Applicant FAQ

C-17 Evaluator pilot, IP in C-37 and E-11

Great experience, every one is friendly and happy to meet you. Just remember smile and shake hands with everyone, including the plants.

C21, KC10, RC135 and E4B

They were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Paperwork, to include the logbook review, was a complete non-factor. HR panel was a little un-nerving, just 2 people staring at you blankly while you answer questions, but I believe that is by design. LOI was as-advertised. Practice that a few times and don’t panic, make a decision in the 7 minutes and remember it’s a CRM exercise.

All military time. T-1A Instructor. C-17 schoolhouse Instructor and Evaluator.

I did the panel first. One people dept rep and one FO. Questions I was asked:
– Briefly tell us about yourself and how you came about your love of flying.
– Why Southwest – FO said that was all good stuff about the company but what about the type of flying Southwest does.
– Scariest moment I’ve had in the Aircraft.
– How to do I feel about being an FO for 9-12 years.
– Conflict with a crew member in the air.
– Tell me a time when you had a conflict with a superior and regret not standing up to them.
– Tell me a time you made a mistake as an aircraft commander that you regret.
> – Tell me a time I had to intervene and stop a crew member from doing something in the air as the Aircraft Commander.
> – If they brought in a bunch of my friends, what would they say about me good and bad.
> The People Dept rep was very chatty and engaged. Lot’s of oh my’s and wows. The FO on the other hand was quiet and acted very uninterested (looking around the room and staring at the ceiling). Then he would all of the sudden get engaged and write down a bunch of notes. I read him as faking the uninterested part and trying to throw me off. Not sure if that’s correct or not but I just kept trying to engage him.

Log Book Interview
This was very quick and straightforward. The interviewer only looked at my Air Force Flying History Report and the summary sheet I provided. He verified my ATP, Medical and FCC license (originals against the copies). He pulled out his checklist and just ran down the questions and filled out the numbers he needed. He only asked two questions. Why Southwest and if they brought in a bunch of my friends and peers what three things would they say both good and bad. After that we really just had a conversation about my experiences.

LOI
> FAST!!!!! The Pilot acting as the FO gave me the brief then the scenario and left me alone for a few minutes. When he walked with my “jump” pilot, it just happened to be the same FO that did my review at the Job Fair in Sept.
First thing that jumped at me was of the scenario information was useless. Just enough to distract you. After the scenario they let me set up my debrief. I laid out what we did good, What we did bad, through in a few things that I personally did, and then what I would redo. We then just went over my background and how was it going from the C-17 to the MC-12W and what the MC-12W does.

weeks for preparation. The first week I focused mainly on paperwork and recommendations. Once this was about 90% complete I moved on to the interview prep. I collected my thoughts and made rough drafts of the points I wanted to articulate. Once I had gathered my core stories and felt like my “toolbox” had enough depth to cover multiple question I had my wife ask me question. I mainly practiced with family members and used Corporate and Career Takeoff to help fine tune my answers.

I stayed at the Doubletree the night before the interview. I rented a car so I could do my in-person prep session at Rebekah’s office the day before. Having a car added a little more freedom to make any last minute runs if I had forgotten anything and an added level of comfort. I did as much as possible to remove any stress from the day of the interview. I per-ordered room service for breakfast the night before so I would be able to eat before getting ready (my luck I would spill something on my suit).

I left the hotel around 0630 for the 10 min drive to headquarters. I checked in at the guard shack and they had my name on a list and pointed me in the direction to the parking lot. I walked in the front doors at 0640 and met the group I would be interviewing with. Around 0655 we began the check-in process and turned in our stacks with our logbooks.

The interview experience was advertised. After the introductions and welcoming talk we walked over to the interview building where we would spend the day. The gave a brief overview of the LOI and showed us the paper tiger and how the timer worked. We were then taken to the holding room. My sequence of events was the HR panel first. This consisted of a retired captain, a person from the people department, and a college intern. They did a good job making this conversational a warn environment. The HR rep was more engaging throughout and added remarks/follow up questions. The retired captain was more stoic and seemed more like the business person following a timeline. During my question they were busy writing most of the time which offered little time for eye contact. I tried to treat the intern as one of the interviews by making eye contact and involving him in my stories as well. At the end of the HR panel they asked if I had any question for them. I asked them each a question as well as the intern.

Next I went to the LOI. Man does the 7 minutes fly-by. My scenario was one of the aft flight attendants smelled something like smoke. Which ironically was the same scenario I practiced the day before with Corporate and Career Takeoff. I involved the whole crew and made a decision before time expired. I feel like your chance to shine is during the debrief. They are trying to see how you interact with your teammates under stress. Be polite and respect their opinions but at the end of the day it is up to you to make the decision.

Last was my Logbook review. I used an excel spreadsheet Corporate and Career Takeoff provides their clients. My logbook was 100% electric and I did not bring my original private pilot logbook that contained my first 60hrs. I did bring my green HARM folder and FEF. The person doing my logbook did ask if I had by chance brought these items. He was excited to see that I had. The logbook portion went really quick and my hours break down by years was exactly what they were looking for. The last part of the logbook review was just asking question about my flying career. The most stressful emergency I have had, what job I liked the most, and then we talked about our families.

After the 3 sessions I went back to the holding room and waited for the rest of my group to finish up. We then met up with the afternoon group and received the company overview powerpoint and a Q&A session with Rocky.

I left the headquarters campus at 1330. This was an extremely long and mentally tiring day. The Southwest employees were great and the day ran like a well oiled machine. I believe 7 out of 11 from my morning group received the invite. I truly believe they want to hire everyone they invite. Just be yourself and try to avoid sounding like a robot

141 flight instructor
121 FO/CA for three years

Awesome expirence, everyone was super nice and polite thought out the whole proccess. They really want you to feel at ease. Very welcoming.

Part 141 Flight Instructor
121 Airline First Officer/Captain 3.5 yrs

Great experience and very friendly interview process. No surprises at all based on previous reports, got the usual HR questions: Why Southwest, why you, conflict stories, weaknesses, etc.

I used ECIC and was over prepared for the interview. They really are just trying to get to know you and make sure you are a good fit. I think having internal references is key, they called mine during the reference checks.

Awesome. I have interviewed at Delta too. I would read how Delta really wanted to hire you and made you feel at ease. BS. Southwest wants to hire you. They go out of their way to make you comfortable. After

That said, I was in the afternoon group. Scheduled to show up at 1030, but I was bored so showed at 0930. I wasn’t the only one, so we chatted and knocked out our paper work before everybody else showed up. There was a flight attendant group interviewing so we talked with them for a while. By the time we were brought back, all the nerves were gone. I recommend showing up early just to help yourself relax.

Brought us back at noon. Briefed us on the company, it’s future and how we would be fitting in to it. That lasted 45 minutes. We were then brought in to the HR section. I did LOI, logbook then panel. They are super efficient. Unlike delta where you wait around for several hours, I didn’t sit for more than 5 minutes between any of them. The entire interview probably took 2 hours.

The HR folks at Southwest are very nice and very friendly.

Fantastic experience from beginning to end. Felt confident going in.
After a tour of the facility and briefing on interview process, we were divided into groups and rotations for LOI, logbook review and panel interview.
Panel:
Tell us about yourself.
Why Southwest
Where do you see yourself in 10 years.
As a LCA did you have a difficult Capt? FO?
Conflict with policies?
Are you OK with the right seat for 10 years?
Everything was straight forward. No gotchas.

Loi:
Very comfortable setting. Tastes 7 mins if my life !! Scenario had front lavatory over flooding. Followed the ecic process. The SBI/LOI webinars are a must. ! I declared emergency and decided to fly to a destination 2 hrs away. During my debrief I told them my reasons.

Logbook review:
We see you are a LCA, why not United? Or Delta?
What did you do to prep for this interview.
Why Southwest?
How do you like the EMB 145?
How do you like working for your current company?

Overall amazing experience. This is my dream job and made sure I laid everything on the table. show them you are excited. had 16 candidates. 11 made it.

Good luck !!!

The day goes just as all the gouge on the Internet spells out. Be happy and excited and convince them you want the job. Practicing for the seven minute scenario ahead of time is key! It will go really fast and you will make mistakes. Debrief them and you will be fine. Convince them you want the job!

It was great to be around so many friendly people who love their company. I felt like I was talking with friends more than being on an interview. I had the 1000 showtime, and showed up a few min early. The morning group was running late, so we waited until about 1230 to start the training center tour. I’m not the most outgoing person, but I tried to be as friendly as possible and spoke with all the FA and FO candidates until the tour. After the tour we were briefed on the company in a different room. I left my snacks and briefcase in the waiting room so I was pretty hungry by 1400 when the interviews started. My interview order was logbook, HR, and LOI, and I was out by 1630.

It was exactly as described previously. Everyone was friendly and positive throughout the entire day. Incredible atmosphere and energy at Southwest. 45-60 min presentation and conversation with Rocky, the chief of hiring. Three interview segments done in seemingly random order: LOI, HR panel with an HR rep and a pilot, and logbook review. Expect to get asked Why Southwest at all three. They also take you on a tour of the training campus, which was awesome to see. We were told what day our hiring board would be and to expect to hear on that day or very soon after. Got the CJO on the day of the board from a phone call from one of the chief pilots.

11,000+ hours. Last 16 years at regional airline, last 10 years as RJ Captain, and last year as Line Check Airman.

Very welcoming. Don’t be surprised if a few people try to prank you on the way. The security guard tried to fake me out by saying that “all interviews were cancelled today”. You can verify by looking over to the left and the people department is on the left of the lobby as I saw someone walking out of the People Department. I said that’s strange that people are walking in/out of there for them to be closed. Bottom line, most of the pressure is self induced for the entire process. It was overall a lighthearted and fun experience. They truly want to put you at ease and have you succeed. Met in people department for introductions to other interviewees, paperwork turn in and fingerprinting followed by company briefing by chief of pilot hiring who is Rocky. After that is done they walk you over to another building for the three parts of the interview. HR, LOI and Logbook review.

Just like everyone else says, it’s a great experience. The Southwest facilities are fantastic and getting even better. Everyone there is very nice and welcoming, etc.

The interview was a great experience. It starts the day before at the airport when you travel to Dallas. The CSA’s know you’re going to interview because of the type of positive space ticket you’re flying on. Keep that in mind. The interview is only a half day. I went in the morning. You begin in the people department and turn in your stacks of paperwork and logbooks. While they’re organizing it and making sure you brought everything, everyone takes turns getting fingerprinted. After that is complete, Rocky takes you to a conference room to give you a briefing of how the day is going to work and give you an overview of what’s going on with the company. After that is finished you’re taken to another building where they conduct the interview. They have a waiting room to hang out in and wait to be called for the various portions of the interview. The interview is three parts. 2 on 1 HR panel, logbook review, and the LOI. I did the logbook review first. This will be the lowest stress part of the day if you are organized and your logbooks are presented well. After they review it, they will ask a few HR type questions as well. I had the 2 on 1 panel next. This was very “relaxed” in my opinion. They truly want to get to know you, and it really just felt like a conversation between three people about myself. The last portion was the LOI. I won’t bore you with all the details, but this is the fastest 7 minutes of your life. There is no right or wrong, but you need to be able to make a decision based on the situation and the available information that you can gather, and be able to back it up. A BIG part of the LOI is the debrief that you will give to them. They want to see some humility and that you can admit your mistakes/faults and explain what you could have done better. After this was done, we met up with the afternoon group and took a tour of the training center, and that was it! Back to the airport to head home! Remember, your interview doesn’t end until you’re sitting in your car!

The interview was a great experience. They try hard to put you at easy. They are very friendly. There are 3 phases of the interview:
1. Logbook review: be prepared to explain any failures in great detail. He will also ask you why Southwest.
2. Panel: one HR and one pilot. I was just myself. Smile a lot and show them how much you really want to be there. Do not give canned answers. They can spot those. Be honest. There are no tricks in this part.
3. LOI. As previously stated. You have 7 minutes to work out an inflight problem that leads to a divert with no good alternate.

Overall, was a great experience. They are friendly and easy to talk to. Just remember it is an interview so smile and be friendly but be professional.

The entire experience was awesome. Rocky and the team go out of their way to make you feel relaxed and welcome. For the morning session, after taking care of some paperwork admin at in the People Department, you walk down to a room and get a big picture brief of Southwest. After that, you walk to another building and wait to conduct the three interview portions.

HR Panel – had 1 HR person and 1 Capt in a small room. TMA Yourself. What do you do outside of work? Have you interviewed with anyone else? What will be your biggest challenge as a new hire? TMAAT you failed.

Logbook – brought AF big green HARM folder. Had a separate sheet broken down by aircraft with hours/sorties totals showing – PIC, SIC, Instructor. Previous 5 years hours/sorties, broken down into yearly chunks. Used 0.3 sortie conversion.

LOI – could get any number of scenarios, so just relax (as much as you can) and talk through what you would do with your decision making process (being sure to utilize assets in your aircraft and outside agencies).

Was asked, “Why us?” in each separate interview portion.

Great overall experience! SW really does want to hire you and helps to put you at ease. Everyone there is super cool. The interview consists of three parts, HR, logbook review, and LOI. I thought it was all pretty straightforward. On the LOI make sure and do a control transfer and utilize CRM, get everyone involved in your decision making process.

Attending the SWA Pilot expo

I was invited to the in house job fair. I also contacted 15 internal references to get the recommendation.

Attended SWA pilot expo in Dallas.

No, Just applied when the application window opened.

Applied to every window the last 2 years.

Sept 2017 job fair (I think).

Job Fair

I attended the September job fair. I do not believe this triggered the invite but it did help me accurately answer the “Pilot Questionnaire” portion on pilot credentials. I had been a Assistant Flight Commander (more than 10 pilots) and an acting Flight Commander due to a deployment. During the military breakout session these questions were asked and I felt confident I could check the boxes and back them up. I also was able to check the flight safety officer box as well. I had not done this during previous windows. I updated these boxes at the career fair and received the invite shortly after.

OBAP

No, originally applied in Jan 1st. Missed the next application window. Reapplied AUG 1st received the call 4weeks later.

OBAP job fair

Attended OBAP.

OBAP. Got the invite 24 hours after sitting down with them.

Attended OBAP

I attended the event at their headquarters in Dallas

No, I just applied during the open window. I did a one page cover letter with my resume explaining my love of aviation, values, family, and why I want to be at Southwest.

Line Check Airman status? (Had some internals but hadn’t even listed them yet)

Not that I am aware. I did have 6 internal recommendation, and 4 external recommendations of which I posted the 4 external recommendations on the pilot credentials profile.

No…just applied in the Jan 20-27 window.

Reapplied during the December requisition.

Had pilot credentials updated once a month, but submitted onto the SWA HR site the last week of Dec 2016.

Had a friend currently at SW fill out the refer a friend page when the window opened.

Not much, maybe practiced some mock PA announcements or learned a little more about basic 737 performance for the LOI.

Could have spent a little time recording myself giving answers to HR style questions for self-evaluation.

I was relaxed and stayed in the moment with the interviewers. I let them guide the discussion and answered their questions as they came.
On the logbook interview they ask how many hours you have flown in 12 month increments going back 60 months. Have this calculated ahead of time.

Put your self in the right mindset before your interview by standing in the middle of a busy airport terminal with your uniform on and help passengers out during a long sit. Because this is the type of pilot they want to hire. Read “Nuts” for a good history and Coleen Barrett’s book “the Southwest Way”

Relaxed environment, friendly interview team.

Go out of your way to convince Southwest that they’re your one and only choice. I had a great time at the interview, received strong verbal and non-verbal positive feedback, and have nothing bad to say about the interview process. In hindsight, I failed to convince them that I REALLY wanted to work there and wasn’t looking at other options. I was asked multiple times why Southwest and had a good answer, but when asked if I had interview anywhere else I simply said, “No…you’re my first interview.” That was factually accurate, but in retrospect implied that I had other interviews scheduled…which I did. I should have answered, “No…and I’m really hoping that I don’t have to. Southwest is my number one choice and the company I really want to work for. I adjusted my availability date with other companies to be later to ensure I had the best opportunity to interview with Southwest first so I wouldn’t have to waste time with someone else if I was fortunate enough to be hired here.” Live and learn…

At every point in the interview, if it’s a high point of your resume or a great decision made or whatever, be sure to acknowledge the people in your life/teammates/etc that helped get you there. And of course, own and demonstrate learning from failures. And for all the conspiracy theorist out there……I did have a cover letter with my resume.

Do yourself a favor read LEADING WITH LOVE as well as NUTS! Get into the Southwest culture b4 the interview.

Be yourself. There are some good videos on YouTube given by Southwest corporate officers. They do a good job of laying out the Southwest philosophy.

Very good training website. I always appreciate when I feel like the person I am paying cares about my success. That is very apparent.

LOI- The setup was BWI to FLL, we were currently near Norfolk at FL400 and WX was crap along the whole east coast. I asked some setup questions as far as how much fuel we burn, how close we were to landing weights, and the max crosswind component. The FA called and said we had a blue water leak. I transferred aircraft control, then asked the FO and JS if they had seen anything like this before, and they replied it could lead to an electrical issues/failure. I said I think we need to divert and asked the JS to stay engaged with the FA’s. Then I got the WX, time, and support info for 3 potential diverts. They were all crappy, 1 winds out of limits, 1 vis out of limits, and the other completely out of WX limits. I coordinated with dispatch and followed up with the FA’s, and we started to lose some lighting in the back and some FO instruments. I asked the FO and JS opinion’s, chose the FO’s recommendation and announced my decision. Then I started to coordinate with ATC for clearance and simulate the descent checks and crew notifications before I ran out of time. I kept a calm, confident, and friendly demeanor during the whole scenario. I debriefed what I did well and what I could have done better. I thought I did decent, then second guessed myself about all the little stuff I could have done better for the next week until my references were called.

I read the book NUTS, and studied the Southwest website for vision, mission, values, and read their company report. I also memorized the domiciles and # of US and international destinations, but was never asked about them. I talked with some current pilots and flight attendants about the lifestyle and how the trips and bidding work. Additionally, I followed Southwest on Facebook to learn about some of the cool stuff they do like Live at 35 and employees going out of their way to help people, which ended up helping me connect with the interviewers during the HR portion.

Awesome experience! As others have said, if you’re the person you say you are on paper, then they really want you to succeed, so be yourself.

I would say also say the interview definitely starts when you call to make your reservation for your ticket to Dallas. I had two stories already lined up in my why Southwest, when reserving my ticket, and meeting the ticket agent at the counter due to the fact that both took 30+ minutes for different reasons and they were apologetic and friendly. I think its part of the interaction they want to see along with gate agents, MX, Flight attendants, Pilots, etc. Both of my flights the pilots were running behind but I did talk to the Flight Attendants for a bit. Very positive interaction. Make sure your availability date is spot on. Since I was 6 months prior I did get asked when I could physically be in training.

The questions they DID NOT ask were interesting…didn’t ask weaknesses directly, didn’t ask if I did interview prep, didn’t ask scariest flight, didn’t ask if I ever considered a non-flying job. No drinking Captain or Captain wanting to break a rule hypotheticals.

To help prepare for the TMAAT questions I paid for access to aviationinterviews.com. There are over a hundred questions for DWA that you can read through and mentally prepare for them.

Just relax and be yourself. Don’t forget, the interview starts when you step out your front door and ends when you walk back into your home. Read the book NUTS! and The Southwest Way.

No, but have a break down of your total time and tpic of the last 5 years by year.

One question as to whether I had my “original” Radiotelephone operator permit. It was in the stack, but was unsigned.

No. I used Rebekah Krone for prep. The in-person interview prep the day before is well worth the money. Knowing your paperwork has had another set of eyes to verify everything and ensure that it is 100% accurate is worth the piece of mind and added confidence.

No issues, just followed the instructions.

None. Just tab everything thats on the list for logbook instructions. Also make sure you have a 12 MONTH LOOKBACK FOR 60 MONTHS !!!makes your life easy and makes an impression.

None. Have everything neat and ready to go. They will give you instructions. Have all the items tabbed in your logbook and be ready to discuss things for pertinent dates and milestones.

None, I spoke with a friend about the logbook and paperwork. I tabbed the two stacks of paperwork to be as neat as possible. I also made an excel workbook which I printed my total flying summaries and individual worksheets by year for all my flights for the last 5 years. Then I had all my military printouts in the same binder behind the summaries. I tried to have the logbook as neat as possible and put a cover sheet with a Southwest 737, my name, and the aircraft I instructed in the military on Stack 1, 2, and my logbook. The actual logbook review only took about 3 minutes, then I spoke with the former chief pilot who reviewed my logbook for about 40 minutes about: my background, challenging flights and conditions I’ve experienced, how I diffused conflict on the crew, and his flying background and family. I was asked why Southwest and responded the company inspires me with the way it treats the employees and customers. I also asked him his favorite part about Southwest, which was the people.

No. Logbook review was very straightforward; just have the dates/times they ask for ready to go as well as lookback for the last five years and you should be fine. SWA wants a lot of paperwork turned in when you arrive at the interview. Keep in mind the impression you can make with how all of this is presented.

None. Follow their instructions for time breakdowns and tabs, plus be sure to do the look-back summaries ahead of time for last 5 years (last 12 months, 13-24 months, last 24 months total, 25-36 months, last 36 months, etc.). Very friendly and friendly experience.

My logbooks session was easy but I felt extremely prepared. MILITARY WARNING: The directions that SWA sends says that you are exempt from tabbing 2500 total, 1000 PIC are NOT true. Tab not only these things but also have the dates recorded as they write that down. Additionally have 12, 13-24, 24, 25-36, 36, 37-48, 48, 49-60, 60 all recorded. I broke this down on an excel spreadsheet along with all the other requests they have, PIC, SIC, turbine, etc. I created a notes section on how I calculated all of my time including primary, secondary, instructor, evaluator, student, etc. I also vastly underestimated my PIC time by not counting other time (even though I was the A-code). I also subtracted 5% for times when I potentially flew with another IP (again overestimating the PIC subtraction, but since I had 2000+ PIC turbine I wasn’t too worried). Finally on a third spreadsheet I broke down each months flying totals including sorties for each month with the .3 conversion.

I must have been lucky or the interviewer a little overwhelmed, because I did not get a single question about my logbook. After about 10 minutes of logging all the times and dates, he asked me 5-6 TMAAT stories. Why SWA? Flying with a difficult Capt? Difficult decision? Best flight and why? Tell me about how living overseas is?

Last note, the application they print about 3 weeks prior to the interview. I had updated my hours 2 weeks prior and matched my resume, logbook, and I had printed a copy of my application that I updated showing the new times. I showed him all three. It didn’t seem to matter since the difference was <20hrs.

No. But for Southwest (even Military, regardless of the instructions they send out), be sure to have your 1,000 hours PIC and 1,500 hours turbine total tabbed AT THE LEAST. Also, bring your original medical; they’ll ask for it. Furthermore, have your last 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 month totals PLUS each 12 month period broken down (1-12, 13-24…you get the idea). If there is a question/issue about ANYTHING, don’t get defensive; they’re probably poking the bear. Be ready to discuss check ride failures. Military: Know how you got your PIC totals. Also, they seem to want you to give them your totals WITH the .3 conversion.

No issues. Tab everything and make a spreadsheet of what they want to see and you’ll be good. They do a good job of explaining this in the paperwork instructions once you get the invite.

Be prepared to explain any failures that you have and what you learned from it. I had a CFII and Cml multi failure. He spent a lot of time on them.

None. I rebooted all my logbooks into electronic format, printed, and put it in a nice binder. Tabbed what SW asked for, plus tabbed all my checkrides. The reviewer like my presentation. They’ll want to see totals for each of the last five years and cumulative totals for each year over the last five years.

LOI is just a 7 minute exercise in CRM. The scenario will be medical, maintenance, or security issues. You will always declare an emergency and you will always divert. If you don’t do well in the 7 minutes you can save your self in the post brief.

Probably the only one with math was the hardest, and it had to do with the lead radials.

The seven minute LOI I scenario is challenging. I’m glad I practiced ahead of time with some friends who had interviewed previous to me. Have your thoughts organized, come up with a plan, then act on that plan.

7-minute LOI. You know it’s going to be fast, but it’s still easy to lose track of the time.