Providing Learning Opportunities for Our Students

Pilots and recruiters from Republic Airways hosted an interview preparation workshop at Sierra Charlie Aviation for our students on July 18th.  They walked us through what to expect from an airline interview and the best tips for preparing ahead of time. These are our key takeaways.

When you are getting ready to apply for an airline job, it is important to get organized. Make sure you have tabbed all important flights in your logbooks, like checkrides, so that interviewers can easily verify your currency.  Be thorough and complete with your resume and cover letter, explaining any gaps in employment, including education.  It’s always better to disclose more than less, you don’t want to seem like you are hiding information or being dishonest.  This is especially important with checkride failures.  It’s okay to have a few checkride failures.  Just be ready to explain why they happened and what you learned.

When it comes to your resume, be brief (one page). Include relevant dates, flight hours, experience, qualification and all certificates/ratings.  Leave out unnecessary pictures/colors and non-aviation related hobbies.  And be sure you proofread!

At Republic Airways, there are two interviews: a panel interview with pilots and an HR representative, and a technical knowledge test.  Always be yourself in interviews but maintain professionalism.  Answer all questions honestly. The best way to convey knowledge is with a story-telling format that relays your experiences and thought processes with a clear and concise beginning, middle and end.

To help you remember key instances, keep a flight journal so you can write down your experiences.  You’ll be expected to explain situations, your actions, thoughts, and the result in your interview.  Key examples include: What is the most stressful flying situation you have been in?  How do you handle flying with a difficult person?  What is the most frightening thing that has happened to you while flying?

Above all make sure you highlight what you learned from each experience, and never admit to doing anything illegal while flying.