Originally Posted by
CLazarus
If applying to a regional, no need to hit the "apply" button more than three months prior to terminal leave. Use the time between now and then to research regionals and carefully prepare your application. These forums are a goldmine of information, spend lots of time reading them. Exhibit A - I initially considered Skywest my top target, I'd never even heard of Compass before I started reading their thread here. By the time I hit "apply" Compass was the obvious #1 choice for me and Skywest was a distant 3rd.
Like others have said, you should be looking for a regional with no/minimal commute required. I wouldn't move for a regional unless it is to a location also with a major carrier junior base. More pay and better work rules are great too, but for the shorter term you are looking at the more you can work/accumulate hours the faster you can make it to a major (thus why you want to minimize the commute). Oh, I highly recommend Emerald Coast interview consulting (YW Albief15!). I signed up for access while applying to regionals (very helpful for my Compass interview), and then signed up for the full on interview seminar after I got invited to an interview with a major.
Careful careful:
At least one airline (TSA), allows you to apply, interview, be hired and show up for day one to be fingerprinted, badged and added to the seniority list. Then you go back to your current job for up to 90 days before showing back up for class. I am not directly aware of an active duty person using this deal, so you need to talk to a recruiter and confirm you can be on active duty for those 90 days. But again, Trans States is so desperate for pilots, if you have a separation date, I bet they would let you use this feature. They are advertising the 90 days is that much less on the reserve once you finish training.