A Pilot's Guide to Skype Interviews

If you have an interview coming up for a new Pilot role and are keen to make a great impression- you are in the right place. At GOOSE Recruitment, our dedicated Pilot recruitment team regularly support great candidates in securing their dream opportunities. Our team is always proud to be representing the very best Pilot talent and want them to do their very best at their interviews. We ensure our candidates are fully prepared before their interviews and our aim is to provide high-quality advice to candidates who are looking for a new role. However, with our clients operating globally, traditional face-to-face interviews, especially for first interviews can be challenging. Nonetheless, our clients do not want to miss out on top Pilot talent and are increasingly choosing Skype as a platform to interview Pilot candidates.

Skype interviews are a fantastic way for our airline clients and candidates to meet; they provide both parties with the opportunity to build a strong rapport and represent themselves as if they were in a face-to-face interview.

If you are working in the Aviation industry then the chances are you have had a Skype interview before, but even still it is important to ensure it is treated exactly the same as a face-to-face interview. You might not be in the same room as the interviewer, but interview etiquette still applies.

With any interview, you need to ensure you are fully prepared and have the tools to make a memorable first impression. In order to help you prepare for this process, below you will find some extremely helpful tips on Skype interviews from the team at GOOSE Recruitment.

Before the Interview

Pre-interview preparation is just as crucial as the interview itself and there are several factors you need to take into consideration.

Timings & Location

Before we start planning how you are going to ‘wow’ your interviewer, it is vital to discuss the time and date of your interview.

After discussing the logistics of your interview with your GOOSE Recruitment Consultant and you have received your interview confirmation, it is really important to take note and diarise the exact time and date of the interview. Even though it is a Skype interview, knowing the location is still crucial. It is important to remember that a lot of our clients work in international time zones and so you need to make sure you check which time zone your interview is being conducted in.

Research

Your GOOSE Recruitment Consultant will provide you with an overview of the role and requirements, but it is your responsibility to go the extra mile to understand more about the airline.

Research is one of the most important parts of the entire interview process because it shows the client how committed you are to the role. The more you know, the better you will come across during the interview.

There are numerous ways to conduct company research, such as visiting the company website and searching on Google or Wikipedia. In today’s world of recruitment, social media is a great platform for doing some background research on a company before an interview. Looking on platforms such as LinkedIn will give you a feel for the company’s tone of voice and brand values.

If you know who will be interviewing you, we would also suggest having a look at your interviewer’s LinkedIn profile. This will help provide you with a better impression of who you will be speaking with.

Dress Code- Suited and Booted

Treat your Skype interview like you would treat any other interview, meaning the dress code should remain smart and well presented. The interviewer will be looking for candidates who are well presented and portray themselves in a professional manner.

Ask yourself- “would I dress like this for a face-to-face interview?”- Suited and booted is always best.

Preparing for the Interview

Now we have established the basics, you need to start preparing for the interview itself.

Step 1

Ahead of your interview, you will need to invite contacts to Skype. Simply tap the ‘contact’ icon, enter the contact information of your interview and send an invite. Make sure you are set up and logged on to Skype at least 5-10 minutes before your interview. We would advise that you should also run a test beforehand to avoid any technical glitches. You should also be interviewing using a PC/laptop and not an iPad or mobile phone as this does not portray a professional representation of yourself to clients and your future potential boss.

Ensure you are set up in a clean and quiet environment to avoid any distractions during the interview. We recommend using headphones to guarantee that you can hear the interviewer well and don’t miss any questions. Don’t forget to set the camera up to a good height so the interviewer can see you clearly.

Step 2

The client will more than likely want to discuss your experience to date, so print a copy of your CV and have your logbook to hand to have with you during the interview - this will help you when you need to reference back to points and relevant dates made in your application. Not knowing the start and end dates of employment can come across as unprofessional and the interviewer may question whether the information is correct.

What should you expect during the interview?

The interviewer will be looking to hire individuals that they want to be representing their airline, and this is your one chance to wow the interviewer. You should present yourself in a professional way and remember that your body language will tell the client a lot about you as a person- so remain engaged and portray a pleasant demeanour at all times. The interview may seem more informal over Skype but keep it professional in every way that you can.

Communication

Communication is key during interviews but Skype can cause a delay in internet connection. Therefore, you will need to speak clearly and slowly to ensure you are getting your points across, and that the interviewer can understand everything you are saying.

Salary

Try to avoid discussing salary during the interview as this can make you come across as solely money motivated. If the interviewer asks you about your salary expectations, we recommend advising the client that you have discussed the terms and contract offer with your GOOSE Recruitment Consultant and further discussions will need to be done through them.

Questions

There are a number of frequently asked questions that will come up in an interview, and you can prepare for these beforehand. Examples are;

Why do you want to work for our airline?
Why do you want to leave your current airline?
Which aspect of your experience is most relevant?
What is your preferred managerial style?

Your interviewer will also ask you about your CV and experience to date so you will need to be prepared to talk about this in detail.

After the interview

Once the interview is drawing to an end make sure you thank the interviewer for their time. This is also the last chance to showcase your commitment to the Pilot role. End the interview by letting the interviewer know that you are incredibly interested and share your availability for further interviews and start dates with them. This creates transparency and really shows the client how enthusiastic you are about joining their airline.

As soon as your Skype interview has ended, call your GOOSE Recruitment Consultant to debrief them on how you think the interview went.

After this discussion, your GOOSE Recruitment Consultant will be able to start moving the process forward and discuss the next steps with the client.