I don’t believe there is anybody who actually knows what competitive hiring minimums are. A few months ago, we had a pilot in the jumpseat who claimed to have inside knowledge of the hiring algorithm because he was part of the team that developed it. I wrote on two pieces of scratch paper vastly different qualifications that represent actual resumes from two different applicants. One of them has no experience outside of being a line pilot at a regional, and the other was an Ivy League graduate, EASA ATPL, sim instructor, TCE, APD, production test pilot, SME, developed and certified part 142 training programs and simulators, and has worldwide operating experience as well as previous part 121 experience. We hired the line pilot.

I’m very close to four other applicants who collectively are LCAs, OEOs, chief pilots, and have plenty of PIC and total time. I know none of them have skeletons in the closet. Crickets. The only thing I know will get an applicant hired is persistence. That said, United is a wonderful place to work. It would just be nice if those of us who’ve recently come up through the ranks and met some remarkable individuals along the way would have a little input. I get the argument that everyone has 10 buddies they’d recommend, but some of these people I mentioned have dozens of recommendations which don’t seem to hold any value.