Throughout the month of September, ALPA sponsored full-day resume and interviewing workshops for pilots at Comair and ASTAR who are dealing with closure and those at Pinnacle who are facing potential furloughs. For many of these pilots, it is an unexpected return to the job hunt. Aviation recruitment experts provided resume tips as well as advice on interviews. During the six days in three cities, almost 200 pilots took advantage of the free workshops.

“It’s only been two months since we found out Comair was closing,” said Comair F/O Mark Rado, who attended the workshops. “These workshops helped me fine-tune my resume to today’s job market and be better prepared for my interviews. The facilitators met with each attendee one-on-one to make sure we put our best foot forward.”

The topics presented included everything from resume formatting to what to wear to an interview. It also gave pilots facing similar circumstances a chance to meet, compare notes, and make contacts.

“They went over sample questions that may come up in an interview,” said Pinnacle F/O Patrick Kraft. “Just knowing what might be asked will allow me to prepare and be more confident when interviewing with another airline.”

ASTAR closed on August 4 and Comair will have its last flight on Saturday, September 29. Pinnacle Airlines filed a motion with the bankruptcy court on September 14 to reject the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement.