Originally Posted by
acl65pilot
Alfa,
Great post. As they say here at DAL; Don't lie, or steal and you will have a great career. This company is pro-pilot. We believe in the "Big Bubble" If you operate outside of it, they will want an explanation. If you make a mistake, take ego out of it and have full disclosure. They will normally do everything they can to help you.
Ditto,
At a previous non-airline flying job, I made a bone-headed mistake that resulted in some bent metal. I took full accountability right from the get go, fessed up and instead of getting fired (the company had a "one strike, you're out" policy) I was praised for my honesty instead.
For all practical purposes, the incident and the subsequent 709 ride could have been a career stopper. With the stack of qualified applicants on file, Delta could easily have passed on me, but during the interview, I told it to them straight: "I screwed up." It's hard to say that because you want to come across as being perfect and you are admitting that you're not. But I think they really appreciated hearing that. They did hire me, after all.
The bottom line is that none of us are perfect, we all make mistakes, some more egregious than others. Most of us will go through our careers without really having to answer to them. But when you do, don't lie. Period. It's the quickest way to the unemployment line.