Interview experience:
My current company is going under and many many regional airlines have been hovering like vultures above trying to find people with 121 experience. Compass has been one of them. My friend, a current compass pilot, walked my stuff in and I submitted the on-line application within a day of each other. Compass HR called me a day and a half later on a Sunday to set up an interview. There were interview slots available for that upcoming week, I declined and went the following Monday to get P's and Q's in order. There are two individuals who the pilot applicants are in direct contact with during this process. They are outsourced from an HR firm. Ability level of those two during the process was questionable. Or maybe they did not care as much as an in-house employee would.
Stayed at the Crown Plaza in Eagan. I know during previous gouges they said you could get a room there for $65ish if you said that you were with Compass. I called them and told them that, but the room was quoted at $160 to me. Luckily had soom points for hotel rooms and stayed for free. All hotels in that area claim to be 'Mall of America' and price it so. Shuttle options were at 15 and 45 past the hour. I took the 45 shuttle and was five minutes early. The building is only a mile away.
Was taken into a waiting area at 8:10. There was only one other pilot applicant and a few flight attendant applicant. All people encountered during the process were very pleasant. The interview process was divided into four parts. An ATP written, a 727 sim, oral tech/HR, and a wizz quiz.
The ATP written had a couple of unique features from others I had taken in the past. First, there are no diagrams or calculations. The questions are from the newest ATP edition. I had an '05, and there where definitely a few that I had never seen before. Including a few on single pilot operations, with less then 10 seats., autopilot inop??? Might be from the 135 question bank. The test was generic, meaning it was not geared toward a 121 domestic carrier. All question banks were in play. Lastly, once an answer was submitted it cannot be changed. I know I got at least one wrong because of this. Take your time.
The 727 was a fun experience. Sat down and was given a quick brief. Where everything was at and a couple of tips. The whole ride was less then 25 minutes long. Straight and level, constant a/s climbs and descents, couple of steep turns, and a hold. Everything raw data. The power adjustments required are quite large. The hold was a direct entry. During the evolution I was not perfect, and you won't need to be either. They are looking BAIF skills. Not mastery of a three engine relic.
The HR/tech portion was three on one. Lisa, the lead HR, and two retired NWA pilots. Nice people. My HR portion was tailored to my experiences throughout life. Spent a lot of time talking about my college/work experience. Why my current company was going under. Why Compass, the usual. Tech-only one that I can remember. I don't feel that it is something pilots should know. Separation behind a heavy enroute and after take off. I said five miles and and two minutes. Still don't know. Couple situational questions. Most notably, you're third in line, seven behind you and your FO says he's not quite sure if he did the walk around. What do you do. I said go back to the gate. He then kept changing the equation to see at what point I would continue on. Like...seven behind you, no turn off, added a flow time, then added a percentage of how sure he was of the completion of the walk around. At 90%, said I would go. On the line would have probably gone a lot sooner. Not sure what he was looking for, the truth or the safest resolution possible. Never can be. 45 minutes or so. All painless except for the debate about the FO walk around.
Did a finger print and then was sent out to do a drug test. The other pilot who interviewed had a car so I rode with him to the hospital and he dropped me off at the airport. From what I understand they will provide vouchers for cabs if needed.
Got an email offer about 10 days later.
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