HiFlyer992

Got a couple questions about the reference section on pilot credentials:

-Does American look at this section and call people listed in the reference section before considering giving you a call for the video interview?
-If the reference section does matter, who do you put there? Captains in the company, squadron commanders, any person you know at American, etc?
- Is it bad to put people you know at Airlines other than American with the employee number in the reference section?
-Do letters of recommendation matter if they are from someone outside of the company? Who should the letter be from to give you the best opportunity? Does this matter at all?

PRS Guitars

I never actually went through the AA hiring practice, so take my answer through that filter. Since no one is answering, I’ll give it a go though.

Don’t mix “references” with “recommendations”. Generally in the hiring process at any airline, a “reference” is used to validate your resume, ie confirm that you did what you said you did. Use people that you knew and can vouch for you. I highly doubt they use these prior to an interview invite. Probably only used (if ever) after offered a job. So it doesn’t need to be an AA employee, matter of fact, that’d be pretty rare. I used friends and supervisors for the most part.

Now for “recommendations” it will hold much more weight from an AA pilot, and even more if you’ve flown with them. Recently the director of hiring said the average new hire had 9 internal LOR’s, but when it’s looked at in the process is somewhat nebulous. If you don’t know many AA pilots, certainly use Squadron CC’s, and others who can speak to your character.

This is my general take on “reference” vs Recomendation” and I think holds true at any airline.

Good Luck!

Gone Flying

I had this question as well. It does not appear that AA has a separate recommendation and reference like DL and UA do. It looks like they may be combining the two but I cannot tell

ALF659

AA most certainly has both references and recommendations. You list the references, but those recommending you enter it themselves into pilot credentials. If you are asking someone to write a LOR that has never done it, they enter their recommendation from the main AA page on Pilot Credentials without logging in. It is the second tab from the right and has a place for AA employees to enter their employee number.

PrettyDarnGood

On the note of references, what are they looking for in regards to a "reference letter" on pilotcredentials? If your reference is not a pilot with an employee number, you're supposed to attach a reference letter. Am I reading that wrong?

Is it supposed to be formatted the same as a letter of recommendation?

Gone Flying

Thanks, did not know it was after I submitted the App

PrettyDarnGood

All that makes sense, but it also asks for LETTERS from your references (non-pilot)... I don't think I've come across that with any of the other apps. Usually it's just listing them. Am I missing something? Do they really need letters from my references?

Rawhide16

I never uploaded anything but my resume. Been here about a year.

isuguy

Meaning you've been working for AA about a year? Did you have other pilots go in and write a recommendation, or just add them as references?

A10Beav

I didn't have any internal recommendations and I got hired. I retired from the USAF and I had two recommendations I uploaded: one from my squadron commander and one from the pilot who did my last checked.