Originally Posted by
Spoilers
I left with mixed feelings...
I honestly wasn't expecting to see 400+ people there for AS. Last year apparently less than a 100 people showed for the career forum, but it was also a fairly new event. This was the 3rd year now, and I'm fully expecting this event to grow in the future.
What I liked..
- Only $35 fee for the whole weekend incl. lunch. They are not trying to make money off people like some other job fairs/events.
- The forums and speakers were great offering good advice, tips and encouragement.
- Met a lot of new people, and ran into people I haven't see in years I was able to catch up with.
- The Alaska representatives talking to folks waiting in line were great, answering questions and reviewing resumes.
What I didn't like...
- Standing in line for almost 3 hours.
- When I finally reached the front, getting less than 2 mins. with a less than personable rep who told me I had no chance and the moved on to the next person.
So, overall the event itself was well organized and inexpensive, and most of the Alaska folks I talked to were awesome, besides the one who really mattered at the end of the line. I left pretty disappointed and felt like I wasted a lot of time traveling 2000 miles to see them.
On Friday, the career forum, I did see some AS reps pull several people in smaller groups to chat with them, not sure what that was all about. Maybe additional screening for the day 1 interview?
Sorry you are discouraged. It sucks. There is nothing fair about this system. I feel your pain.... I've seen lots of good people turned down and some schmucks get hired. We had a senior AS capt that gave sim checks years ago, he busted a lot of good guys. He had a lot of influence on hiring. He is still here and still has zero people skills. No one likes him. Most of the chief pilots we have now are pretty good guys. I don't agree with the mandatory PIC time once you have passed a certain experience threshold. I could not get an interview at SWA in the early 90's. I got the "you are not qualified letter" I had almost 10,000 hrs TT with a 737 type and 700 hrs of 737 sic, Plus other big jet right seat time. I had about 800 PIC turbine. With 5000 PIC in other planes. SWA wanted 1000 pic turbine. So that meant that a one tour military single seat fighter guy was more qualified and WAS getting hired.
I got lucky at AS when the right guy helped me out at the right time. I had interviews with all the big carriers in the 80's and was turned down by most of them. I was Turned down 3 times at UA and twice at AA. DL never called, Because according to FAPA statistics they hired 98.5 % ex military guys. I am civilian.
Keep trying...If you are west coast or Alaska State person or want to relocate there it's a pretty good place. If you want to live east of the rockies I would try the airlines with bases there. Good luck!
BTW this should be over in the AS hiring thread.