Non Competitive to Highly Competitive applicant

[DeltaT]

Just something I thought interesting to put up for discussion.

As pilots quite a lot of us have strong opinions regarding HR.
An advert for CV services came out recently and it got me thinking.

If an applicant can receive a "Not competitive" answer to an application, and then re write their CV (and I don't mean change their experience!), re-submit, and now become "Highly Competitive" and get an interview, how well are HR doing their job the first time around?

Yes I am sure there is magical formating and keywords aka the mysteries of CVs playing a part, but the same information is there. Unlike other professions our literal hours of experience can play a big part in getting a flying job. Surely there are only so many ways of expressing that.

[Berealgetreal]

The standard punctuation, grammar and presentation are crucial. I'd be pretty confident in saying that you can't afford a single error. My GA cv was one page, no bull**** just all the data and one punchy cover letter. The Airline one was more pages and had more detail but again in point form with headings. I would spend HOURS perfecting them and revising them over the years.

I guess the rest is supply, demand and what they are looking for.

[Gligg]

If the supply/demand equation is in your favour, a butcher's paper and crayon resume would do just fine!

[RadioSaigon]

PML Gligg -where's the bloody Like button ;-)

[Sunfish]

Look at it from the poor HR managers position…

She has Fifty applications on her desk. She has a set of criteria to match.

She knows nothing about technical aspects of aviation.

She has less then a day to come up with a short list for interview by the Chief Pilot.

Said Chief Pilot is a bastard who will bite her head off if she wastes his time by presenting an obviously deficient candidate.

So she starts culling:

1. Dirty, badly presented, badly formatted, bad spelling and/or bad grammar? Probably a very poor communicator who will not present well and cannot learn quickly - "flick".

2. Non existent covering letter or one that demonstrates:

(a) Poor salesmanship.

(b) Does not assert that the applicant exactly meets the criteria.

(c Contains wordy bullshyte explaining why they don't meet the criteria but think they could do the job anyway because….

(d) Says that although the job is beneath them, they might take it if something else falls through….

(e) Misspells the name of the Airline or thinks they are applying to a competitor.

- "Flick"

We have now winnowed our pile a bit, so we go further….

3. Does the covering letter address each criteria in turn and explain quickly how the applicant meets it?

- Yes, place the resume in the "read" pile.

- No, place the resume in the "maybe" pile.

4. Now we read the resumes in the "read" pile…..

Is the resume concise and starts with secondary education and onwards in chronological order with no unexplained breaks? Does the experience match criteria?

5. Are there referees who are contactable?

6. Did the applicant list their email, mobile and other contact details and of course ask for an interview?

7. We now have a hopefully small pile of people to contact for interview.


The Sunfish covering letter:

"I refer to your job application for xxx number yyy as advertised in ggg dated kkk. I believe I have the skills and experience necessary for the job and would like to be considered.

With reference to your stated criteria, I offer the following:

(1) 100 hours on space shuttle, I have 125 hrs.

(2) PhD in fine arts, I was granted mine by Oxford University in 2013.

(3) etc. etc.

My attached resume provides supporting detail.

In addition, I offer that I am the nephew of the Minister Of Aviation and I could be available to start work at twenty four hours notice.

I believe that I have the skills and experience to contribute to Underground Airways and I believe it would be worthwhile to discuss the matter further. Please contact me on ---------, ddd@hfhfhfhf to arrange a mutually convenient time for for an interview.

Please contact me If you would like further information or if I can help with any other matter.

Yours Sincerely,

Sunfish"

[zanthrus]

LOL! Sunny. :ok:

[Buttscratcher]

Actually, Sunny is 100% correct
Unfortunately no joke

Years ago, a mate jumped the Blue-queue by finding the HR person's birthday, and sending her Flowers

[Stationair8]

I am amazed by the chief pilots who get sucked in with HR people's pick!

If you were a chief pilot wouldn't be a look through the resumes and sort the good from the bad.

For the job seekers out their HR people new buzz word is volunteering-apparently that just ticks all the boxes.

Family friend just gained a very well paid position with a major Australian company the deal sealer was they had spent time as a volunteer on a community project. Personally I would rather go to the pub for a pint.

[Anthill]

Buttscratcher,

Your mate was lucky with the birthday and flowers routine. A lot of people, including myself, would find that pretty creepy. I don't think that I would employ someone who stalks members of staff. Would that behavior continue in the workplace? He's fortunate that he go an interview and that no body called the police.

[Buttscratcher]

Yes, odd, creepy, and we all told him so, but it worked
Go figure
At that time, there were a few of us Aussies OS and wanting to come home, but bags of Large Jet Command time couldn't get us an interview with that mob. We had a standing joke that you needed to be current on a Navajo or Metro freighter to get a look in
That said, maybe their cover letter was sharper than mine

[Howard Hughes]

CV attached to a slab never worked for me, maybe I should have attached it to a bottle of single malt! ;)

[Pinky the pilot]

I seem to remember a post on this site many many moons ago, referring to cv's etc where the poster stated that he once received a cv which on the cover sheet featured a photograph of a semi naked female!:ooh::eek:

Underneath the piccy were the words
Now that I have your attention, please read on.

It was sent by a Male and from what I remember from the post; He got the job!:E

I would not recommend anyone try such an approach though.:=

[neville_nobody]

Your mate was lucky with the birthday and flowers routine. A lot of people, including myself, would find that pretty creepy. I don't think that I would employ someone who stalks members of staff.

Depends how you view that. Sounds like he really wants to work there. It's a way of getting yourself known. As long as he doesn't start chasing her down the street after work.

It's just an extension of what has gone on in GA forever with people trying to get jobs. So to try and 'differentiate' themselves they go and wash the boss's car, clean aeroplanes, do the books for free etc etc

Not saying that it's right, it's just shows how hard it is to get jobs in aviation and the stupidity that you are up against.

Whilst painful, I think the QF system of where everybody pays and basically everybody gets screened once is actually probably a fairer system for all, rather than the 'who do you know' method.

[Buttscratcher]

G'day Nev
Yeah, remember the Blue Buddy Member system, or whatever they called it? You needed 2 mates already in there to vouch for you (maybe that's still the case. Thats disturbing!

[The Wawa Zone]

Wonder if 'HR' look for people with horse riding, sailing, motorbike riding and Tradies background ?

Buddy system ? That works of as long as the buddies realise that if their mate stuffs up then they wear it as well !