I interviewed with and didn't get in).

I know this is a dispatch thread, but my buddy was a captain at SkyWest for many, many years, and struggled big time to get hired at a Major despite checking the DEI boxes. Well he got hired after 15 years there, and just started new hire class this week. It will happen in time if you are a good candidate.
 
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As a former spirit sx now at a major, I can also say do not let others get to you! You got this! I know a guy who got promoted in the dx role and some of us watched several dx very unreasonably treat the individual horribly despite still being in a dx role. And they just ended at a major as well.

There are multiple paths to get up this hill you will get there my friend! Never give up!
 
I'll add my 2 cents. Don't give up if this is what you want! I have more than 2 years of DX experience with a regional airline. I interviewed 3 times with a major that I used to work for nearly 2 decades in customer service and still wasn't hired. Honest to God, my first interview with them was a total disaster because I was too green to DX. But I greatly improved with interviews 2 and 3. I also interviewed with WN, B6, LX, and Boeing. Boeing ghosted me, and the others said no dice. I often felt like throwing in the towel, but now I'm glad I didn't. The interviews with my former employer and their subsequent rejections strangely prepared me for the interview I finally nailed. Long story short--don't give up, and keep learning from your mistakes.
 
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