Kobwo,

Everyone is giving you great advice about commuting, but you have to get the job first. This world is very different than your previous life. I HIGHLY recommend calling Emerald Coast today and get on their schedule for interview prep prior to your interview. This isn't about answers to interview questions, rather how to present yourself to the folks on the other side of the table coherently and in a language they understand. Albie and his folks understand where you are leaving the military and will help you with understanding where you're going...

Good luck!

 

Not flaming the dude, but that was my thought as well. Putting a cart way before a horse.

 

Way before? Really? It's not like he's some first year RJ guy or UPT grad with two more tours to go before even being able to apply. Would you rather he be completely ignorant of the FedEx commuting lifestyle, get the job, hate it and decide to bail?

The guy's got an interview. That's most of the battle. Conventional wisdom (at least for the last decade+ or so) has been it's your job to lose at that point. I assumed he would know to do the Emerald Coast prep work, but perhaps not without someone here to steer him in that direction. Do it.

It sounds like this opportunity was a bit of a surprise. That seems plausible since most of us sponsoring people can't seem to get much info on who might get a call and we work here. Maybe he already has a couple of CJOs and is trying to decide to even take the interview. If the commuting picture out of DFW was bleak, why would he waste his time or that of FedEx.

We've had a pretty long dry spell of hiring and considering our small pilot population compared to the large airlines, it's entirely possible he doesn't know anyone who works here. So, he came here looking for some idea of what he might be signing up for. Think about what information you would have been hungry for without the benefit of someone already on the inside who could give you an accurate picture of what life is like here.

Being able to understand what to expect as a new hire commuter will allow him to speak intelligently about that should it come up in the interview.

 

And you COMPLETELY misses the point......

If someone gets an interview invite and they're unfamiliar with (insert comaony's) ops, the commute is one of the last things they should be worried about.

Until the CJO is in hand, there's no point, is there?

 

Process is different than it used to be, anecdotally rejection rate way higher than the past
might make it, might not. Flew with an FO last month who had 2 long time mil buds interview that week. 1 made it, 1 didn't.

 

If your statements above reflect your initial point, then I got it the first time. And I still completely disagree with you.

If a mil guy comes on APC with an airline interview scheduled next month, I'm going to assume he's already been prepping. He's studying Jepps, Metars, FARs and all the other unfamiliar civilian stuff. He's got a suit, doing interview prep, getting his TMAAT stories in order and all the other queep. If he wants to know about commuting, who am I to question his priorities, since I have no idea of his prep status?

Try this:
If you got an offer to interview at company X and before you went, you determined the logistics of getting to work when required was so onerous that your QOL would be in the toilet - Would you still go to the interview?

If I were interviewing a candidate here at FedEx, I think it's possible that I might inquire if said candidate would move to domicile or commute. Of some of the answers available, "I don't know", "I haven't thought about it" or "There isn't any point in thinking about that until you hire me" wouldn't impress.

Being able to speak in an informed manner about commuting at a specific company is no different than any other subject concerning that airline. Should candidates avoid seeking knowledge of pay rates or schedules at a potential employer until CJO? How about corporate financials, fleet plans, aircraft purchases, domiciles or retirements. None of those things will effect them in the least until they are actually on the property. However, those (as well as commuting options) are just a few of the important aspects of an informed decision to pursue employment with any airline, IMO.

 

We'll simply have to agree to disagee.....

No offense, but you've definitely been out of the interview game for a while.

Because in the above, it's not likely as you think. It's going to be more "so, what do you know about FedEx, and why FedEx?"

"Well sir, I don't know much, but I sure know what it's like to commute to FedEx".

"So you don't much about our ops, our company, our culture, our business model, how we started, where we're going, etc? Ever heard of The Purple Promise?"

Don't think that would impress much either.......

That's true, won't affect them. But it will impress the HR interview team far far more than telling them how familiar you are with commuting.

As Kronan said, it's different now, it's a brave new world. Lots of good guys getting turned down that even in an era not that long ago would have got the nod. Lots of HR touchy-feely stuff going on.

 

John,

Are you saying that in response to kobwo's request for information about commuting, the only response that anyone should have offered him, was to recommend he attend a prep course, such as Emerald Coast? Really? That's it?

As well, you give him very little credit, because, based on your comment above, you envision him showing up for the interview, completely unprepared (with the exception of his now knowing the ins and outs of commuting to/from FedEx.) Again, really?

I'm sure that kobwo will do his due-diligence on the company. However, there's plenty of information which cannot be found, about the day to day operations of the job, and for that type of stuff, this web site and the folks who dwell here are a wonderful resource for him, or any other potential candidate. Wouldn't you agree?

 

Nope, again, you're reading it wrong.

I'm simply saying what the guy before me said;

WORRY ABOUT/PREPARE FOR GETTING THE JOB FIRST/SECURING THE CJO FIRST

Period, end of story.

Look here, THIS is what I was keying off of. You seemed to overlook/dismiss it;

 

Definitely. Most of the replies have been answering his question about the DFW-MEM commute, but I'd like to take it a step farther.

I also agree that the interview is only an interview, and you may or may not actually get a job offer, so the commuting issue is a secondary factor at this point.

In the meantime, as Jetjok says, commuting stinks. I've lived in domicile and I've lived out of domicile. The QOL is very different and even in the best of city-pairs to commute from, it's stressful.

So, go ahead and follow up on Fedex if you have a job interview. But I wouldn't hesitate to continue to put applications in with other airlines, including those where you could live where you want to but not have to commute ... namely American (DFW) and Southwest (DAL), home of both of their headquarters and major hubs.

Also, a commute where you can fly (OR) drive (if you have to) is much less stressful than one where you *HAVE* to fly due to the distance. So, that being said, United (IAH) could be a less stressful commute because Houston is about a four to five hour drive, depending on where you are in the DFW area. Memphis is about a seven hour drive from Dallas, doable but more difficult. I've heard stories of pilots who would routinely drive 2-3 hours to domicile instead of even attempting to jumpseat, just to avoid the stress and stay in control of their commute.

You may also find that the type of flying Fedex (or UPS) does is not your cup of tea. Primarily night flying and long international trips are not for everyone. So I'd leave my options open.

Good luck in your interview and transition from the military!