Iron Maiden

I'm going to 2 job fairs in January, the 23rd in Miami to try to talk to Atlas, and the 30th to try to talk to Kalitta. I've heard mixed results of attending job fairs, but I want to be successful. I've never been to one, but I would like to read tips from those who have been successful at them. What should I do, or shouldn't do? I understand that time is really limited with the recruiters, but I want to make a positive impact that will hopefully result in an interview.

PerfInit

Relax, Dress professionally, be yourself, and be honest about your quals. Don't be overly aggressive when trying to get "face time". Anyone and Everyone is watching. Remind yourself that this is just ONE of many opportunities to network. Don't have unrealistic expectations. Good luck and try to have fun!

Iron Maiden

Do I bring logbooks, resumes and cover letters, and letters of recomendation?

PA31

Resumes and a suit.

SVA402

I agree with this. Dress for success. But logbooks are definitely not needed and they probably don't have time to read your recc letters. A good resume and a sharp image is the best chance you have to present yourself.

OnCenterline

When I was attending job fairs prior to getting hired at UAL, the trick that worked for me was to talk about what is NOT on my resume. That should speak for itself.

We all have lives and interests outside of aviation, and these other facets of our lives make up the rest of who we are. So...talk about what makes you you, and how those traits translate into making you an attractive employee. If you coach a kids team or are involved in an HOA or volunteer activity, talk that up. Round out the impression they will have of you, so that you are not just another guy in a dark suit that flies airplanes.

I did this with UA, and the recruiters told me personally that not talking about flying right away sold them on me, and that it was a refreshing approach.

I can't say it will work with everyone, but the room will be filled with other pilots. Don't just be a pilot.

Iron Maiden

I did print out my resume with the name of each company that will be there, if I can talk to them or not. Now to find a blazer and a new pair of shoes

Elcid93

I'm curious to hear if guys actually think job fairs helped them get a job.

I went to the last two years WIA and OBAP. I don't think they helped at all. I'm at JetBlue now and received a CJO from Delta recently and I can honestly say I should have saved my money. Plus the guys I went to the fairs with also work at SWA and DAL now and say the same thing. Many friends of ours have been hired by Delta within the past year never went to any job fairs and they got jobs before any of us.

Now that being said, I had a great time hanging with my friends and running into old friends, but honestly I would have rather spent that money on a golfing weekend with the same friends.

aviatorhi

This whole job fair thing sounds more idiotic by the minute. What level are you all willing to sink to to beg for a job?

F15Cricket

I know for Alaska it made/makes a difference. For one, I got a day one interview at last year's WIA. They gave about 10 interviews there, several at Oshkosh, and some at OBAP. Now, I do think they had several of those interviewees picked before the job fair, however, if that person had NOT attended, then they probably would have filled that slot with another candidate.

In addition, for those who didn't/don't get an interview at the job fair, they do take notice of your attendance. I think it adds points/visibility to your profile, increasing your likelihood of an interview. In other words, they liked seeing you differentiate yourself by pursuing the job.

Each airline is different, though, in how they approach the job fair. Alaska said they had 3000 applicants for 150 jobs, and being a smaller company, they like people who do things like community service and/or attending a job fair that set them apart from the other applicants (one person told me "we have 1000 applicants with 10,000 hours of RJ time, so what sets them apart?").

As a military retiree, I found the process completely different than what I was used to or expected, but it does seem to make sense now in retrospect. If you think you can send in a resume with no internal recommendations, no pilot willing to take you in to meet a chief pilot, no job fairs, etc ... Or if you think you can just hit the "submit" button for the on-line application, and then sit back waiting for all the calls to come in, then your phone will most likely be VERY quiet....