Originally Posted by
flensr
Everyone says LORs won't get you an interview but they might help afterwards. Thing is, SWA requirements specifically say you need at least 3 LORs, and how would they know if you meet a stated requirement if you don't upload them with your resume? I personally submitted 3 LORs and maybe it was a coincidence but that next app window was when I got my interview (after 3 previous apps).
After your interview, one of the biggest things that can change how the board looks at you is internal recommendations. I've had chief pilots tell me that they seriously consider internal recommendations after the interview. Again personally, I had 3 non-SWA LORs submitted online with my application and one internal recommendation who filled out the internal form and followed up with the chief pilot after my interview.
What everyone is saying is correct. You don't need a single recommendation letter to get an interview. Nobody looks at them until after interview. I specifically asked. I also never had a single rec letter uploaded before I was selected for my interview. Then, after I got invited, all I did was I downloaded 3 letters on pilot credentials and brought the printouts of the same 3 letters to the interview. None were internal. I didn't know any SWA pilots back then and still got the job without any internal recs. All 3 people who wrote the rec letters were called after my interview during the background check process. I've also recommended myself a handful of pilots in the last couple of years through the internal process. Several of them failed the interview, and I'm sure nobody at SWA had even seen my rec letters. Simply, you have to pass the interview to trigger the background check process. For those who passed, I got a call to verify their credibility. Simply said, you can get a rec letter from Herb himself and it won't help you get pulled. There were times pilots here were hired mostly through connections and personal recommendations. People were "walked in" to the CP office, whole squadrons were hired that way. Those times are long gone, I only heard the stories. I guess the company wanted to end this practice. I'm personally glad it's done that way, I wouldn't be here otherwise.