Interview Questions from Hell
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Interviewer : "Why do you want to work for us?"
Applicant : "Let me tell you something. I responded to an advert which made the company sound like a market leader and the position one which I would find interesting and enjoyable. After sitting in your tatty reception area and listening to the receptionist's inane personal conversations and babbling whilst you kept me waiting for over half an hour after the agreed time to see you, when I had the courtesy and foresight to arrive early for the appointment, and I wasn't even offered an apology, let alone a cup of tea, I don't want to work for you. I have seen how you treat potential employees and customers and it's not for me.
Interviewer: "So you're not interested in the position?"
Applicant : "Does it sound as if I am?"
Interviewer : "No, but you might be the right person to help us to improve our own working conditions and the perception people have of us."
True story, because I was the applicant! And I didn't take the job.
Applicant : "Let me tell you something. I responded to an advert which made the company sound like a market leader and the position one which I would find interesting and enjoyable. After sitting in your tatty reception area and listening to the receptionist's inane personal conversations and babbling whilst you kept me waiting for over half an hour after the agreed time to see you, when I had the courtesy and foresight to arrive early for the appointment, and I wasn't even offered an apology, let alone a cup of tea, I don't want to work for you. I have seen how you treat potential employees and customers and it's not for me.
Interviewer: "So you're not interested in the position?"
Applicant : "Does it sound as if I am?"
Interviewer : "No, but you might be the right person to help us to improve our own working conditions and the perception people have of us."
True story, because I was the applicant! And I didn't take the job.
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Why do you want to work with us?
hmmm.... some thinking, well for sure it is not for the money! I like to spend time alone away from the wife, haven't got money to call her and listen to her nagging, so I guess it will give some freedom!
Don't worry about me going out drinking, because with this salary I can probably barely pay my own rent! But don't worry, I will be ready for work whenever you want, even if you don't pay me to be standby, so I actually just sit around waiting, can't do anything, because I am waiting for the call if you will need me! I love to be used this way, please SM me more!!!!!
hmmm.... some thinking, well for sure it is not for the money! I like to spend time alone away from the wife, haven't got money to call her and listen to her nagging, so I guess it will give some freedom!
Don't worry about me going out drinking, because with this salary I can probably barely pay my own rent! But don't worry, I will be ready for work whenever you want, even if you don't pay me to be standby, so I actually just sit around waiting, can't do anything, because I am waiting for the call if you will need me! I love to be used this way, please SM me more!!!!!
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Well we can dream of they day until we have the experience, so we become the pilots there are shortage of, than we will make you pay!!!!
Until that day, we will live on peanuts and behave like monkeys, nah sorry I meant like Russians and Polish used to be in the 80's! No offense, but i remember the days they used to come here to west Europe, live 10 in a room, bring all their food with them from home, and their only joy was a bottle of Vodka they would share!
Pilots have become the underclass of today! Great, and still we want it, go figure, we really got to be nuts!
By the way I have been working all night, so I am not really sure if it is relevant what I have written now!
We just want to fly away!
Until that day, we will live on peanuts and behave like monkeys, nah sorry I meant like Russians and Polish used to be in the 80's! No offense, but i remember the days they used to come here to west Europe, live 10 in a room, bring all their food with them from home, and their only joy was a bottle of Vodka they would share!
Pilots have become the underclass of today! Great, and still we want it, go figure, we really got to be nuts!
By the way I have been working all night, so I am not really sure if it is relevant what I have written now!
We just want to fly away!
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Since we are going over the topic of what questions are asked by airlines, how about posting some questions to ask them, I have come up with a few but it can be difficult in deciding a question to ask them in which (if you have done your research) you should already know the answer, especially like me, who has never had an airline interview.
I know I might get the comedians out on this one but some serious questions would be good too.
Thanks.
I know I might get the comedians out on this one but some serious questions would be good too.
Thanks.
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It's up to them
One I always ask is "where would YOU like to base me"?
It's a shame it's that way around but that's airlines for you. Not too bothered about what's going on in your life, it's more about them!
Strangest questions I was asked was by a psychologist during assessment. "draw me an imaginary animal..." so I did..."what do you have in common with this imaginary animal?" I replied I had nothing in common with it since it was imaginary and I would look crazy saying I did. I got the job.
It's a shame it's that way around but that's airlines for you. Not too bothered about what's going on in your life, it's more about them!
Strangest questions I was asked was by a psychologist during assessment. "draw me an imaginary animal..." so I did..."what do you have in common with this imaginary animal?" I replied I had nothing in common with it since it was imaginary and I would look crazy saying I did. I got the job.
Last edited by skyhigher; 18th May 2012 at 17:02.
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A question a friend of mine got asked was, 'have you applied to any other airlines?' He is a low houred pilot looking for his first job so of course he has applied to every airline known to man and answered 'yes', he didnt get the job. What would your answer be?
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...and answered 'yes', he didnt get the job.
What would your answer be?
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I asked a guy at a Flybe interview what he preferred to fly, the Embraer or the Dash 8 because he had flown both?
He gave me the worst answer and just said he like them both equally "because they are both aircraft". Such a crap answer and if they had asked me something about my preference between them and I had given that answer even though I haven't even had flown them, they wouldn't have been very happy with such a cop-out answer.
Just proves what a load of nonsense an interview is.
The reason I asked the question in the first place was because I thought it would lead onto a more friendly laid back chat about it which is when you can really show your personality.
He gave me the worst answer and just said he like them both equally "because they are both aircraft". Such a crap answer and if they had asked me something about my preference between them and I had given that answer even though I haven't even had flown them, they wouldn't have been very happy with such a cop-out answer.
Just proves what a load of nonsense an interview is.
The reason I asked the question in the first place was because I thought it would lead onto a more friendly laid back chat about it which is when you can really show your personality.
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boys and girls
in any interview, you would not be granted the interview unless you were pretty
close to the requirements of the job.
the key thing is to think like this...would this person interviewing you, want to have dinner with you at their house or on an overnight (non sexual of course).
now...let's tackle some of those questions:
what is the ROLE of the First Officer? To keep the best job in the world fun.
Its Christmas eve...blah blah...nav light out...? YOu say: well , if its the red one (port wing) I grab Rudolph the rednosed reindeer, tie him to the wing and tell him to GLOW BOY GLOW.
IF its the green one, I take the light off the red side, put it on the green side (under the color lens) and repeat with rudolph the above.
and if the interviwer isn't laughing yet, say: I would do the same thing I would do on any other day of the year...get it fixed...but to really be an excellent pilot...YOU MAKE DAMN SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING RIGHT BY GETTING TO THE PLANE EARLY AND CHECKING IT OUT. A good pilot knows what grounds a plane and takes effort, extra effort to make sure things are going well, even if it is above and beyond.
By the way, most big planes have a spare set of lights aboard somewhere.
Also...my beloved DC9 dealt with it very well by having TWO lights under the same color lens...so if one was out, the other was sufficent.a
WHY do I want to work for your company? Because Delta airlines hasn't called me yet.
The captain is going below minimums...what do I do? Well, I make damn sure we land safely or go around safely...after we are parked, with engines shut down and the wheels chocked I say: IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN I WILL TAKE THE PLANE FROM YOU< COLD COCK YOU AND MAKE IT MY LIFE"S WORK TO GET YOUR PILOT'S License revoked.
I actually said that to a guy who was five knots slow on final. We parked and I told him never to do that again or (see above). We got along great after that and no further problem. We even had the same taste in music (frank sinatra, glenn miller etc) and hooked up a tape deck to the PA system for boarding music!
Go, INTERVIEW...have fun with it....hoar frost? just say its the cold feeling the secret service gets when it doesn't pay for a hooker.
DO you have the pilot's license? Great...you are 90 percent there. Do you fly well? Great, you are 98percent there...do you have a sense of humor? Congratulations!
And the question about forgetting your license/2 sectors etc...your answer is: I wouldn't let that happen...just like I wouldn't show up drunk, and leave early enough to get to work on time even if there was a flat tire.
The one question you might be really troubled with is: Tell us about your good qualities...the first thing you say is that this is the hardest part of the interview for you...and you don't like to blow your own horn (or whatever expression is suitable for europeans)
why should I hire you and not one of the 30 pilots waiting to interview....YOU SAY: if you hire me, you can go home early.
close to the requirements of the job.
the key thing is to think like this...would this person interviewing you, want to have dinner with you at their house or on an overnight (non sexual of course).
now...let's tackle some of those questions:
what is the ROLE of the First Officer? To keep the best job in the world fun.
Its Christmas eve...blah blah...nav light out...? YOu say: well , if its the red one (port wing) I grab Rudolph the rednosed reindeer, tie him to the wing and tell him to GLOW BOY GLOW.
IF its the green one, I take the light off the red side, put it on the green side (under the color lens) and repeat with rudolph the above.
and if the interviwer isn't laughing yet, say: I would do the same thing I would do on any other day of the year...get it fixed...but to really be an excellent pilot...YOU MAKE DAMN SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING RIGHT BY GETTING TO THE PLANE EARLY AND CHECKING IT OUT. A good pilot knows what grounds a plane and takes effort, extra effort to make sure things are going well, even if it is above and beyond.
By the way, most big planes have a spare set of lights aboard somewhere.
Also...my beloved DC9 dealt with it very well by having TWO lights under the same color lens...so if one was out, the other was sufficent.a
WHY do I want to work for your company? Because Delta airlines hasn't called me yet.
The captain is going below minimums...what do I do? Well, I make damn sure we land safely or go around safely...after we are parked, with engines shut down and the wheels chocked I say: IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN I WILL TAKE THE PLANE FROM YOU< COLD COCK YOU AND MAKE IT MY LIFE"S WORK TO GET YOUR PILOT'S License revoked.
I actually said that to a guy who was five knots slow on final. We parked and I told him never to do that again or (see above). We got along great after that and no further problem. We even had the same taste in music (frank sinatra, glenn miller etc) and hooked up a tape deck to the PA system for boarding music!
Go, INTERVIEW...have fun with it....hoar frost? just say its the cold feeling the secret service gets when it doesn't pay for a hooker.
DO you have the pilot's license? Great...you are 90 percent there. Do you fly well? Great, you are 98percent there...do you have a sense of humor? Congratulations!
And the question about forgetting your license/2 sectors etc...your answer is: I wouldn't let that happen...just like I wouldn't show up drunk, and leave early enough to get to work on time even if there was a flat tire.
The one question you might be really troubled with is: Tell us about your good qualities...the first thing you say is that this is the hardest part of the interview for you...and you don't like to blow your own horn (or whatever expression is suitable for europeans)
why should I hire you and not one of the 30 pilots waiting to interview....YOU SAY: if you hire me, you can go home early.
By all means have a sense of humour but I'd leave out jokes about prostitutes.
Know where the line is and don't go anywhere near it. Jobs are so hard to come across these days, don't jeopardise your chances with an inappropriate Barrymore joke.
Anyone for a swim?
Know where the line is and don't go anywhere near it. Jobs are so hard to come across these days, don't jeopardise your chances with an inappropriate Barrymore joke.
Anyone for a swim?
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by the way, hoar frost is the same as native american pogonip found in the sierra nevada.
and the hoar frost joke is only funny if you have followed the US secret service and their little mistake in colombia.
and the hoar frost joke is only funny if you have followed the US secret service and their little mistake in colombia.
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I tend to agree with Steven here, a sense of humour is a very important thing.
One I was given was this:
Have you had a conflict in the flight deck and how was it resolved?
Tough one eh???
Well there was the time we only got served Rich Tea biscuits with our cups of tea instead of shortbread! And to make matters worse there was a odd number. Being a good first officer, I let the Captain have the extra one.
One I was given was this:
Have you had a conflict in the flight deck and how was it resolved?
Tough one eh???
Well there was the time we only got served Rich Tea biscuits with our cups of tea instead of shortbread! And to make matters worse there was a odd number. Being a good first officer, I let the Captain have the extra one.
