Originally Posted by
lear700pilot
Zero internals? That is pretty amazing. Im surprised he didn't have at least one or two on file. There is a good point that you bring up. There are a lot of really good quality FO's that have not upgraded mainly because they can't hold it at any base. This does depend on the regional, but several have at least an 8 year upgrade or longer. Some will say on here "need to get TPIC, or get a LCA position." For some of us that position is not available at all. I've tried countless times for an LCA position and can't get it for anything.
That is definitely good for him and it shows perseverance and some luck can go a long way.
While some places don't offer the opportunities that others may there are still ways to improve your resume without upgrading.
Apply for every position that comes up; safety department, CPO, training, etc. Even if you don't get hired the fact that you applied shows you are interested which may help you with a more desirable position later on.
Volunteer with ALPA; find a nonpolitical job you are interested in and work your way up to a leadership position. Those jobs cycle pretty frequently because they pretty much suck but they allow you to put a leadership position on your resume without upgrading.
Call Habitat for Humanity and help build a few houses. Delta partners with Habitat and the interviewers have probably helped build a house. This is a good topic to establish rapport should you land an interview.
There are a lot of ways to pad your application. Most people will have PIC and a lot of flight time but only a few will have leadership positions and volunteer experience. There are probably more areas you could improve you application without upgrading.
I was fortunate to have a contractual path to Delta but I used everything I mentioned above to improve my resume for my backup plan. I can't say with any certainty whether it would have helped but it certainly didn't hurt and only cost time.