MikeF16

This actually sounds like a legit strategy. If the US majors could hire a combined 300-400 EK/EY pilots and the European another 200-300 what would that do to those operations?

CenterlinePrep

Job fairs are something that will always be an active debate. There are those who think they are worthless, then those who swear by them. Some airlines flag your resume for attending the fairs, some don't.

There are 4 consultants on our team who currently fly for various major airlines. To a man, they all have credited job fairs to helping them get their interview. A few of them at their various interviews had the same recruiters on the panel who they met at the fairs. Imagine how good you'd feel running into an interview panel member at your Delta interview who you met and formed a good relationship with at WIA or OBAP.

Job fairs are more than just waiting in line to speak with recruiters, they're a a good way to building personal relationships with fellow peers and higher-ups at different airlines. Many of these relationships turn into lasting friendships while at that particular airline and lead to landing leadership moves in the future (Check Airman, CP, Instructor, Training Dept, etc). We have a booth at WIA this week. It's a fantastic event and a wonderful 3 days of networking and interacting with everyone.

Aviation, as we all know, is a very small world. The airline industry, in specific, is even smaller. Sure, the occasional pilot who knows nobody, does nothing, sits around and waits will get an interview due to decent credentials. The majority of the time it's the "go-getters" and pilots who are networking their tail off that will eventually prevail. "It's not what you know but who you know" still has some meaning today, even though others with tell you differently.

I'll speak through shear numbers that the majority of our clients have been to job fairs of some kind. Take it for what it's worth but with over 12,000 active resumes on file at the various airlines, I'd being doing everything I possibly could to land an interview during the front of this hiring wave instead of "hoping" the airline of my choice comes and bangs my door down.

Centerline Consulting

TeddyKGB

DAL, UAL & AMR should suck up every one of them.

Sky4Me

You are so funny, I can't stop

Jughead135

Selection bias.

Your overall point has some merit, that it can't hurt (other than short-term money & time costs) and may help to attend job fairs. However, it's hardly illustrative to note that your consultants or your clients believe in job fairs...!

BrasiliaFlyer

On the app, what should be put in for the ATP written if I already have the ATP? Should I call it current and put the date I originally took it? Put NA for it?

LibertyPilot

"FAA Certificates – Pilot

For non-ATP rated pilots, be sure to indicate the currency status of your ATP Written. Some airlines require a current ATP written for employment consideration."

from the airlineapps website in the instructions icon on that page.

Flying Elvis

The big job fairs mentioned above will hardly give one much time to form a "good relationship" with an HR rep. Under 5 minutes with a screener, perhaps. Maybe a chance to shake Capt Kraby's or Capt Flanagan's hand.

Job fairs won't get "points" at DAL, but WILL get an app scored. Getting a DAL pilot to send one's name in to the hiring desk will do the same thing.

If the fair is worth it for you for other reasons mentioned (or for other airlines who may give special consideration), go for it.

...All that said, I think most of the pilots in my DAL interview class did at least one job fair. I didn't, and managed to get called for the big show anyhow.

But I'm just an anecdote... I didn't do formal interview prep either, and that's definitely not something I'd personally recommend skipping.

RockyBoy

I would not have gotten an interview at Delta when I did had I not had good internal recs AND went to job fairs. It took both back in 2007. Face time with recruiters is a good way to get the app pulled and scored. It can't hurt except for the time and money spent to go.

Hrkdrivr

^^^^^^
This is exactly what we were told in Indoc.

You need to get your app scored.

A good showing at a job fair will do it. "We know not all the qualified candidates out there know an active pilot working at Delta. We'd be crazy not to look for candidates at job fairs." (rough quote from months ago)

Or you can have a current Delta pilot write a letter for you.

If your app scores high enough you will get an invite.

I doubt doing both will help, but it probably can't hurt. The app has to stand on its own merits.

(Me: no job fair, 2 internals)