I have done several pilot interviews with several different airlines over the years. As someone with a bit of experience now, let me start by saying: don’t let failures deter you. I have failed about 2 or 3 interviews with smaller carriers, but succeeded with a couple major ones. Airline interviews are hard. They are especially hard if you have no experience, because chances are, there are hundreds of other candidates answering the same questions with the same answers.
Of all my interviews, there are several themes that remain consistent:
1) They are looking for the right fit (are you alright to hang out with after a long flight or pairing?)
2) They are looking to see if you can turn a negative into a positive (not only is it hard to fly with someone who complains all the time, but having perspective is an indicator of good decision making.)
3) They want to see you are not a robot. (As I said, many candidates answer the same questions with the same answers)
4) How you will make the career work (they don’t want someone finish their training only to be unhappy with their circumstances).
5) An honest passion for aviation
The best advice I can give you is prepare well. Come up with interesting stories, and truly express what aviation means for you (jot down a few points). Don’t try to sound desperate (like how you said you would be unhappy if you don’t get in to your girlfriend), but instead explain concisely how you are going to make things work out. Avoid answering questions with a negative answer, and if you do, you must try to follow up with a positive response.
You must also have a clear idea of how you will thrive if you do get hired by the airline. How will you live? What hobbies can you pursue? If your girlfriend or family doesn’t want you going down this path, then you must have a response ready on how you managed to convince them (again, don’t try to sound desperate).
I highly recommend reading a book or two on airline interviews if you have time. “Checklist for success” is a good one, as it has helped me in the past.
Finally, try your best to have fun. You should be professional, but also positive. It can be hard sometimes when your interviewers give you a blank or glaring face, but also keep in mind that that may be also their job. They want to hire you, and the important thing is to give them the right reasons to do so.
(Edit: The two areas in your responses of which I think you need to work on is your response about your girlfriend and how you said your 8 to 5 job is boring. The girlfriend part seems a bit unconvincing. If you are going to bash your 8 to 5 schedule, you need to come up with why working shifts at odd hours for the airlines is a better alternative, because having a messed up circadian rhythm is not exactly great for the health. If you’ve worked shifts before and enjoy it more, then maybe mention that instead)
Last edited by MrAndy; 27th Mar 2018 at 01:05.