Assuming you’re still flying and building hours, you should be getting more competitive. Build quals and hours, keep applying.

 

That makes more sense to me thanks. If you miss any previous window do they bypass you ? Or is it all about the current window ?

 

My availability is 10 months away. My pilot credentials app is about 95% complete, but I won’t have my Class 1 complete until a few days after the window closes. Should I take a chance and apply, or will I be doing more harm than good applying without meeting all the requirements?

 

It won’t do any harm, I’d say. But I think it’d be an exercise in futility.

 

I think you should meet all requirements before you apply. If you're going to be competitive immediately (current in your aircraft, enough hours, etc), have your resume and application professionally reviewed BEFORE your first application window submission. If you have errors in your first application and get an interview anyhow, you'll be stuck trying to explain your errors/corrections during the interview process instead of chatting with your interviewers about how cool it'll be to fly for SWA. So get your app reviewed BEFORE you even apply during an app window.

 

Silly question but how does one do this ? You supposedly can only "apply" during open window times. How do we get someone to review our app ? Give them the password to Pilot Credentials ?

sorry for the questions but if I am asking them I bet 20 more are also wondering but not asking

 

This is what I thought, just didn’t know if there were any advantages to an early publish date. I actually have the Checked and Set review scheduled as well, but will be after the window closes. Final question, how does the SWA app on the website differ from the Pilot Credentials app? I guess I’ll find out in a week, but just curious if the differ significantly.

 

You pay a company to review it. I used checked and set, but there are many out there, some who specialize in SWA apps.

 

Good points. You’d hate to get the interview then not get the offer because you don’t meet quals, then be locked out for a year. I withdraw my previous advice.

 

Call Rebekah Krone, www.careertakeoff.com. She has a whole process you can go through to prepare you for interviews, not just SWA although she does specialize in SWA prep. You can print your pilotcredentials app to pdf file and send it to her along with your resume. She can talk you through the whole process, and the first phone call where she or her staff explains this stuff is free, no obligations.

Other prep services do the same thing. You send them your resume and a pdf file of your application, and then they tailor your prep to what they see in your application.

edit: I used checked and set, which helped polish up my applications. Rebekah Krone helped me a lot with the actual interview process, but she will also do the same stuff that checked and set does with regards to checking your resume and application. Both are good services, Rebekah will do all of it, checked and set focuses on applications so if you have apps out at multiple companies then it wouldn't hurt to have them review your apps too. That said, SWA will probably try to figure out if they are your primary target or if you'll bail out if United or Delta give you a call. They all want to know that, because training someone who turns around and quits is a huge waste of money/effort and SWA intentionally hires compatible personalities, in addition to their basic qualifications requirements.