Employment History

What types of questions do airlines ask previous employers? Does it go beyond employment dates or do they get into personnel files? Without getting into my history, you can probably assume why I am asking. Thanks.

Everything you can expect they would. Attendance and tardiness, disciplinary, whether you were fired or quit. If you have a “skeleton” they’re sure to find as well they should.

Adam

Adam,

I appreciate your fast response. I am not looking to hide anything and I hope it didn’t come across as me trying to hide a skeleton. I don’t have any problem being honest about my past, but this is a sizable investment and I have a wife and family I live for. Basically, I violated a company policy at a non-aviation career field employer. I was subsequently offered the opportunity to resign. I made a mistake and I own it. My fear is just investing in this to get passed up.

Bobby,

It did come across that way but that’s fine. Here’s the deal as with most blemishes its a question of keeping them to a minimum (as and keeping them small). I’d say if you have nothing else blaring negatively you should be fine getting on with a Regional because they’re quite desperate these days. When it comes to moving on to a Major that’s a different matter. Airlines take “company policies” VERY seriously. There’s an old saying that the only way to get fired at most airlines is you lie, cheat or steal (not saying you did). The fact is you can bend an airplane and even injure some people (hopefully not) and keep your job but steal a roll of toilet paper from supply (yes I know someone who did) and you’re gone. Best thing you can do is work hard and put some time between you and that incident and hopefully by the time you’re ready to move on it’ll be little more than a memory. If it were to come up in the future own and explain but remember its much easier for something like that to be over looked IF that’s all there is. If it’s one thing out of many well then there’s definitely a problem.

Adam

Thanks again, Adam. This is my only blemish. I’ve lived a very clean life, nothing beyond a speeding ticket 16 years ago. Quite frankly, I worked in public safety and participated in an affair with a member of a neighboring EMS company. Conduct unbecoming / immoral conduct. I wish I could describe my remorse. Anyways, thanks again.

Bobby,

I agree with Adam on this one. Just keep a clean record and I don’t think that it will be too big of an issue for you. Plus, you resigned and weren’t fired, so that is different. Sounds to me like you resigned for personal reasons, which you did.

Chris