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CHAPTER 1. 2. 3. Introduction .. Pg 2 Phone Interview .. Pg 3 The Panel Interview First Impressions .. Pg 5 The Format of a typical Panel Interview Pg 6 4. How to Answer the Questions Three most important questions . Pg 7 Other powerful questions . Pg 20 Overcoming negatives Ive been fired .. Pg 24 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Behavioral questions .. Pg 26 Technical Questions ... Pg 36 Scenario Based Questions Pg 40 Group Exercises ... Pg 42 Helpdesk Pg 43
Airline pilot interviews have evolved dramatically over the last decade. Gone are the days of two check captains rigorously probing your aerodynamic technical knowledge. Nowadays the interview team will generally consist of at least one member of the human resources department and representatives of flight ops. The modern airline interview is now centered around the behavioral based concept developed by human resource teams around the world and can seemingly have very little to do with aviation. Behavioral based interviews work on the premise that how you have conducted yourself in the past is an indication of how you will perform in the future. There are three general categories of behavioral questions: 1. Example Based Questions 2. Negative or Difficult Questions 3. Open Ended Questions Pilots are very good at what they do but tend to perform poorly when faced with this type of job interview. This work booklet will give you guidance and examples on how to approach and prepare for your interview. This booklet has been designed to be used in conjunction with the Virtual Interview Program. Whilst not designed to provide you with the answers, they must be your own words and experiences, it will help you structure and deliver your responses in a clear and concise manner. We are here to help, so please do not hesitate to get in touch with us should you feel you have a question that we have not been able to answer for you. Best of luck!
A pre-interview telephone screening assessment is becoming an increasingly common tool used by Human Resource Departments around the world. It is essential to ensure your phone interview is a pre booked appointment and not an impromptu telephone call. If the phone call is taken and you are not ready, explain to the caller that you are not in a position to take the call, take their name and number and call them back at a time that suits you, or book in an appointment that is mutually convenient. This will not be considered rude nor will it jeopardize your chance of success. The phone interview is your first step in getting that dream job; it must be treated seriously and not dismissed as just a friendly chat with someone from the recruitment office. Remember to remain professional even if they dont. TIPS: Make an appointment for the phone interview ensuring you can take the call at a time that will allow you not to be distracted and you are in a quiet location. Remain professional, remembering this is an interview. Refer to your notes but dont read from them, use bullet points for reference. Stay upbeat, positive and passionate. Use short, clear and concise answers. Whilst the interview will normally last 10- 15 minutes, be prepared to clear an hour of your time so as not to be time pressured. There are several standard questions that must be asked and this will allow you to prepare in advance. During your preparation write your answers in point form. During the interview this will allow you to refer to your notes whilst still ensuring your answers are fresh, natural and unscripted. The opening questions will normally confirm the information that they have about you is correct. Your contact information, licenses, ratings and flying hours. Know your CV and make sure it is up to date.
Notes _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
From the moment you walk into the building your interview has begun. Everybody from the doorman to the receptionist is watching you and they will all form an opinion so the old saying about first impressions applies from the moment you walk in the door until youre safely out of the building. Within seconds of meeting someone a first impression is made and that impression is virtually irreversible. That vital first few minutes of meeting the interviewers, your greeting, handshake, smile and body language will determine how your interviewers will perceive you and the tone for the day will be set. If their opinion of you is positive then throughout the day they will be looking at your actions and answers to confirm it, if it is negative they will be looking for negatives to confirm their opinion. Much of what is required to make a good impression is common sense. But with a little extra thought and preparation, you can hone your intuitive style and make that first impression not just good but great. Just remember you want to be the standout candidate, but for the right reasons! TIPS; Dress should be neat, tidy and appropriate. There is no such thing as over dressing in a job interview, however it is best to be conservative. A confident handshake, but not too firm, making eye contact with your opposite. Have a pleasant and warm smile. Make positive small talk, this will help to settle your nerves. Be courteous and attentive. Have a positive, confident outlook on the day.
You have worked hard for this day, dont blow it by making a joke
thats taken the wrong way. I have seen too many jokes back fire on the candidate, its not professional and has no place in todays professional job interview. copyright2010 Flightdeck Consulting Page 5 of 43
Try an example for yourself _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
It is essential to rehearse this answer, however it must come over as fresh, interesting and unscripted. The best way to achieve this is by keeping the manner and grammar of your answer informal, as if you are chatting to a friend over coffee. It needs to come from the heart and have your passion and enthusiasm shine through. Stories about your time in a particular company will keep the panel interested as well as making your answer personal to you. The importance of this is that when the company has the wash up of all the interviewees for the week they will review the notes on your particular interview. You want to stand out through keeping your answers interesting, not by a scripted, perfectly worded answer that is impersonal. When you discuss employment at a company always talk about the positives of your time there. If you find that there are areas where you had difficultly in certain positions and times in your career the less said the better.
Telling horror stories about previous employers can be discussed at the bar, AFTER YOU GET THE JOB!!!!
Remember, everything is positive, all is good, you are an upbeat and happy person with a fantastic outlook on life! If this persona is displayed then this is how the interviewers will remember you. If you come across as a negative person who has had a hard career and feels hard done by, then the interviewers will go away with a negative outlook on your performance and certainly think twice about employing someone with those characteristics.
If you have areas of non-aviation employment then by all means mention it, however keep it brief. For example
From 2002 to 2004 I was employed in various IT positions for two major communications companies based out of Sydney.
TIPS; Talk slowly and emphasis the important information. Be sincere, passionate and positive! Dont waffle or repeat yourself, keep it short and to the point. Be clear, concise whilst using positive words. Never make a personal comment or opinion on someone or something. Add in short examples of your time in particular companies NOTES__________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
Other variants of this question can be: What attributes will you be bringing with you? Why should we hire you? How do you stand out amongst the other candidates? How would your current manager describe you? What are your strengths? We are interviewing 20 people for one position, why should you get the job? o The candidate before you has an impressive resume, why should we hire you over him? o What do you have to offer over and above the other candidates we are interviewing today? o o o o o o
SELL YOURSELF!
I am dedicated to my career, I worked part time in the hospitality industry for over three years in order to support my passion for flying and to maintain my interest in aviation. On completion of my CPL I packed my bags and headed North to Darwin in hope of finding work. After 3 months of cleaning hangars I was offered my first charter flight with the company. I was told it was in reward for putting in so much hard work and dedication. I stayed with that company for over 3 years, during which time I moved up through the ranks until I was flying RPT multi-crew operations on Dash-8s. I am also very reliable. I am more than happy to help out in anyway that I can and my company know that they can always rely on me. Recently the company found themselves short staffed at the last minute so they called me on a day off, I was in the pre-flight briefing within the hour. In the past I have also helped out with extensions of duty when requested. I am very passionate about my flying career, from a very young age I have loved aviation. I still to this day collect model aircraft and am always excited to go to work and never think of it as a chore. I wear my uniform with pride and I am always striving to do the best job possible on every flight. *I am also very honest and approachable. I am not afraid to admit fault, own up to a problem or speak up if I feel I need to. I believe my honesty and positive outlook on life also makes me more approachable. In the past I have often found myself being approached by the new guy who has numerous questions about our operation and I am more than happy to sit down and go over things to help out in my spare time. These are qualities I will bring with me to Virtual Airlines.
Know your opening and closing statements by heart and make them powerful!
Below are some descriptive words to get you started. Motivated Hard working Focused Calm Composed Reliable Integrity Emphatic Passionate Positive Responsible Approachable Gentle Dedicated Loyal Leadership Show initiative Respectful Energetic Professional Active Flexible Patient Communicator Driven Team Player Enthusiastic Unfazed Honest Friendly Relaxed
Choose five descriptive words to expand on. 1. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ copyright2010 Flightdeck Consulting Page 14 of 43
2. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
Now try combining the five words into a complete answer. Q. How do you stand out from other candidates? A._____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
Virgin Blue has an innovative approach to business with a very dynamic and forward way of thinking. I really like how they think outside of the square with their advertising campaigns. The company has a secure financial position with recent expansions internationally into the Asia Pacific region providing plenty of opportunity for advancement. They have a modern fleet of aircraft that are highly efficient, flying to interesting destinations around Australia and the Pacific. Everyone within the company seems to have an energy about them that is contagious, they are open, upbeat and friendly. On a personal note working for Virgin Blue would offer me a long-term stable career with boundless opportunities in an environment that is enjoyable, ever changing and one that I would be very proud to be a part of.
If I am fortunate to be offered positions with both companies I will stick to my original goal of working with Jetblue. Jetblue can offer me the opportunities to fly a range of aircraft both domestically and internationally and I believe has the right culture fit for me as a person
Word of WARNING! Avoid at all cost any situation or answer that may be construed as being negative. Focus on the positives of the company you are interviewing for. NOTE: In the example above there was no mention of XYZ Airlines. What dont you like about your current job? This is an example of a negative question. Mention what you like about the position-- then move on to what the job doesnt offer you. I am currently a Captain on the Dash-8-400, I love the flying, the people and the company, however my career goal is to be a Jet Airline Captain and unfortunately my current company is unable to offer me this.
When addressing negative questions it is best to keep the information to a minimum, short and to the point. Dont labor the situation, you will sound like you are making excuses and that you are trying to convince the interview team of your point of view, this can only lead to a negative outcome. Short, to the point and move on. copyright2010 Flightdeck Consulting Page 21 of 43
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------How do you cope with stress in general? I recognize the problem and make an effort to deal with it. I spend time with my friends, go to BBQs and take time out for myself. I take the family dog for a walk. I find that by going surfing and mountain bike riding I can clear my mind. I go to the movies, read a book, meditate. I talk with my girlfriend/ wife/ colleagues about the problem and ask for their advice, opinion.
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During the downturn of 2008 I found myself un-employed for a period of six months. Whilst still actively job hunting I filled in my extra time by starting a fitness regime of cycling, swimming and yoga. For mental stimulation every Friday I worked as a volunteer at the local school library.
If you were let go by your last employer state what you learnt from the experience.
Following a disagreement with my chief pilot over I was let go of my position. It was a good learning experience for me. After much self-analysis of the situation I came to the realization that by listening more carefully to my chief pilot I would have avoided the conflict and the end result. copyright2010 Flightdeck Consulting Page 24 of 43
In the previous example we have not avoided fault, havent made excuses and have turned the situation into a learning experience. When addressing negative questions it is best to keep the information to a minimum, short and to the point. Dont labor the situation, you will sound like you are making excuses and that you are trying to convince the interview team of your point of view, this can only lead to a negative outcome. An acronym we encourage you to use is
SAS
TELL US ABOUT A TIME ..? These type of questions are known as behavioral questions and the theory, rightly or wrongly is that how you have behaved, reacted, managed, conducted yourself in the past is an indication of how you will behave in the future. They are a feature of the modern job interview and can be quite daunting to the unprepared. Behavioral questions generally fall into three categories. 1. Example Based Question 2. Open Ended Questions. 3. Difficult or Negative Questions. In preparation for these questions we recommend putting together a list of at least five scenarios that you have PERSONNALLY been Involved with. They must be aviation related. Once you have thought out and planned your examples you can adapt them to virtually any question that is thrown at you. If the interview is purely based on behavioral questions (No Technical questions) it is advised to come up with at least eight scenarios. The following areas must be covered; o Planning o Teamwork o Conflict o Communication o Error making and recovery Write down a short example for the following. 1. When have you been involved with a task that had a deadline?
(Hint; ATPLs or aircraft conversions are good for this example.)
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. A time you have had difficulty working with a colleague?
(Hint; Be honest, say what was difficult, dont offer excuses, end on how you dealt with it.)
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. When you had to change your communication style to suit your audience.
(Hint; Someone where English was their second language, or a non aviation person.)
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 5. When have you have not performed to your managers expectations?
(Hint; This should be early on in your career when mistakes are expected to be made).
S. A. O.
S A O = = = The Situation. The Action Taken. The Outcome.
Give an example of a time you had to act quickly on your feet? This is an example-based question. The Situation. I was operating a charter flight from Moree to Brisbane in a Cessna 310 with four passengers on board. On reaching the circuit area and lowering the landing gear I received both visual and oral cues that the left gear was not fully extended. The Action Taken. I silenced the warning horn by retracting the flaps, which both calmed the passengers and allowed me to focus on the task at hand. I actioned the appropriate checklist which included manually extending the landing gear. This gave me the required three green lights indicating the gear was down and locked. To further confirm the gear was down I requested a fly by of the tower. After confirmation by the tower I extended the landing flaps to ensure there was no warning horn. The Outcome. I completed my landing checklist and made a normal approach and landing. On disembarking the group leader commented on my calm demeanor and professionalism during a tense situation.
Most airlines will ask technical questions during the interview. The types of questions will range from Instrument Flight Rules, General Aeronautical Knowledge, Meteorology, and Aerodynamics etc. The best information available on these questions will be found in your own notes, manuals as well as forums or pilot chat websites. As the range of technical questions is vast it is not the intention of this work booklet to provide answers to all the questions but to provide you with guidance on how to structure your answers. You will be asked questions on your current aircraft type, routes and destinations you serve. Be sure you study up on these items. When structuring your answers be sure to keep your response short and to the point. Dont allow yourself the opportunity to get confused and tangled up. If the interviewer requires more detail let them ask for it.
TCAS is an acronym for Traffic Collision Avoidance System. It provides co-coordinated maneuvers to the pilots of aircraft that are transponder equipped in order to avoid a collision.
Now wait for the interviewer to ask further questions. copyright2010 Flightdeck Consulting Page 36 of 43
Winglets reduce drag by preventing the mixing of the upper and lower airflow
Induced Drag
Some aircraft have winglets to reduce drag by preventing the mixing of the upper and lower airflow therefore reducing wingtip vortices therefore reducing induced drag resulting in decreased fuel burn and therefore increase range. Induced drag is at its highest during take off and landing BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
How many alert modes are there? It consists of seven modes all of which have a voice announcement to bring the pilots attention to the immediate threat. Such as Terrain, Pull Up.
Ok, What is enhanced GPWS? Enhanced GPWS uses a built in terrain database which combined with GPS allows the system to look forward rather than just vertically as is the case with traditional GPWS, ultimately giving the pilots more time to react.
Examples Of Commonly Asked Questions What is the missed approach obstacle clearance? What happens to stall speed as load factor increases? What are your actions in the event of windshear on take off? Why does the B747 have wing tips and the B777 doesnt? Why does the airbus A330/A340 carry fuel in the tail? Describe to us the carioles effect? What do you know about typhoons in the Asia Pacific region? What is ETOPS?
Building questions can play an important part in an interview, some airlines like to place the candidate under stress by asking a no win situation question. They want to see how you handle the stress and whether or not you dig yourself a hole and if so how you handle it? Your Captain breaks a rule in flight, what do you do about it? I would bring it to his attention, maybe he didnt realize he made the error. Ok now that you have brought it to his attention, he tells you he is a senior check Captain and to mind your own business, what will you do now? I would say that I was new in this position and that my understanding of the Standard Operating Procedures was .. I would explain that I have a command to look forward to and that I would like to keep a clean slate with work and not have any incidents on record, so whilst we fly together do you mind if WE stick to the normal procedures.
How far would you take the matter? If it become a flight safety risk such as an unstable approach and no corrective action was taken I would firmly call Go Around, if there was still no action taken I would be obliged to take over. If it was a blatant act of breaking rules and he continued to do it on the following sectors I would advise him that if he didnt stop that I would be forced to submit a flight safety report The best way around awkward situations is to point out the basic facts and the company procedures and then put the onus back on the Captain. Always give someone the opportunity to own up to an incident before you go and report it to the chief pilot, always inform the person you are going to report him or her.
During the group exercises you will be separated into groups of 8-10 and assigned identical tasks to the other groups. There is normally a time limit and some form of a problem to solve. Sometimes you will be given a problem to solve without all of the information and other times it may require using your own experience and knowledge to complete a task. You will be observed from a distance by the facilitators. They will observe how you behave in a team environment. The facilitators are looking for is a variety of characteristics. These can be summarized below. Team interaction and participation. Ability to speak up and voice your own opinion in front of the group. Leadership skills without being overbearing. Ability to follow orders. Friendliness and respect towards your work colleagues. Your overall personality.
The facilitators on the day are looking for an overall behavior that will suit their airlines own aircrew profile. Always be upbeat and positive. Dont be afraid to speak up if required, however remember to follow instructions and respect others in the group. Balance is the key. An example of a typical group exercise can be found in the online program.
Should you require any further help with your interview preparation please do not hesitate to contact us at info@flightdeckconsulting.com We also offer one on one coaching sessions. Please contact us for further details. Best of luck with your airline interview. From the team at FLIGHTDECK CONSULTING.
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