db1968

Does anyone have dates for upcoming job fairs?

deltajuliet

I'm new to 121, so if someone wouldn't mind describing how these work, that would be wonderful too. I understand they're very helpful for getting hired at a major.

Do they restrict who can go? Do you wait in line to talk to a recruiter for 5 minutes? A little overview of the process would be wonderful.

OnCenterline

Dates: Google "Airline pilot job fairs." Most are sponsored by FAPA or AeroCrew Solutions.

Process: These are almost always held on weekends. So, plan to give up a w/e off or to call in sick for at least 3-4 days. As for getting caught by your current employer, don't worry about it--if you work for a regional, there's a good chance your boss will be there as well. If you're really paranoid, travel off-line or buy a ticket.

Sometimes there is a group presentation at the beginning or some opening remarks.

As for restrictions, most have a registration process, and you need to get one of the limited slots. They might be limited to as few as 200 or as many as 500. You will be given a time to enter the conference room. As for the time spent prior to that, if you have a room in the hotel where the fair is being held, you can go back to your room and relax. If you aren't at the same hotel, you'll have to decide what to do. The big thing here is to read the rules before you go so you know how it will work.

Once you are in the room, you choose which airlines you want to talk to...and you get in line. Have several copies of your resume that are specific to the airline you want to work for, and hand them the right one! Take a few generic ones as well in case you end up talking to a company that is not on your immediate wish list or commits at the last minute.

I don't know if USAir/AMR has changed what they're doing, but at the last one I went to with them in attendance, they managed to seriously pi$$ everyone off (including the organizers) by not taking their resumes; they looked at them and handed them back. I hope this has changed.

Delta and United keep them. The recruiters will generally spend as much time with you as you need, as long as the conversation doesn't become awkward and die. I went to two to talk to UA, and spent between 15-20 minutes with a recruiter each time. A few spent more, some less. They will make notes on your resume, and when you're done, they will write more notes on them, then put them in one of several stacks: definitely call, definitely don't call, and has potential. There might even be a fourth one. The point is, UA takes these events and the pilots they meet pretty seriously.

You may stand in line in your new suit for an hour or more to have this conversation, so you need to stay awake, and make the most of the opportunity. If you bump into one of the recruiters, especially one you've already spoken to, engage them in polite conversation (it doesn't have to be about aviation), say hello, and thank them for their time. You'd be surprised at what their level of recall is.

In my case, I met the same recruiter at 2 different job fairs several months apart. At the second, this person remembered me, told me she already wanted to hire me, and deliberately steered me towards another recruiter that she knew would like me. I ran into her at my interview (our third meeting), and we spoke for a few minutes, and she immediately went back to the secret room where the paperwork from my panel interview was stored. I have absolutely no doubt that she put in a good word for me and helped get me hired.

As an aside, the other recruiter that she hooked me up with was someone I had never met, but he had spent some time with a friend of mine at the previous job fair, and he remembered me because he saw me with my friend.

Once you've spoken to one airline, you can get in line for others. For this reason alone, it behooves you to try to get one of the earlier admission times.

It obviously doesn't work out like this for everyone, but it does work out for many. Some will scoff at the whole job fair notion and process. I understand that. It was a real scam when Kit Darby was pocketing thousands every week to basically tell you to renew your membership to his company. But today, the airlines are scrambling to fill spots, and the majors are quite aware that they are competing for the same pool of applicants; the regionals are as well. If you're serious about progressing your career, you need to attend as many of these as you can.

You also need to be realistic about what to expect. If you don't have a competitive resume, you won't get called for an interview. That said, you should still attend as many as you can, because the airlines--at least UA, and I'm pretty sure Delta--track your attendance as a means of gauging your interest.

I hope this helps.

deltajuliet

As usual Centerline, you're the man.

flylowfast

I'm getting all my stuff together to apply to skywest. 4500 TT No 121 time. Commerical with ATP written. Was planning on applying online and waiting for a call, but I see skywest has a job fair close to me in a month from now. If I were to go to the job fair, is there any chance I would get offered a job on the spot? Or will they still want me to come to Salt Lake and interview there, along with some sim time?
Thanks