If you’ve recently found yourself back on the job market after a long period with one company, you may feel somewhat daunted by the prospect of interviewing for a new job. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered and some top tips to help you brush up on your interview skills.
You should always research any company before going to an interview. Look into their history, who the current owners are, what fleet do they operate and what their growth plans are, as well as what routes they fly.
If you know someone who already works at the airline, they might be able to give you some information that you can’t find online, which can help you gain a greater understanding of the company, its plans and its culture.
Before going into any interview, make sure the information on your CV is accurate and that you know your experience inside and out in case they have any questions. Future employers may ask about previous roles from some time ago, so be sure you sound confident when you’re explaining your past experience.
If you have any gaps in your employment, give details as to why you were not working and what you were doing during this period. Finally, never put false information on your CV.
Competency based questions allow you to demonstrate your experience to your prospective employer using concrete examples. Be sure to prepare universal examples that can be used for a variety of questions.
Practice answering aloud to yourself to ensure the flow of your statements is concise and confident. Use the STAR Technique to structure your answers:
Situation (set the scene)
Task (what problem where you faced with)
Action (what did you do to resolve the problem)
Result (what was the outcome)
A company will often ask certain types of questions to find out your motivation for wanting to work there. These questions can be ones like the following:
Why do you want to leave your current employer?
Why do you want to join our company?
Be prepared for these questions and remember to never speak negatively about current employer. This can reflect poorly on you.
Be sure to research who is interviewing you. Know their names and positions and be sure to great their names. Have questions prepared to ask them, it will show your interest in them and the company.
LinkedIn is a good place to find out more about the people who will be interviewing you.
Your recruitment consultant is a great asset to help you prepare properly for an interview. Talk to yours and get as much information as you can about the airline’s plans and what their interview process is like.
Often, they will have a set of documents prepared for each airline to help guide you through that company’s hiring process to help you know what to expect.
We would recommend arranging a call to speak to them rather than discussing by email to help make sure you get all the information that you need.
For a pilot, the most important thing to bring with you is your documents. Make sure you have them ready and organised for the company to review.
Be sure to bring the following:
CV
Passport
License
Medical
Logbook
Make sure you plan your journey to your interview ahead of time. Factor in traffic so that you are not late – it’s good to expect the unexpected! Being 10 minutes early is a good rule to follow. That way you are neither too early nor late.
Remember to plan your outfit in advance. You should wear business attire as this is a formal business occasion. Be sure that your outfit is ironed, and your shoes are polished. You overall appearance should be professional, tidy and clean.
Ensure that you get a good night sleep and stay hydrated! This will help you focus and present yourself at your best to your prospective employer!
We hope that you’ve found these tips useful. Some might seem obvious, but if you haven’t interviewed in a while, it’s always best to brush up on the basics.
We wish you the very best of luck at your next your interview!
If you'd like to view our latest pilot jobs, visit www.cae.com/aviationjobs.
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