Remember I always preach to you guys about networking? ("Network, Network, Network")
Considering she submitted
22 letters of reccomendation and exceeded the minimum qualifications, I think the system worked alright.
I heard a lot of the same stuff mumbled about myself when I was leaving Skyway Airlines for Delta but those same naysayers would have been shocked to know that I was the only guy in my Delta class who had Part-121/Scheduled airline PIC experience and was probably in the top 10% of total time at the age of 27.
Beech 1900 captain experience, Embry-Riddle graduate, ab initio CFI for Asiana Airlines, letters of reccomendation from my chief pilot, an a Delta MD-88 captain/company check airman, some corporate experience, exceeded the average new hire experience, and good interview skills, but nonetheless recieved the "Hmph..."
Lots of 1800 to 2200-hour ATR, Brasilia and Saab FO's in my ground school, with
zero turbine PIC -- but *I* was the one "questioned" about my experience by some of my associates. Of course only after a few beers enabled some to muster the courage to question my qualifications.
You've got to make your own success in this business. If I'm a Delta captain and one day if my kid wants to be a Delta pilot and meets the qualifications, I'm going to be calling the employment office every two weeks and setting appointments to meet with the manager of pilot selection on every ATL layover and during every break in training -- unless the kid is an idiot!
Just like I did for my friends Derek Baer, Joe Empero and Dan Jackey who are all, unfortunately, on furlough.
Gotta do the "Decorator Crab" thing. Find bits and pieces of success stories, throw them in your aviation "hope chest" and use them to motivate yourself.