Failed interview, learned lessons

[moendiz]

Hi all!

This is my first message in this site, hope you help me about my interview and give me feedbacks for improving my skills.

About a month ago, I have been to an interview which did not resulted positive, let me briefly summarize the situation and please tell your opinions about it.

I am an engineer working for two and a half year in a totally different industry. I was not considering to be a pilot till I heard that an airline offers an option for everybody who graduated from university and pays their flying school costs if they succes their interviews and exams etc. So after I heard that opportunity I started searching and the more I search, the more I become passionate about it. Now ı failed the interview but ı got one more chance for it.

there were three person in the interview two of them (one man one woman) were from HR and one of them was a captain pilot.

HRM: please tell us about yourself, your education and your relation about becoming pilot?

Me: Told about my educational background and experiences, the similarities between my current job and pilots responsibilities etc. and how I have heard about the issue and decided to be a pilot.

HRM: why do you want to be a pilot? You are working in a company in which many people want to work and now you want to quit your job and want to start a different career?


ME: Told about my motivation for aviation... and added about dynamic working hours of pilots are also matching more with my character than 8 to five office job.

HRW: u said that u heard that option at 2013 than why did not you apply this job before? ( ı want your ideas especcially for the answer of this question)

ME: After I heard that option I started considering to become a pilot, first I shared my ideas with my girlfriend and family, however their first impressions was like;

girlfriend: you will all be away from home ı will be alone so ı dont want you to be a pilot.

family: you have graduated from hard and reputable university, u gave your years for becoming an engineer and now you want to be a pilot? (my dad has flying fobia btw. :) and they also did not want me to apply.

so honestly ı told what happened in the past. and after ı graduated from university at 2014, I have completed compulsory military service. after that one of the biggest companies of the country called me from a career site and the interviews resulted positive. and ı started working in that company but becoming pilot was always in my mind. furthermore, as a fresh graduate ı was not able to see how boring an 8 to 5 job can become. ( did not tell this to them :)
So after two years of working ı convinced my family and girlfriend for the issue and applied the job.

(After this answer ı think they thought ı am not motivated enough for the job beacuase ı postponed it for other peoples ideas)

HRW: How did you convince ur girlfirend and family?

Me: We are planning to marry next year with my girlfriend and will spend all of our time together. I told her this issue will affect our lives as well. ıf ı do a job which does not satisfy me, I wont be a happy person and indirectly that thing will affect our happines too.

HRW: dont get me wrong but this sounds me very non-physical. isnt there any other more tangible reasons?

Me: ( ı was a little shocked with the answer and the story was true ı convinced her like that) No, ıf you mean money or etc while telling "tangible" i did not convinced her with these kind of things ı just made her believe that i will be a happier person and that will affect all our lives.


----
Captain: U said ur responsibilities for your current job also includes taking fast and accurate decisions and your mistakes can result incidents.

Me: yes.

Captain: and your current job is also stressfull right?

Me: right sir.

Captain: can u score stress level 1 to 10 of ur current job and also score ur stress level if u become a pilot?

Me: (at that time ı thought he wanted to hear their job is very stressfull and not an easy job) so ı scored higher stress level for being a pilot. but now as an outsider ı dont think ı will have more stressfull life, contrary ı think will have less stress. (ı work in a heavy industry where can be dangerous work accidents btw.)

it took 25 minutes and these were the topics which leaded my interview to fail I think. Please share your ideas about it and thank you already four your answers.

[rudestuff]

Don’t worry too much, I wouldn’t class this as a failure - it was for a fully sponsored ab-initio course - you were probably competing against thousands of other people. It’s (almost) not even worth applying. 99.9% of civilian pilots get their licence THEN get a job interview. As a graduate engineer, I assume you’re reasonably well paid? If you are serious about flying you will save, borrow and steal to get trained. Oh and kiss goodbye to having a girlfriend.

[parkfell]

If you are really serious about flying as a career, this will not in anyway deter you.

Go down the modular route so that you can work and pay for your flying. Get your class one medical without delay.
If you have the passion and determination then you will achieve. No question about it.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

[PA28161]

If you are really serious about flying as a career, this will not in anyway deter you.

Go down the modular route so that you can work and pay for your flying. Get your class one medical without delay.
If you have the passion and determination then you will achieve. No question about it.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

Well said Parfell, and Moendiz your girlfriend is being very selfish. Girlfriends are "ten a penny" commercial pilot jobs are not

[moendiz]

Well said Parfell, and Moendiz your girlfriend is being very selfish. Girlfriends are "ten a penny" commercial pilot jobs are not
lol :) she is my future wife :) ı will read this message to her:)

[MrAndy]

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)

[PA28161]

lol :) she is my future wife :) ı will read this message to her:)

I'm sure she'll understand; NOT:\

[rudestuff]

lol :) she is my future wife :) ı will read this message to her:)

Future Ex-wife...

[prate]

It might be worth doing some professional interview training, it could make a big difference for you next time.

[Turbavykas]

You made every mistake possible during this interview. Seems that you are really smart person so try to think what airlines want.
Do they need anybody with well paid job if the salary will not be very good at the beginning?
Do they need anybody with a big family or somebody who can go anywhere in the world on a 5 minute notice and stay there for 12 months work all weekend and holidays?
Do they need anybody who is afraid of the stress?

The best option for you is to get a PPL try to fly and if you survive with your family and really enjoy it that it means your are meant to be a pilot.
It can be very difficult to do 8-5 job and study aviation but possible.
Maybe take a vacation for a month a two go to the USA get PPL there, fly a lot. After that you will know if you want to do that. Aviation is not only flying. A lot of documents paper work as well. Flying is just an additional benefit.
Flying big jets is cool but not always very thrilling. Try to fly gliders, learn aerobatic ect.

[moendiz]

MrAndy;

Thank you very much for your beneficial answer, I have time for the book “Checklist for success” and I will read it.

[ranmen23]

Well said!

[surfino]

as for personal experience i can assure you that the beginning is always difficult, don't worry you seem smart, next time just tell them what they want to hear.
I started doing my first assessment at 250 and they asked me everything regarding everything, from VERY personal questions to very difficult technical questions.
At more than 4000 they asked me stuff like "are you happy to join us?" and as technical questions things like "what is an engine failure" ..
For tips , what MrAndy said is good in my opinion.
Also try to not include so badly the topic "family" on the interview as they can see marriage and kids as something unwanted (for them), show interest and passion when you talk