Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Regional interviews are oriented towards their target audience...which is 1000+ hour CFI's. If you are a part 91 commercial-piston pilot you will be at a disadvantage at an interview when they get technical. Remember all the miscellaneous aviation knowledge and regs that you had to talk about on your commercial checkride, and have long since forgotten? CFI's deal with that stuff every day, and they know it by heart...regional interviewers will expect you to also.
Some people say they don't want to CFI because they don't like dealing with people, mentoring, or teaching...those folks should look for career single-pilot jobs, preferably not involving passengers. Airline captains have to mentor and teach new FO's, provide leadership to the entire crew, deal with irate pax, etc.
While I agree that having a CFI is great, not having one is not as dire as you make it out to be. I would actually say that the most advantage you have at an interview for entry level flying is not being a CFI but being IFR current. After all that's what you'll be flying in training and on the line. I've flown with plenty of CAs that were not CFIs they are fine. A personal preference is flying with CAs that have prior pt135 single pilot. That is REAL PIC flying experience.