Received e-mail from United@Airlineapps.com indicating selection for next step in pilot interview process. Link for the Hogan test arrived the next day. Since that time, friends and colleagues received initial e-mails that told them to expect the Hogan e-mail a few weeks later, so your mileage may vary with this. You have seven days to complete the Hogan test, and I would recommend the following:
Be positive. Be honest. BE CONSISTENT. Make sure you are well rested. Try, if you can, to take it somewhere free of distractions. Don't overthink your answers, but DO NOT just blow through it and answer at lightning speed. They said it takes 15-20 minutes but it took me closer to an hour and a half. You can log out and log back in to complete it. Also realize that the baseline for scoring the test is made up of current pilots at the airline. Any "Hogan Prep" that you see might not be tailored to the baseline that the airline is looking for -- the only folks I'd trust to give you any sort of formal "prep" would be the actual interview prep. companies - and I have no idea if they even offer anything of the sort.
If possible, I'd suggest taking this test on Monday so you won't have to wait as long to find out your results. In the past, results would come very quickly - hours after the test was taken. This seems to have shifted, and the standard wait is anywhere from 3-7 business days or more. I'd still suggest taking it early in the week, if you can, to allow yourself the full advantage of hearing the news a little earlier. Most of the time, good news will come via phone call. Bad news, at least as far as the Hogan is concerned, always comes via e-mail, but good news can be sent that way too - if they can't reach you via phone or can't leave a voicemail. Also, "no news is good news" as far as waiting for results. As far as I know, the test is scored almost immediately and results forwarded back to the airline. If you haven't heard anything for several days, this is a good sign. I don't know how quickly the "bad" news is delivered, but, in the past, this generally came within 24 hours. I'd try to check around on the various public domain forums to get an idea of the timeline, as this does seem to vary month to month and even week to week.
The Interview:
What a great experience! I had a wide range of choices for both dates and times. I chose an afternoon slot to avoid the awful possibility of oversleeping, but I'd do a bit of research on flights home before you pick a time. The call to inform you that you've passed the Hogan test is also to set up the interview - just be prepared for that. If possible, look at your coming weeks and months after that Hogan test is done so you have an idea of your availability. I only saw one other applicant at the interview, and he was halfway done. I arrived about 45 minutes early and was able to start early, which was very nice.
It's been said over and over again, but it bears repeating. Everyone -- from the security guard to the senior manager of pilot hiring to the actual interviewers were friendly, professional and positive. They truly want you to succeed, and this really helped to ease the nerves throughout the process. Pay attention to detail - have the paperwork they requested filled out correctly and neatly, and in the order that it's presented to you in the "Welcome" e-mail. The paperwork and your demeanor as you walk in represent the all-important first impression! Take the extra time, don't put it off and get the paperwork stuff done as early as you can. After the paperwork was handed in, I turned over my logbooks for review in advance of beginning the interview. You may do the HR panel or Sim first - all depending on the availability and timeframe. They will tell you this ahead of time so you know what to expect.
Panel Interview:
I had one HR representative and one pilot. They offered small bottles of water - take them! I don't live in a mountainous/high altitude city, and even if I did, the pressure of the day would still dictate trying to stay as hydrated as possible. Use the small bottles of water to collect your thoughts - listen to the question, take a sip, and give a really great answer. I had five TMAT questions and the normal two "non-structured" questions ("Tell us how you got into flying" - first question to start off, and "Why United" as the last question.) I had one leadership question, two conflict questions, one customer service/passenger question and one question that combined all of these elements. Nothing that hasn't been covered in other gouges, but, the wording was quite different. Nothing crazy, no tricks, and overall, the atmosphere was positive and professional.
Simulator Evaluation:
There's quite a bit of information out there on the sim. - mine was no different than expected. Normal takeoff from DEN, climb out, level at 8000 - a few turns to headings to get used to the sim., then climb to 10000, level off. One 360 degree steep turn, evaluator will call 20 degrees prior if asked to do so. Then, descent and radar vectors for an ILS approach into DEN. Missed approach, climb straight ahead to 10000, level off, then the 7 minute CRM exercise...Destination airport is closed indefinitely, what do you do?
Notes: The first portion is done all raw data - no flight director, autopilot or autothrottles. It's all pitch (degrees nose-up) and power settings (55% N1, for example). The 737-300 does have some glass - you have an airspeed tape and EADI, which is nice, but a normal/non-glass altimeter and VSI. The 7 minute CRM exercise is done with the automation on - no worries there. For the non-121 folks out there, they are looking for you to "Contact Dispatch" to start the communication ball rolling where you are going to take the airplane now that the destination airport is closed down. After you establish contact, they will come back with several airports, fuel burns and weather conditions. Involve your first officer and dispatch - make an informed decision as to where you want to go. Make sure you talk to the cabin, passengers and operations, if you can. Don't pass up a marginal airport for one with perfect weather! If an airport is reporting 600/2 and has an ILS approach that's working, you can (and should) go there instead of overflying it to go to the airport 100 miles farther with calm winds and clear skies. Be prepared to justify your decision, and also realize if you forgot something, you can say this in the debrief and receive credit as if you did it correctly.
Closing Thoughts:
I did simulator prep. with FTI and interview prep. with Cage/Marshall, and highly, highly recommend both companies. I had never flown a Boeing product before and would have been woefully unprepared walking into the simulator cold -- yes, it's an airplane, but with lots of roll inertia and hydromechanical (NON fly-by-wire) controls. This, coupled with a slight difference in the map mode/localizer/HSI presentation was enough to warrant the two hours of prep. the night before. As for interview prep., I purchased and read "Checklist for Success" and had two meetings via Skype and one final face-to-face in Denver. This, also, was crucial - if nothing else, to set your mind at ease and allow you walk in the building confident and prepared.
The hiring board meets every Wednesday to discuss the -prior- week of interviewees - so, if you interview on a Monday, you won't hear until the following Wednesday. I received the good news the week after I interviewed, and can't wait to get started.
I hope this was helpful, and best of luck to all!