Originally Posted by Airfix

Total Hours (at invite) = 4600
TPIC (at invite) = 600

No military

App published in December 2010 for majors
17 internal recommendations at Delta (including check airmen, rampers, fa's, legacy family member and interview panel member)
5 direct recommendations to internal Delta email address (spread over years)
Delta fix it email January 2014
Paid App review (company 1) January 2014
Very expensive paid app review (company 2) July 2015
OBAP 2015
WAI 2016

On reaching 500 TPIC I took a shotgun approach. Had a bunch of contacts write letters to internal DAL email. Paid for yet another app review by (company 1) - they found 2 minor mistakes 1) telephone formatting error and 2) I didn't copy my speeding tickets to the addendum question regarding being convicted of an offence.

DAL invite September 2016 (exactly 4 weeks after my shotgun)
Emerald Coast online and in-person seminars September 2016
Interview October 2016 (I was almost a decade older than everyone else in interview)
Indoc February 2017

Other Background:
I'm an old dude, second career guy - born early 70's
Extremely low GPA but in an excellent and difficult technical field
Regional hire in October 2007
Furloughed December 2009
Second regional hire early 2011
Upgrade late 2015 (first available)
Spent my furlough year looking for flying work while doing original career work.

2016 was my first year as a pilot making more than $40,000. It has been a rough, long difficult road which has involved years of commuting as a regional FO with poor pay.

I'd pretty much given up moving on. My shotgun was my last ditched effort. I'd also add that I had many people including pilots who were successful, review my app independently to paid services.

Your app needs to tell your story. If there is not a box that fits what you are trying to tell them, find a place to put it. I put a lot of stuff in educational achievements to get my very unique story across to the person scoring my app.

I'm very blown away that I finally got offered a job.

It goes to show, don't give up, even a old crusty dumb dude like me can make it. Two pieces of advice:

1) Don't give up
2) Your application needs to be in 100% perfect condition.

Good luck.

Airfix