Frankly, you may only get one shot at landing your dream job. You should put everything you have into preparing for it. You don’t want to wait until you’re in the hot seat to realize you could have used some help getting ready. You probably won’t be the only candidate to show up on the day of your interview. We guarantee that your competition will be ready. Our goal is to make sure that you gain from our experience and knowledge so that you can be ready too.
Not only is this one of the most amazing careers on Earth, but it’s also a multi-million-dollar career. A prospect with those stakes comes with an expectation of a certain level of preparation. Your interviewers will challenge that preparation by throwing you some curveballs. If you’re ready, you’ll be able to calmly adapt and overcome. Leave the alternative to those other guys.
Perspective
This is your life, your chance, your career. However, if you want to succeed you should take some time to consider the perspective of your future unit.
The Guard and Reserves aren’t like the active duty Air Force where everyone switches assignments and locations every 3-4 years. When you join a unit in the Guard or Reserve, they expect to be stuck with you for a long time. It isn’t unheard of for a pilot to fly with the same unit for upwards of 30 years! Think about that for a minute—that’s longer than many of you have been alive. Most traditional jobs focus on finding an employee with the right set of skills to perform a task. Your hiring board looks for that, but they also need to find people they want to have on their team for years, if not decades, to come.
Throughout this process, remember that you aren’t just applying for a job as a pilot. You’re asking for long-term membership on a tight-knit team of dedicated professionals. Everything you say and do must focus on how that team and its mission will benefit from your participation. This may be your life and your career, but from now on, it’s all about them.
With this in mind, let’s get started.