Preparing for the “real thing” – airline assessment

We often get asked, “how can I prepare for an airline assessment”?

One of the best things you can do is of course to practice. The problem then becomes – well what should I practice for?

Airlines do differ in many ways, and how recruitment is done can of course also vary a lot, in the following we will share with you, what it can look like.

To protect the airline, we have taken out the name of the airline. Apart from taking the name of the airline out, the below is taken from real life.

Welcome to your Virtual Assessment Day

In the morning you’ll join our Recruitment Team to learn more about the company and what it’s like to work for us. There’ll be an opportunity to ask questions and meet your fellow candidates.

You’ll then get involved in a group exercise, followed by an individual competency-based interview.

Group Exercise

The Group Exercise is all about working collaboratively. We’ll give you a problem to solve or a task to complete and we’ll be looking to see you display certain skills or competencies which we believe make a really great pilot, so your participation and involvement in the exercise is really important.

Interview

Part 1: Motivation Section

We’re all about having the Right People here. So, this is your chance to demonstrate your passion and motivation for the role and be prepared to share your reasons behind your decision to become a commercial pilot for us. If you want to impress us on the day, why not do some research about us? Our Careers Website, and corporate website are good places to start. Take the time to learn about our values, company strategy, our history and what is currently happening and exciting within the aviation industry.

Part 2: Competency Based Section

The competency interview is your opportunity to share your work experiences, educational achievements, and extra-curricular activities with the recruitment team. You will be asked to provide specific examples from real life experiences based on our Pilot Competencies.

Pilot Competencies

What is a competency?

‘A competency is defined as a skill, knowledge, ability or behavioral characteristic that is needed to perform to the standard required

Our pilot competencies have been chosen carefully as a result of studying the skills required to be a Co-Pilot and we’ve developed assessment activities and interview questions to look for these throughout your Assessment Centre. You’ll need to display enough evidence of the skills required to determine your fit into the role.

In our company, candidates are assessed based on the following competencies and we encourage you to familiarise yourself with them, so you know exactly what we’re looking for:

• Motivation for joining us
• Growth Mindset
• Commercial Thinking
• Collaboration
• Motivation to Lead
• Situation Awareness & Problem Solving
• Stress Management
• Safety Focus

MOTIVATION FOR WORKING FOR US

We’re really passionate about having the Right People, so we want to see your passion and motivation for wanting to join us. You should have good knowledge of our company history, our values and our culture as well as understanding of how a pilot can contribute to the success of our airline. You should have awareness of the commercial aviation industry and an understanding of delivering excellent customer service.

GROWTH MINDSET

Seek to improve capabilities, demonstrate self-insight and openness to build upon strengths and weaknesses.

COMMERCIAL THINKING

Good awareness of commercial aviation industry and understanding of delivery of excellent customer service and financial impact of decisions; showing pride to work for the airline and acting in the airline’s best interest.

COLLABORATION

Defined as, the ability to work effectively in a team; actively listening and clarifying understanding; establishing trusting relationships and sharing information; treating others with respect and promoting an inclusive work environment.

MOTIVATION TO LEAD

Interest in becoming a captain; desire to influence and inspire others.

SITUATION AWARENESS & PROBLEM SOLVING

Quickly addressing issues; providing solutions and making decisions based on company and training guidelines. This competency comprises of elements around environmental awareness and anticipation as well as effective decision making, option generating and reviewing.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Maintaining composure and managing pressure; thinking clearly and retaining focus in challenging situations.

SAFETY FOCUS

Following standard operating procedures (SOPs); monitoring details and openly speaking up to assure safety standards.

Interview Technique – ‘STAR’ method

If you haven’t attended an interview recently, you can prepare by researching the ‘STAR’ interview response technique and use this model to help you structure your answers to interview questions.

Think about past experiences that you would like to share with the recruitment team based on the competencies listed above.

 ..–END–..

What did you think about that?

Does it seem pretty straightforward? Well, it is not. The airline is likely to have hundreds of applicants, maybe even thousands to assess and only the best ones get the job. This is why you need to practice to have a chance of being among the best.

So how much should I practice?

It depends. Some people find it very easy to present themselves. Others struggle a lot. On average the people we have helped have needed 3- 4 practice interviews (so 2- 3 hours of coaching) before they felt really comfortable. In between each interview you probably use a few hours to prepare and think about what to answer. You will quickly end up spending 20- 30 hours on interview practice, when you consider your homework but some also spent weeks to prepare. Often the situation is that you have started too late, and the invite for the assessment is only a few days away, so it is also about you don’t have time to prepare a lot. Your first competency based interview is likely to feel awkward, so make sure it does not count and that is just a practice one.

Should I get professional help?

You can get far by just practicing with friends and family. The challenge can sometimes be to know if what you have planned to say is the smartest for the situation. Sometimes questions can be a little tricky and by working with for example one from our team, you can get some feedback and we can make sure you present the best version of yourself. Or said another way – you are as sharp as you can get.

At the end of the day, there is no guarantee that you will get the job, but we know of plenty of examples where a bad interview resulted in no job offer being made.

So don’t be the one that throws it away and come prepared.

Happy landings

Ask A Pilot