mcdozer

didn’t get the job ….

I was told during the last interview “500 folks applied, 100 were given an initial screening/technical interview and 12 were selected for the final interview.”

I made it to the final 12 …

Well, I got the bad news a couple weeks later and was told that they went with someone that they already knew and had experience with. I obviously was VERY cordial and thanked them for their time and respectfully requested they keep my info on file for any future opening, said good-bye and hung up.

Then I got a little frustrated after hanging up, not so much that I lost the job but that I spent close to $300 in logbook prep/printing, resume prep, interview presentation packets, etc... to lose the position to what sounded like a predetermined candidate.

So a quick question for my corporate pilot sages – as a pilot moving from a 121 career trying to get into corporate flying I’m a little confused, is this normal for a company go through the laborious HR interviewing process, i.e. interviewing multiple candidates over a period of months to still just hire a predetermined pilot (to meet a “legal” requirement?) or did I really have a shot?

gearcrankr

McD

Though I am not a corporate pilot, I have been thru the same thing. The job was filled before it was ever posted. You are simply a victim of corporate HR/Legal bs. Best of luck to you.

darkroomsource

I don't know what it's like in the 121 world, nor do I know what it's like in the corporate FLYING world, but in the corporate world, this is the norm.
For everything from CEO to janitor.
There are many laws which govern the hiring of people and then there are numerous policies within most corporations, these combine to cause the requirement of interviewing outside candidates under just about all circumstances.
And from my experience (30 years in the corporate world), there's no way to identify when there is already someone "in mind" for the position before you've expended considerable time and effort in the process yourself.
So, just as I'm sure there are positives and negatives to having a job in the 121 world, there are positives and negatives to the corporate world.

clipperskipper

It happens in gumment too, most of the positions on USA jobs, contrary to what you want to believe, are already wired. There was an exception a couple of weeks ago where TSA hired three surface inspectors off of the street, one was even given a supervisory position. None of them had a clue, not even CFR 49 and the entire office is up in arms, figuring they had a pretty good gouge to get through the selecting official.

NowCorporate

You weren't a helpless victim. You had a shot. Someone beat you out.

Dont beat yourself up, just think of it as good experience and move on.

Having done interviews at small and large departments (2 pilot to Fortune 5) I can tell you that YES - there are a few favorites that come from internal rec's, but rest assured nobody is wasting your time (or theirs)

More than a few times the postion had favorites but a fairly unknown candidate came in and really excelled during the process (attitude) and they got the job over the over-confident buddy buddy internal rec's. The desire to hire the right person is why we had multiple interviews and a sim session. Its painfully time consuming for the department, but many think its worth it. After a few years of doing this, I'm not sure...I honestly just think you have no idea what you hired until a year later.

Anyhow - dont believe anything they tell you (if they say anything) you will never know why you were not hired. Dont even try to analyze it.

As far as the costs..it really should be a one time thing and not much you can do about it. Pick the places you want to work carefully and it will be well worth it.

Also - if you really liked this company...DO BE SURE you stay in touch every 6 months or so. More than a few people have been beaten out on round one only to have another opening come up a year or two later and the fact that they kept in touch in a non-intrusive way went a LONG way, and to a few, a job offer without further interviews.

Good Luck!

UCLAbruins

People have great interviews and not get the job. It happens everywhere, and it happens all the time. The airlines are no better

You said 2 corporate flight departments interviewed you? which, where, to fly what? what do you fly at present?? (ignore my question if I'm getting too personal). kudos to you If you're at a commuter and you got two calls from corporate flight departments.

BigMike

Everything he said. Every Thing.

featheredprop

I agree with this ...

"It happens in gumment too, most of the positions on USA jobs, contrary to what you want to believe, are already wired. " I know someone at a major phama company they have to advertise positions by law even though they have a candidate lined up ..

USMCFLYR

This was a huge worry for me since I was putting an awful lot of my eggs into one basket at one time. It did happen for a position higher than the one I was going for though. The job was listed on USAJOBS, but there was already an interim in place and I knew from internal sources that he was going to stay in the job.

USMCFLYR

mcdozer

Folks thanks for the insight/info into understanding this somewhat frustrating experience.

UCLA – I had two interviews with one department. It was for Krogers Falcon 50’s in CVG. Currently I’m flying both in the military and CL-700/900’s.