bucksmith
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Spirit interview
- Thread starter Max Power
- Start date
I just interviewed with Spirit a couple Fridays ago, and just now today received the thanks but no thanks email. It sure does suck to be turned down, especially since Spirit is a great company with great pilots.
Was my first interview outside of a regional, so all in all a good experience.
Was my first interview outside of a regional, so all in all a good experience.
Maximilian_Jenius
Super User
In your opinion, how did the interview go? What were your strengths/weaknesses? And why in your opinion do you think that you got the TBNT?
Box hauler
Well-Known Member
Sorry bud, it just seems to go that way sometimes for reasons unknown.
Well honestly, I think it was because many years ago, after my first regional SkyWay went out of business, I was hired at Republic, and due to a death in the family, had to resign from training a week into it. This was in 2008 when the furloughs were going on. Could never get a class date back with Republic after that.
Then a few years later while working towards my bachelors degree I took some time off to go fly for Piedmont. I ended up quitting Piedmont shortly after my MV was passed, but I was not happy working there, and I quit with very little notice. This was not due to any training failures. Just did not enjoy being there.
Been flying at my current regional for almost eight years now, have been typed on three different aircraft, and a Captain for three years. I realize looking back on Piedmont, could have handled that with a little more maturity, say in the form giving enough notice.
I can probably see why Spirit did not hire me, even though I told them the truth, and was upfront about things. Not Sure in this competitive environment if I will have a chance anywhere else. I have learned though, to take full responsibility and own my past, which is what I did during the interview. Maybe, I should look into some professional interview coaching on how to better present that background if given another opportunity to interview somewhere else.
Sorry for the longer post, but maybe it’s time I get some feedback from my peers, because I am honestly trying, and applying and getting nowhere.
Then a few years later while working towards my bachelors degree I took some time off to go fly for Piedmont. I ended up quitting Piedmont shortly after my MV was passed, but I was not happy working there, and I quit with very little notice. This was not due to any training failures. Just did not enjoy being there.
Been flying at my current regional for almost eight years now, have been typed on three different aircraft, and a Captain for three years. I realize looking back on Piedmont, could have handled that with a little more maturity, say in the form giving enough notice.
I can probably see why Spirit did not hire me, even though I told them the truth, and was upfront about things. Not Sure in this competitive environment if I will have a chance anywhere else. I have learned though, to take full responsibility and own my past, which is what I did during the interview. Maybe, I should look into some professional interview coaching on how to better present that background if given another opportunity to interview somewhere else.
Sorry for the longer post, but maybe it’s time I get some feedback from my peers, because I am honestly trying, and applying and getting nowhere.
Nark
Macho Superpilot
@Skyway I’m not a consultant, nor am I much of a fan, but...
You do sound like a good candidate for it. Trying to frame your story, may seem good to you, as you know the small details. An HR person doesn’t. There are formats that do wonders during interviews. (STAR, and 5-paragraph, etc...)
Apply again, with the requisite wait time. And when the time comes, pay a professional to help refine and convey the information you want to convey.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, with respect to Spirit. They need body’s. Badly.
You do sound like a good candidate for it. Trying to frame your story, may seem good to you, as you know the small details. An HR person doesn’t. There are formats that do wonders during interviews. (STAR, and 5-paragraph, etc...)
Apply again, with the requisite wait time. And when the time comes, pay a professional to help refine and convey the information you want to convey.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, with respect to Spirit. They need body’s. Badly.
Max Power
Well-Known Member
Your story sounds a lot like mine, some bad luck mixed into being too naive or immature to deal with it the right way at the time.
If it helps, I’ll probably try for Spirit again when I can. But it took a lot of reflection and thought to get to that point after TBNT from a face to face interview. I went with the answers I was coached to give by the consultant I worked with, but I might have screwed up the answers. Or I just didn’t sell the fact I wanted to be at Spirit well enough. I have time to be competitive anywhere once I finish my degree in December, maybe they saw me as a “flight risk” once I get the Airbus type.
You just never know. You just gotta keep pushing if that’s what you want. I have great seniority at my regional, make OK money and my commute is tolerable. But I don’t want to be here forever. Whatever drives you, make it happen.
Max Power
Well-Known Member
My consultant told me the answer to Why Not xxxxx is your Why Spirit answer. Show that you want to be there, something along those lines. I did get Why Spirit, I didn’t get Why Not xxxx.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
“Consultancy” business. I have a feeling some of them are actually tanking pilots by over coaching them.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
Oh, sweetie.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
I was asked upfront about it.
I agree somewhat, and disagree somewhat.
There is at least some useful information in there, but fundamentally an interview is about you, your experience, qualifications, personality and attitudes (not necessarily listed in significant order) and not your coaching.
Note: The people who do interviews are uniquely attuned to detecting bullcrap. Be you. Don't give a canned answer; speak extemporaneously as is practical. I told them, truthfully, that I'd like to work with the majority of the Brasilia people I worked with again (who all seem to be here), among other things, in answer to that question.
Coaching is useful insofar as not walking right into a trap when you're pressed-to-test on a thing. I don't recall any "press-to-test" from my interview other than "so how do I know you're not going to get a 320 type and give us the bird when Daddy DAL calls" and that hardly qualifies as a press-to-test. And it might be useful if there's some other hoop to jump through, but we are averse to hoops here.
For @Skyway, were I your hiring manager, I'd really want to understand, in depth, the circumstances around your second resignation in training. I would want to be assured that you would not do it again. Effectively lighting the Company's money and time on fire during training is not going to be a good "look," but it is also relatively ancient history as I understand it. I quit Eagle (damn kids) without 2 weeks' notice myself about a year in, and still can't get a straight answer from 'em on what they'd tell my prospective employer, so I erred on the side of honesty.
Might maybe trot out a can of polish for that particular issue, along with any other land mines in your record.
Nark
Macho Superpilot
I think there is a fallacy that Delta, UA and AA are poaching multiple degree'd A320 typed, military pilots. Thats not the case.
I don't know the exact attrition rate, but I do know it is very low.
The biggest concern is the rate of failures during the initial training.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
I’ll tell you this, I was never bored! You don’t have time to be bored.
Autothrust Blue, thank you. You make great points. looking back on things myself as a sort of debrief, I do not think I did the best job of explaining what I learned from my second resignation. I believe that not only do the interviewers want to see that I took ownership from that, but also what I learned from that. in addition, turning a negative into a positive, I dropped the ball on that. I just explained the facts honestly, but did not do a great job as previously mentioned.
I do however, have six months to practice better explaining these issues in the future prior to reapplying with Spirit.The only other issues I’ve had in my past are a busted CFI ride, and a busted Commercial ride over 15 years ago. That maybe had something to do with things. However, they did not seem to be interested in that, did not even ask about why or what happened with those checkrides.
I thought that by doing a great job at my current airline with many different training type rides that would have helped make things even out from my past, but Apparently not.
I do however, have six months to practice better explaining these issues in the future prior to reapplying with Spirit.The only other issues I’ve had in my past are a busted CFI ride, and a busted Commercial ride over 15 years ago. That maybe had something to do with things. However, they did not seem to be interested in that, did not even ask about why or what happened with those checkrides.
I thought that by doing a great job at my current airline with many different training type rides that would have helped make things even out from my past, but Apparently not.
Nark
Macho Superpilot
@Skyway Lick your wounds and come back in 6 months.
Once upon a time ago, I used to conduct interviews. One guy was doing really well until he mentioned something slightly sexist. To him, you could tell, it was a common "phrase" in his vernacular. To HR and even a dumb line pilot, I could tell that interview went south faster than Canadians after halloween.
Walking out, he was oblivious. I don't do interviews anymore, but it's an example of a TBNT where this guy is probably unaware oh his mess up.
Once upon a time ago, I used to conduct interviews. One guy was doing really well until he mentioned something slightly sexist. To him, you could tell, it was a common "phrase" in his vernacular. To HR and even a dumb line pilot, I could tell that interview went south faster than Canadians after halloween.
Walking out, he was oblivious. I don't do interviews anymore, but it's an example of a TBNT where this guy is probably unaware oh his mess up.
D
Deleted member 27505
Guest
Lead with, "I've got Spirit, yes I do. I've got Spirit, how 'bout you?"
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Those companies work because pilots in general are type A and don’t interview well. Quite a few do and can. But by and large, they don’t and that’s why the interview prep businesses are taking in cash.
I’m not trying anymore for the big 3 ever since I pulled the trigger and moved to California. But if I had gotten an interview, I would not have used any professional prep company like Emerald Coast. I keep hearing the, “why would you risk a 7-8+ million dollar career by not doing the prep?”
Meh. My answer is I know I interview well and every job interview I ever had, I was hired. I wouldn’t change any of that and let some organization “train” me differently to answer interview questions. Most nearly all of what they ask is common sense. You shouldn’t need to know that “Why Spirit” and “why not Delta or what if Delta calls?” are basically asking the same thing. Why you here wanting to work for Spirit?
To each their own - do prep if that makes you comfortable. I think Emrald Coast is so confident about their service they’ll refund money if you don’t get hired. That’s a good testament of what they offer, sounds like an overwhelming majority get hired and the few that don’t, it’s a very small loss to refund.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
I am less than impressed that they considered getting hired at my employer a “gimme,” (fully half of those interviewed when I interviewed were bounced) but considering it started as a bunch of MILbros teaching fighter draggers to speak civilian or whatever, well, whatever. The short colonel runs a good business in my view.
I do think their product and methods are on average pretty good. I think Centerline is marginally better if for no other reason that Camielle works there.
It has its place as you describe, and sadly, this is very much an arms race; not unlike building the Minuteman or whichever Cold War metaphor is appropriate, you’d better do whatever everyone else is doing. I’d generally agree there are a few things people walk right into if not coached a bit too.
That said, I sometimes wonder if people don’t actually have any good flying stories of their own (most of my TMAATs were “oh, like last week” — hooray for being an RJ Captain) or if they really are sufficiently inarticulate so as to not be able to tell them.