Some Tips from AirlineApps.com

derg

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
I have a very good working relationship with airlineapps.com and we had a really good telephone chat today about a few issues.

What I will share with you is "completeness counts".

If they're asking for what you did between high school and applying, most airlines aren't looking for "Well, I went to high school, went to college and have been at XYZ for 12 years".

They're looking for more of a true narrative on professional and personal development. The more complete your answer is directly indicative to your seriousness applying for their airline. If there is an employment gap, you just didn't sit on your couch, talk about it. If you sat on your couch, you're not showing drive. Your application is a "pre-auditon" for a job that all of your better prepared co-workers are applying for as well.

There are some things you can get away with on a regional application, but those things WILL NOT FLY on the major level and, again, at the major level, there is no foreseeable "shortage" so make sure your crap is correct.

I have to bold this:

DO NOT USE "TEXT SPEAK" ON YOUR APPLICATION. Do no abbreviate, use proper punctuation, capitalization and especially grammar — you are not SMS'ing your BFF on your Droid and LOLZ it does count wot you type on UR app d00dz.

Make sure your numbers add up on your experience and, if it's not truly PIC, do not list it as PIC. They know all the "tricks in the book" — do not get yourself flagged as being dishonest this early in the process.

Read the question. Answer the question. Do not "over think" it.

Airline Apps really wants you to be successful. Remember, it may be an online application you complete through your web browser, but there are flesh and bones people that read it at every level and the decision of whether to invite you to an interview isn't some strange metric, it's a person.

Your hours matter less than the whole "portrait" of the applicant. If you've sat on your ass in the left seat of a CRJ-900 the past ten years, but your first officer is well-networked, has done volunteer work, updated his application and "reads like he's hungry" (my interpretation) on his application, he will get the interview and you probably will never.

It's not a numbers game, it's a "comprehensive picture" game.

Stay hungry, act like it and good luck.
 
Do they have a recommended place to list volunteer work? There's not really a great spot on their system/application.
 
I've always had a question about how to answer "Description of Duties" type questions. I agree with being complete, but how complete do they want me to be when describing my 121 First Officer position? My answer has generally been "I performed all normal duties of a Part 121 Second in Command." Do I really need to put down that I programmed the FMS, called for catering and a lav dump, and flew the plane occasionally?
 
Derg said:
Your hours matter less than the whole "portrait" of the applicant. If you've sat on your ass in the left seat of a CRJ-900 the past ten years, but your first officer is well-networked, has done volunteer work, updated his application and "reads like he's hungry" (my interpretation) on his application, he will get the interview and you probably will never.

It's not a numbers game, it's a "comprehensive picture" game.

Stay hungry, act like it and good luck.
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"But but...I'm better qualified, and only people with as many hours as me should get a call. Plus, that guy they just hired is junior to me. It's not fair! Whaaaaaaaaaa!"

My best impression of every "entitled" regional captain out there.
 
EDUC8-or said:
Do they have a recommended place to list volunteer work? There's not really a great spot on their system/application.
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Yeah, it's called employment history and military.

Oh, you mean other volunteer work...lol
 
SrFnFly227 said:
I've always had a question about how to answer "Description of Duties" type questions. I agree with being complete, but how complete do they want me to be when describing my 121 First Officer position? My answer has generally been "I performed all normal duties of a Part 121 Second in Command." Do I really need to put down that I programmed the FMS, called for catering and a lav dump, and flew the plane occasionally?
Click to expand...

I just went to my company website and grabbed the description they put for recruiting new FOs
 
surreal1221 said:
Yeah, it's called employment history and military.

Oh, you mean other volunteer work...lol
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horowitz.jpg
 
Derg said:
stuff
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I agree. Would be nice to get an email for when they make some major changes to airlineapps though. Just found out recently that my 100% complete application is no longer 100% due to some additional required content.
 
Thank you for this.

I just went through my app again and did some updating. My whopping 20 hours a month....

Other than filling out times for each type of airplane you have flown, the app is straight forward. Come on people.
 
Does anyone else find this stuff (and the Delta thread) a little disheartening? I have done my best to have a very complete profile on airline apps (and have had an account with them for many years). I have numerous LORs, I have years of 121, 135, and corporate experience. I have a four year engineering degree (with honors), and I've never failed a checkride.

Yet it all feels like it comes up short to the absolute PERFECTION a place like Delta apparently demands. I really want to end up at a Legacy, but quite honestly I'm starting to think I need to go back to corporate, or maybe just go back to engineering. I guess I'm just having one of those WTF moments this morning...
 
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Dugie8 said:
Thank you for this.

I just went through my app again and did some updating. My whopping 20 hours a month....

Other than filling out times for each type of airplane you have flown, the app is straight forward. Come on people.
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It's more than that IMO... I have a two month gap between jobs over 12 years ago, and I went to community college for two years before transferring to a 4 year engineering school. So I took 6 years to graduate. I was working my way through school, but apparently that's going to be held against me? Why??
 
I'd like to know how to list substantiated self-employment on AirlineApps, that is concurrent with and unrelated to my primary job as a distributor of high medium-speed aerial aluminum.
 
GypsyPilot said:
Does anyone else find this stuff (and the Delta thread) a little disheartening? I have done my best to have a very complete profile on airline apps (and have had an account with them for many years). I have numerous LORs, I have years of 121, 135, and corporate experience. I have a four year engineering degree (with honors), and I've never failed a checkride.

Yet it all feels like it comes up short to the absolute PERFECTION a place like Delta apparently demands. I really want to end up at a Legacy, but quite honestly I'm starting to think I need to go back to corporate, or maybe just go back to engineering. I guess I'm just having one of those WTF moments this morning...
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I have those WTF moments a lot lately. I'll tell you what I tell myself. Pull up your biatch pants and make yourself better. If Delta never calls, well you're still better.
 
mikecweb said:
I have those WTF moments a lot lately. I'll tell you what I tell myself. Pull up your biatch pants and make yourself better. If Delta never calls, well you're still better.
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You're absolutely right Mike. It's not like me to complain like that, and I guess I just needed a quick vent. Thanks man.
 
Worth noting that the advice above also applies to non-flying positions one might be applying for.
 
GypsyPilot said:
It's more than that IMO... I have a two month gap between jobs over 12 years ago, and I went to community college for two years before transferring to a 4 year engineering school. So I took 6 years to graduate. I was working my way through school, but apparently that's going to be held against me? Why??
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I wouldn't hold it against you. A simple explanation will CYA. I believe there was a section that covers gaps in unemployment for more than 30 days.

It took me 5 years to graduate just because I took a 1 credit "internship" course to keep my student loans at bay.
 
Dugie8 said:
I wouldn't hold it against you. A simple explanation will CYA. I believe there was a section that covers gaps in unemployment for more than 30 days.

It took me 5 years to graduate just because I took a 1 credit "internship" course to keep my student loans at bay.
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Thanks. I guess I'm just a little wound up about that, which is hopefully a non-issue. I recall FedEx deducting points against candidates that took more than 4 years to graduate, which I just really have a problem with. Although technically I did graduate in 4 years from the 4 year school I transferred to, I spent 2 years at a community college prior to that.

I'm not going to lie, I had a disaster of a home life in high school. By some amazing miracle I was able to turn things around at an early age (around 17), and I figured graduating at 23 with an engineering degree would be looked at favorably given my unique circumstances. If given a chance in an interview, I'm able to explain why I took 6 years to graduate and how I worked my own way through college and then flight training. I think in almost anybody's book it would be considered a positive trait, and dare I suggest even strength of character. But I often wonder if I'll even be given a chance with these horrible, cold HR metrics that are used for scoring these days. They seem to assume I was partying the years away, when the truth was I was working my butt off and writing code and studying differential equations on Fri nights!
 
GypsyPilot said:
Thanks. I guess I'm just a little wound up about that, which is hopefully a non-issue. I recall FedEx deducting points against candidates that took more than 4 years to graduate, which I just really have a problem with. Although technically I did graduate in 4 years from the 4 year school I transferred to, I spent 2 years at a community college prior to that.

I'm not going to lie, I had a disaster of a home life in high school. By some amazing miracle I was able to turn things around at an early age (around 17), and I figured graduating at 23 with an engineering degree would be looked at favorably given my unique circumstances. If given a chance in an interview, I'm able to explain why I took 6 years to graduate and how I worked my own way through college and then flight training. I think in almost anybody's book it would be considered a positive trait, and dare I suggest even strength of character. But I often wonder if I'll even be given a chance with these horrible, cold HR metrics that are used for scoring these days. They seem to assume I was partying the years away, when the truth was I was working my butt off and writing code and studying differential equations on Fri nights!
Click to expand...

I hear you and I can relate. Don't get yourself into that death spiral of being discouraged and comparing yourself to other people who've been hired. This stuff is all voodoo. It will all work out as it is supposed to, just be prepared for when it is your turn.
 
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