When to apply?
 

How far out would you guys apply to a regional before coming off orders?

I am gonna come off orders in about 6 months, and trying to decide when I should fire the resumes out to everyone. I want to do it as early as I can so they know that I am realy interested but I dont want to do it too early where they say no and my stuff is just filed in the round filing cabinet or worse I get black listed.

Thanks

I would shoot for 2-3 months before. You can always explain your situation to them in a cover letter and/or over the phone when/if they contact you for the interview. I'm sure most of them are receptive to us military type.

Would that time frame also apply to someone that's a student? I'll be graduating this May and I'm trying to figure out when a good time will be to start sending my resumes out. I was thinking sometime between February and March.

A lot of applications will ask you when you will be available to work. Just don't LIE. If you are graduating May 1st, don't put "ASAP" on the app. Tell the truth and get your resume in. Don't lie about flight time also. If you have 750 hours when you submit your resume, but expect to have 850 when you graduate, do not fudge your application to reflect what you *think* you may have to make yourself look better because they are not stupid and will check these things. I know this seems like common sense, but people do it.

Thanks Tanker :)

Thanks - 2-3 months sounds like a good time frame. I guess that'll give me enough time to get all my stuff in order before sending the info.
thanks again

regionals
 

Tanker...

Is there a reason you are targeting just the regionals? Why not the majors or corporate?

Pilot7576

Well, I dont have enough total time yet. I am a guard guy, and I was planning on guard bumming, but my unit was brac'd pretty much in half, and I have a feeling that there isnt going to be that many options for me to bum. Mostly cause there is going to be too many other guys. The other deal is that my wife is pregnant, and I lose Tricare as soon as my orders go away, unfortunatly I dont qualify for exended benefits under the War on Terrorism rules, being in training and such. So that leaves me with the options I really never wanted to take which is the regionals.
Corporate would be cool but alot of them want high times too.

TankerBob, my three suggestions are for you to:
1) Check on whoring yourself out to another Guard unit who can't fill their TDYs. Check www.baseops.net.
2) Consider a TDY doing some staff work at TACC. I don't know where you're currently at, if you've got kids, if your wife's mobile, etc, etc. Just make sure that you maintain flight currency or you lose your flight pay.
3) Apply to every airline, including the majors, whose minimum criteria you meet or will meet within the next year.

Do it now! Send out resumes to any and all airlines you qualify for. And, update it every couple of months as you get more flying in. When called in for an interview, tell them when you would be available. DO NOT LIE! I waited and it took me around 10 months. But, during that time, my wife was working and I helped her out (home based business). We also used some of our savings to pay bills. In addition, I went to many interviews with regionals with the intention of turning them down (for the practice - had over 3000 hrs heavy muti from the USAF). Did the rotc thing in college and had no experience with interviewing.

Remember, many people have resumes in ahead of you and yours will go on the bottom. May take time for them to get to yours.

Good luck! :)

Thanks guys. I heard about the TACC thing, a buddy of mine did that.

10 months wow, yeah maybe it would be a good idea to do that then. Hm Unfortunatly I dont think I'll have enough hours for the majors, since they want so much PIC time.

Thanks again guys

When to apply.
 

Start as soon as you can. Use a cover letter to explain when you will be available and be completly honest about your quals. (You don't want a lie to follow you around for the rest of your career.) Update your resume every time you add a rating, log more time, change address, etc. These updates will perhaps keep your app off the bottom of the stack. Recommendations from someone (with a good reputation) at your target company is a big plus-networking in the corporate world. Be persistent. And...if mailing something to FEDEX don't use UPS and vice versa.

HAHAHA I have heard of that happening!

So you would say that if I have the one type already, and in a few months I will have the other type. Just put the one type on the resume and then put the how I will be getting the other type on the cover letter? And I am only going to put my current hours for sure, not what I will have when I am done.
Thanks again for the help

[quote=crewdawg52;63274]
"In addition, I went to many interviews with regionals with the intention of turning them down (for the practice - had over 3000 hrs heavy muti from the USAF). Did the rotc thing in college and had no experience with interviewing."

Thanks, I'm coming up on the end of my commitment and know I only want to work for the Majors or stay in, and this is the best advice I've seen on this entire website. The interview has been one of my biggest fears since the last time I had one was... never!

This has been an educational thread for me, too (I'm new on the site - close to the end of my commitment in the AF, application in for VSP, trying to decide what I should do). Here are a few more questions:

- Is there any disadvantage to putting in lots of applications? i.e. do any of the airlines check, or care, if you have apps in with their competition?

- Along the same lines, crewdawg's advice to put in a bunch of applications for the interview practice sounds like a great idea. But does it look bad on you if you get job offers and turn them down? Is there any sort of "black list" out there?

- Finally, does anybody have any insight on whether the "mininums" are really the minimums? If you have 1001 PIC hours, do you really have a shot at getting hired by a major?

Most major airlines have filters on their applicants that do not pull their apps until within a certain time of availability. I know recently at CAL, this filter has been set to 90 days prior to availability. It could vary obviously from employer to employer, but generally they don't want to start the process that usually completes within 90 days outside of this time frame. I think having everything submitted at the 120 day mark is prudent and reasonable. I wouldn't expect to hear from most employers until within your 90 day window. I got four phone calls when I was applying years ago on my 89th day prior to getting out. Coincidence? Once mins are met, anything goes. At that point, I would say who you know and how hard you lobby will have greater returns than having 300 more hours than the next guy.

Apply to everyone you are remotely interested in! Do it early (just tell the truth as stated) HR folks like people that have had a long term interest in their company. When you FINALLY get the interview, they can see that you have applied to them a year out (for example) and that their filters blocked. It shows them a thoughtful, committed applicant. I wanted everyone to think that about me when applying. Also, gives you time to keep updating HR with your monthly hours, etc. You can also find out who you know that might be working there (even buds who have buds....) It is like fishing. Sure we know much of the technical stuff from experts on this forum, but you never know when the filter changes, or an HR person pulls your name outta the hat and calls on you.
I applied to the former DHL (now ASTAR) in the early 90's when they would require 4000TT (I had 2500). They changed every now and again hourly requirements. Suffice to say, when they changed lower, I got the call ahead of everyone who followed the 4000TT and was offered a job. (Side note: be nice to everyone you meet inside the property <g>. If truly competitive, there requirements will get you noticed, remember HR is like the military, they set parameters simply to make their job easier. (i.e 1000 hrs PIC turbine, well apply when you have 800 and you have reasonable expectation to make 1000 PIC in next year)
My penny thoughts. YMMV

Well I applied to ASA and got a call from them today. It was the pre-interview interview. Well he ask what my availability is and I told him end of June (Altus and seasoning) He then said that he was going to put all my info into a computer that says recommend for interview and that I am to call when I am ready. I guess my question is for those of you out in the know, is that a good thing? It sounds like a good thing to me, I just dont want to irritate the hiring folks cause I am not available right away. Thanks again for all the help