Just a question regarding veterans going to the airlines, specifically younger guys that were enlisted. Do the interviewees tend to look at this as an advantage? Does it weigh heavily on the selection process when when they decide who gets hired?

It makes good resume material. You have proved that you can conform, follow rules, are disciplined, have leadership ability, a team player, able to handle stressful situations, and host of other valuable skills that airlines look for. So of course having that experience is ALWAYS to your advantage.

Whatever airline you want to go to work for is going to call you for interview based on your flight experience.

When they interview you, the choice to hire you is going to be based on how you handled their interview, as well as how good of a job you did selling yourself on how well you will fit into their company. As well as whether or not they can handle flying a 4 day trip with you.

Non-pilot military service will not give you a hiring advantage if you are not otherwise competetive with flight experience.

If you are in the competetive range, the military background will probably show them that you already have many of the characterists they want in an airline pilot so it should give you a small edge.

There are a few guys at the regionals you got rejected by the military for whatever reason, and these guys might hold a grudge against military pilots (yes, I have seen this). But for an enlisted guy, this will probably not be an issue, just don't beat the military drum if you get bad vibes from the interviewer.

In aviation hiring the most important factor is flight time; next is who you know.

My wife is an HR manager for a fortune 500 co, and vets to my knowledge have a preferential hiring status as required by law, not sure if that is taking into account in the airlines? any way know anything different?

Those two factors get the interview. How well the candidate interviews is what gets them hired.

There are no laws which require private companies to give hiring preference to veterens in general, that only applies to the federal (and possibly some state/local) governments.

Some companies which do a lot of government contracts may be required to have a certain workforce percentage of women, minorities, and veterens...your wife's company is likely one of these. But the catch here is that veterens DO NOT get preferential hiring as individuals...if the company already has the required percentages they would not have an incentive to hire more (not to say they wouldn't).

Many airlines have large federal contracts, but I guarantee you that all airlines are WAY over their veteran quota...remember all those ex-military pilots?

When I interviewed there was zero preference due to being prior military it was strictly meeting the mins they were looking for.

When it did come into play they asked me what was the most difficult training I had ever been to and I asked them if they wanted the list chronological or alphabetical. They did not ask any questions after that.

in my experience it was a benefit once I was in the door but that is only one airline and I am sure there would be less preference at the legacies.

What you are thinking of with the preferential hiring is for all FEDERAL jobs, not regular civilian companies... If any of us who were prior enlisted/commissioned go up against a civilian for a fed. job, we get put at the front of the line.... thats all that means...

I got out of the Army in 1989, and had 3-4 different jobs and a dozen interviews before coming to SkyWest in 2000. SkyWest was the first to bring up my military experince and I don't think it made a difference in getting the job. The LOR from a SkyWest captain was more important, as was my flight experince and aviation degrees.

i don't think that being a veterinarian will help or hurt you. as a pilot, i don't really come into contact with many animals while working, but sometimes you see passengers carrying them. i wouldn't tell them you're a vet, though, cuz they might want you to fix a problem the pet has. better not to let them know.