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Old 09-27-2007, 06:16 AM
  #8  
FlyerJosh
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Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: Executive Transport Driver
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Originally Posted by Cubdriver View Post
I emailed the flight crews about hiring practices several times, and they say friendly things about wanting to meet me which is funny since I have 500TT and told them as much while mins are 2500TT for FO Learjet. Good luck getting on with them unless you know someone who pretty well likes you. They probably only run the internal post so they officially comply, while shoeing-in whomever it is they really want for the job.
Cub,

If you get the chance, get to know them! Regardless of whether or not they are just being "friendly", you're passing up on opportunity if you aren't working hard to get together with them! Remember- often job posts that are online or seen on other hiring sites are posted by HR folks that have very little knowledge of the actual business. Sometimes they are simply cut and pastes of other companies posts (For instance I've seen a hiring post for a company that owned a Learjet that said that applicants had to have a Gulfstream type rating). Just because you only have 500 total time, doesn't mean that you can't start working the system.

Push come to shove, most companies have the ability to hire whomever they choose. When it comes to qualifications, the most important one is the ability to be a good fit for the company, the department, and the job. I'm much more likely to hire a highly motivated person that has an excellent attitude and low time, over a mediocre candidate with 10000 hrs in type. I can train somebody to do the job, but when it comes to attitude, making changes is very difficult. Contrary to popular belief, most good corporate flight departments have a good amount of pull regarding insurance minimums. (For example I was hired as a captain at my current job with no PIC time. Likewise, I know a 27 year old that now has 3 PIC type ratings and is flying a Citation X, yet he still only has less than 3000 hrs total time and less than half that in turbine equipment- FWIW, his first turbine job was as an FO on a Beechjet for a corporate gig with less than 1000 total time.)

The only way to become that "preferred inside candidate" is by making the effort to meet and greet and network with folks.
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