That’s it, the end of your CPL IR ME is in sight, you’ve got your MCC lined up, and you’re probably starting to think of the next stage… Airline selections.
And at this point, you probably have no idea how things are going to pan out. All you know is in 2 to 3 months, you’ll have your licence in hand and will probably be able to apply at several airlines.
And then the wait starts… If you have given sufficient attention to your online application, CV, and cover letter, you’ll likely be invited to your first airline selection…
The waiting time will fluctuate depending on the job market. It will likely be months more than weeks, and you are likely to have to find a gap job, or consider instructing or going for a type rating… Whatever the case, but the day you get that email from the pilot selection team, things suddenly get very real. And if the couple of dates they give you are 3 weeks away like they have been lately, you’ll probably run out of time to prepare adequately.
You see, preparing for Airline Selections isn’t an overnight matter. And whilst bringing the best of yourself is a skill that can be honed… It takes time to get mentally and physically ready, and even more to be emotionally ready.
When we say mentally, we mean to prepare for the technical exercises. Psychometrics, verbal reasoning, english tests, math tests, ATPL questions, Type specific questions… We, at Airline Selection Programme, recommend you start working on at least 3 months prior your first selection. And of course, if your selection involves a Sim test, you’ll want to organize a quality practice session, for which you may have to wait. 3 months is just about enough for most people, but if you have a very demanding job, you may want to extend that further.
When we say physically, we mean for you to generate healthy habits and build them in for long enough, so they become part of you. It takes 21 days to build a habit. Building up your health, eating well, exercising reasonably will have a definite impact on the oxygen available to your brain and your management of stress.
Being emotionally ready is another matter, and that’s all about getting in the right mindset, one that will build your confidence up to the exercise. The more you’ll have prepared mentally and physically, of course, the more confident you’ll be. But it’s also about having adequately reflected over your career and its defining moments, and the alignment of that with what an airline expects.
And this is where the great mystery lies for most candidates… What does the airline expect? To find out, we recommend you come to one of our courses. There, you will gain knowledge that will help you understand what a recruitment department expects, so you can align to them and approach your selection with confidence.
2 Comments
Kylie J
Thank you so much for sharing this with us! I am thinking of applying to one of the courses
John H.
Indeed, these posts are very helpful. Thank you!