Spirit Job Fair!!
06-05-2013, 10:01 AM
#81
Layover Master
Joined APC: Jan 2013
Position: Seated
Posts: 4,311
Originally Posted by WindyCity597
Not trying to flame here nor add fuel to the fire. But this mentality couldn't be any more WRONG, and it's only discouraging anyone in this forum that is unsure about attending their first job fair. I am nobody special in this thread, but I can say without a doubt that I am on phase 2, on my way to the 3rd and final phase of the Spirit hiring process because of that ORD job fair, and ONLY because of that job fair. The buzz around town has always been that Spirit will not call you unless they at least "know" you. Sure, you can apply online and wait for the phone to ring, but with this airline it will never happen. In fact, this is one airline that won't even offer you the full application unless they want to continue with you. Spirit is using these job fairs as an unofficial but nearly mandatory first step in getting in their door. Its their way of still keeping pilot hiring personal...especially when nearly every other airline is using a third-party hiring source/computer, like US Airways with Peoples Scout, and Delta, United etc with AirLineApps.
I attended the May 18th (Saturday) ORD fair, and got a call on Monday the 20th, from the very pilot that interviewed me in the conference room at the Westin O'Hare. His comment was "we liked you, and would like to continue with you in our hiring process." Again, not bragging here, the point being that I didn't know him from Adam prior to that day, so I'd say it was the best $120 I've ever spent.
I attended the May 18th (Saturday) ORD fair, and got a call on Monday the 20th, from the very pilot that interviewed me in the conference room at the Westin O'Hare. His comment was "we liked you, and would like to continue with you in our hiring process." Again, not bragging here, the point being that I didn't know him from Adam prior to that day, so I'd say it was the best $120 I've ever spent.
But you have missed the point entirely. Yes, you think it was worth it, that's fine. But YOU should NOT have to pay to talk to THEM. They are the ones that NEED pilots.
Find me an accountant or an engineer that PAID directly to talk to a perspective employer.
I'm not saying it wasn't worth your $100, I'm saying that we, as a collective pilot group, shouldn't be subjected to this kind of practice.
06-05-2013, 06:07 PM
#83
Layover Master
Joined APC: Jan 2013
Position: Seated
Posts: 4,311
Originally Posted by gr8vu
Don't like the job fairs either but it is called networking and it does pay off in just about any industry and any job market.
06-06-2013, 04:51 AM
#84
Line holder
Joined APC: Feb 2013
Position: A320 FO
Posts: 25
Job Fairs
Originally Posted by PotatoChip
Congrats. And good luck.
But you have missed the point entirely. Yes, you think it was worth it, that's fine. But YOU should NOT have to pay to talk to THEM. They are the ones that NEED pilots.
Find me an accountant or an engineer that PAID directly to talk to a perspective employer.
I'm not saying it wasn't worth your $100, I'm saying that we, as a collective pilot group, shouldn't be subjected to this kind of practice.
But you have missed the point entirely. Yes, you think it was worth it, that's fine. But YOU should NOT have to pay to talk to THEM. They are the ones that NEED pilots.
Find me an accountant or an engineer that PAID directly to talk to a perspective employer.
I'm not saying it wasn't worth your $100, I'm saying that we, as a collective pilot group, shouldn't be subjected to this kind of practice.
To me it's simple. Especially for Spirit. If you want an opportunity to interview with Spirit, go to a job fair. If you are not interested in interviewing with Spirit, don't go to a job fair. It's that simple.
You may not like it, which is okay, but this is the landscape of the airline job market at this very moment. And unless you have some big time internal recommendations, you'll either have to play the waiting game, or play "the game" like everyone else and get on the job fair train. Regardless of what path you chose, I wish you the best of luck. The next few years should prove to be rather interesting for our industry.
Last edited by MikeBerkowitz; 06-06-2013 at 05:02 AM.
06-06-2013, 08:32 AM
#85
New Hire
Joined APC: May 2013
Position: Hawker CA
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by PotatoChip
Congrats. And good luck.
Find me an accountant or an engineer that PAID directly to talk to a perspective employer.
Find me an accountant or an engineer that PAID directly to talk to a perspective employer.
But to clarify, in response to Prat985's comment, I did not miss the point. He simply stated that it's a "lose lose" for those who attend. Which is absolutely not the case.
Sure, I understand the frustration of shelling out $100, I didn't like it either, but I did it. I did it in Nashville too for the WAI, at the tune of $285, plus two nights at the Opreyland Convention center. So I guess we're back to the old for-instance of guys spending $50,000+ on flight school, but wont spend a $100 here or there, maybe another $200 on interview prep to actually land the dream job.
And for the accountant or engineer....You're absolutely right, they didn't pay to sit in the boardroom for their interview. But they attended conferences at some point in their careers. Every industry does (pharmaceutical sales especially), that's what all those giant convention centers at hotels are built for. Hell, I just flew with a guy that is in the video game business on the side, and he recently attended the technology expo in Vegas recently, at the tune of $1500 a head. But he said without being in the know, you're left behind.
Didn't mean to get on a rant, and maybe you and I will just not see eye-to-eye on this issue. But the trend is growing in favor of these conferences, like it or not. We've all spent $100 on dumber sh#t in our lives.
06-06-2013, 11:03 AM
#86
Layover Master
Joined APC: Jan 2013
Position: Seated
Posts: 4,311
Perhaps we won't see eye to eye. That's fine. I understand there are conferences in other industries, and I know they are very expensive. Here's the difference, those are awesome conferences! They bring out new technologies, they network, they have all parts of that industry show up. Vendors are there selling their wares.
The "pilot conference" is a depressing line of 400 guys waiting for a 5 minute interview. There's nothing else cool about it. The better analogy for the conference would be an aero expo. That's more akin to those other big industry conferences. Sitting around with 400 other furloughed/regional/desperate pilots is not.
I know, we won't agree. I went to the job fair. I had my five minutes. Time will tell if it was worth it. I really hope to not attend another one. I don't feel like sitting around all day for 7 hours eating McDonald's again.
The "pilot conference" is a depressing line of 400 guys waiting for a 5 minute interview. There's nothing else cool about it. The better analogy for the conference would be an aero expo. That's more akin to those other big industry conferences. Sitting around with 400 other furloughed/regional/desperate pilots is not.
I know, we won't agree. I went to the job fair. I had my five minutes. Time will tell if it was worth it. I really hope to not attend another one. I don't feel like sitting around all day for 7 hours eating McDonald's again.
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