Originally Posted by
njd1
Aside from the chance to interview with United, there is no advantage to Aviate and UA does not give any preferential hiring to partner companies. In fact, the major downside to Aviate is that it's one-and-done. Fail the interview and UA will never give you another chance, through Aviate or off-the-street.
Do not go to any UA partner regional for Aviate. There was some advantage to the program it replaced (known as the CPP) as compared to off-the-street hires, in that the entire interview was a 45 minute session of "story time". Now, however, everyone in Aviate does the same interview as an off-the-street hire.
The success rate for Aviate is reportedly around 30-35%. That's either working exactly as planned or is failing miserably at its task -- I don't know which, but I'm sure someone in UA does. My guess is, as most people on the thread covering this subject have surmised, that Aviate is nothing more than a recruiting tool designed to staff the regionals -- not UA per se. I've flown with my share of guys who have passed and failed the Aviate interview and it's clear they're leaving some very good people on the table, so I'd call that a "fail", regardless of the intent of the program.
Since you're still in school, my advice is to keep doing your research, as this industry can turn on a dime. The "preferred" regionals of today may very well change in as little as six months so I wouldn't lock myself into any particular program or regional at this time. Just keep your eye to the sky, so to speak, and apply to the most appropriate place(s) when you're ready.
Just to add another data point for your information gathering, I’ll share thoughts based on my experience with C5 and the Aviate. I chose C5 specifically for the Aviate (previously CPP) opportunity, and I would definitely recommend that path as long as you understand what Aviate is and isn’t before doing it.
Aviate is essentially a guaranteed interview as long as you have the ability to put together a professional application, don’t have major disqualifiers in your past (felony, etc), and have the ability to
follow basic instructions during the application process.
Now, what is a guaranteed interview? It is not a guaranteed job, a preferential path, or any other inside track that gives you an advantage over other candidates; it is a one time opportunity to present yourself and show United why they should hire you. The four hours you spend with them is what you have worked your entire career for. This is your one chance to earn your career dream job. Based on what I’ve seen, I believe the acceptance rate of those who treated it in this way has been very high.
The big question in placing a value on Aviate for you personally is “how valuable is a guaranteed interview”? This will be different for everyone, but for me it was a no-brainer. As a reference, many folks have spent many many years trying to get an opportunity to interview before they get their chance. And I’m some cases, folks have spent decades trying and have never received the call.
Also, please keep in mind as you use this forum as an information-gathering tool that the opinions shared here vary greatly due to the personal experiences, histories, and profiles of the posters—experiences, histories and profiles that may or may not correlate to you and your likelihood of success.
Good luck on your journey, and much success to you 🥂