Originally Posted by
robthree
When 10,000 applications are on file, some number of them will have identical scores, and volunteerism may become a way to differentiate between two otherwise equally qualified candidates.
Additionally, in the HR portion of the interview your answer to a TMAAT question that doesn't revolve around airplanes may make a positive impression on people who hear nothing but airplane stories. ALL. DAY. LONG. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
If the scores are identical the solution is simple. Invite the one who applied first. Are we hiring pilots or candy stripers?
One's life experience isn't comprised solely of aviation interests. Family, education, life's opportunities/regrets, interests outside of aviation, and European Literature from Romanticism to Postmodernism all provide a window for discussion.
It almost seems as if one is frowned upon if they do not possess a history of volunteerism.