Originally Posted by
Excargodog
From YOUR application alone, they might not be able to know. But they don't get just yours, they get LOTS of applications from your coworker's, and it would be unreasonable to expect they wouldn't be bright enough to determine what seniority your regional required for upgrade and whether or not you upgraded within a few months of your eligibility. In fact I can almost hear the interview question:
"I note from your employment date and SIC times that you sat in the right seat for nearly two years after you had seniority enough to upgrade, new hire candidate Smith. Was that because you were personally unsure if you were competent to upgrade, or because your captains or the chief pilot told the company you weren't yet ready for the upgrade?"
At this point a graveyard spiral in the interview could ensue, regardless of your answer.
One particular 20 something snowflake at my shop had the time to upgrade when I flew with her a year ago. When I asked her why she hadn't, she told me under no uncertain circumstances that if she was ever going to have to "suffer" sitting reserve again it was going to be at delta. Snowflake has a class date at delta. So, as I generally agree with your premise and if I were hiring, I too would also see it as a giant red flag as I see it as a complete lack of work ethic, delta really seems not to care as long as you are buried up to your eyebrows in student loan debt.