Flight instructor interview

[jtrain609]

Earlier this week I managed to snag an interview for a flight instructor position at a flight school here in Michigan and I figured I'd post a little bit about how things went and maybe help some folks out by putting it up here.

I got the call on Tuesday saying that they'd like to interview on Thursday and put me in a class starting on Monday. I got things all squared away so that I could run away from marching band for a few hours (I'm in band camp at the university right now) and was on my way to get to the airport.

Once I got there I got a quick tour of the facilities and then the interview started with the chief flight instructor and the assistant chief. They asked me a lot of “Tell me about a time when...” and “Have you ever...” questions. Things like “Have you ever filed a NASA form? Have you ever had to declare an emergency?” Also the standard strengths/weaknesses questions and all that other jive that'll get asked on any interview. He also asked what the guy that got me my CFI would think of me, which I didn't see coming.

After the interview, which probably lasted 30 minutes or so, they gave me a written exam. It was pretty much questions from various written exams. Long story short, I scored two points below what they wanted to see and said I could reapply in 30 days.

After it was all said and done he said he normally didn't do this, but he offered a little bit of a critique of the interview process. He said that I listed one of my weaknesses as, “I can talk too much and over explain things” and said that it was spot on and I talked too much during the interview. I was actually kind of confused about that one because I was asked a lot of questions that required a decent amount of explanation. I wouldn't think I should just answer a question with “Have you ever had an emergency? Tell us about it” with “Yes, I had an pseudo engine failure once.” I'm still trying to parse that one out and figure out exactly where I was talking for too long with them.

In the end though, it's good that I wasn't offered this position. I was told they would have needed me all day Monday, which would have conflicted with marching band. I would have had to choose between marching band, which I've been involved with for about 5 years now and I'm in a leadership position with, or this job. By that I mean we already had one guy kicked out of the band this year because he had to go to work during camp and the same would have happened to me. That's not a choice I would really care to make to be honest, and I'm glad someone made that decision for me.

All in all a good learning experience. I might reapply again in 30 days, we'll see if I can find a position anywhere else. I got a call from an airport about an hour north of Kalamazoo and I'm dropping off a resume to another airport 45 minutes south of Kalamazoo in the next few days so we'll see if I get any leads with that. Otherwise I've got a bunch of business cards and I'm going to start freelancing.

[KLB]

You had to do all of that. My interview, where I am now, was a piece of cake. A couple of question about my resume (only problem they had with it was that I didn't have a lot of multi time to instruct in the twin. ( I might just get to instruct in it anyway because both of the multi instructors will be leaving soon and I am the only MEI ) ...And of course I had the all and mighty, ridiculously hard 141 ride and I was in.

Yeah band always conflicts with everything.....I had to give band up my last year so that I could get the flying done and graduate in a timely manner. It's a good thing you didn't major in Aviation because it always conflicted band....ie..the best weather was always during band practice and the weather sucked during my 7-9 flight slot.

All in all...I think it's best to stick with band. You have from January on up to flight instruct and do whatever, but band will be over with in November (you no Western Michican ain't going to no bowl game) and you will miss it like I do.

[jtrain609]

Yeah that's what I figure too. I'm going to try to freelance a bit or get a job somewhere else, but this really works out for the best. The schedule they wanted me on wouldn't have been amazing either. They do everything by bidding for their schedules, so I would have been on the bottom and I'm not sure what they would have been able to do about class conflicts either.

[EatSleepFly]

Make sure to get some CFI insurance if you are going to freelance. I think basic coverage runs around $300/yr, if I remember right. It helped me to get it when I was doing a bunch of freelance stuff, both to cover myself, and to be able to say, "yep, no problem, I'm fully insured," when the inevitable question came.

If there's anything I can do for you, let me know!

[sopdan]

This wouldn't be a school that I'm very familiar with, would it?

[jtrain609]

That's the one.