So as someone who is trying the ANG board circuit I have come up with a couple questions.  One, how do you make yourself sound confident but not arrogant?  I think in trying not to sound arrogant I am not sounding confident.  Second, how in the world do I over come the fact that I am not prior service?  I have been asked to four boards now and have been able to attend two and each time I believe a prior service member took the slots.  I am learning more at each board I attend but like everyone else want to get as much info and feed back as I can.  Thanks in advance for any help.  

 

How to sound confident and not arrogant. Don't make claims you can't back up. Don't overreach. Don't sound like your interviewing for the leading role in the next bad hollywood fighter pilot movie. But don't sell yourself short in pursuit of false humility. Just be honest. If you are confident it will show so just be yourself.

Thanks, for the advice T6

Can anyone shed some more light on the interview. I'm sending in a few applications in the next couple months and will hopefully land an interview. I guess I'd like some info on 1. what are the types of questions i should be ready for? or the tricky ones if your had some? 2. I'm enlisted in a guard unit right now, should I wear my blues to the interview or a civilian suit? 3. If going in blues, does this mean performing the whole military entrence deal? - If your guard unit is like mine you might understand that I haven't had much practice in the last umm 5 years (the only salute i've given in 5 years is my half-assed one to the pilot after I launch him out). 4. My gpa is a 2.7, do you think explaining that my major is engineering at a somewhat difficult school (Rutgers) will be enough to pull myself out of that hole? any reccomendations? thanks

A lot of the questions are standard: Why do you want to fly, why us, why this airframe, why this location. A lot of the questions are easy to answer, especially if you're already enlisted in the unit. Of course you want to think about answers to these types of questions days before the interview, but you don't want to have a memorized/canned response. Take some time to listen to the full question, think about it, and then give a short response. Nobody is really interested in how you really really really really really wanted to fly since the day you were born for 6 - 9 minutes. Be ready for some off the wall questions... maybe 'whats your favorite movie quote?' Something like this doesn't HAVE to be serious (depends on the people who are interviewing you, etc).

One of the biggest things that will help is to relax. This doesn't mean to slouch and not treat the board members with respect. Try not to be all uptight, though. You already know the atmosphere of the squadron youre at, so this shouldn't be a huge deal. What I'm trying to say is - have some character.

Yes, wear your blues and report in as standard. You probably haven't worn your blues in a while, so make sure you have all your devices on properly and junk like that. Check polish, too.

The 2.7 will probably get asked about, so don't be caught off guard when they do. Have a short, reasonable explanation for it. IE, you were working 2 jobs putting yourself through school with a hard major of engineering. If you have a reason for having the GPA other than "i was partying and chasing tail", it's easier to understand and write off.

Sniff around and see if any of your bros have interviewed to get some gouge on questions, etc. If able, go over to the squadron on a Guard Friday and talk with those guys on the interview. Meet up with some of the young LTs and pick their brains.

Good luck and let us know when you get hired.

Thanks Quatro - good stuff there.

Just took the AFOQT today at my guard base, 177th in Atlantic City. definitely went well besides those verbal analogies, but the pilot score should be hot. I was pretty stoked to NOT see the reading comprehension on there, and the pictures for the instrument comprehension were about ten times better than the ones in my arco study guide in case anyone is curious about that.

Looks like I'll be sending in applications to Deleware (C130) and Montana (F16) here in a month, gotta get the TBAS done as soon as i get the AFOQT scores back. Is it common to have a guard unit like Deleware REQUIRE a class I FAA physical? I have the class 3 but looks like I'll have to go out and get the class 1 for that application. My base isn't hiring until later in the year I believe so I'll have to bide my time and apply to some of these other units and see what comes as it would be stupid to just wait and hope i get into my extremely competetive base. Mcguire will be a great option with the 108th but I keep hearing conflicting stories. My father is an American FO and hears from other pilots that they're in dire need of pilots(which would go along with the 7 rating for pilot need on this site) but than others are telling me they're unit is up for a RIF here soon which wouldn't be too cool. Oh well, time will tell... now i need to somehow concentrate on this spring semester with 18 credits to graduate and stop thinking about f16's all day!

With the time you have left in school - study well and try and improve your GPA as much as you can. Your 2.7 isn't bad, but a 3.0 would look better.

Definitely interview at as many units as you can. If you really want to get in the 177th, it wouldn't hurt you to get a few practice interviews in (and hey, if you get lucky and get a slot somewhere else - sweet). You'll get more comfortable with how the interview process works after you've done a couple. If the guys at your home base (or any other base) ask if you're interviewing anywhere else, come up with something; don't lie about it. Tell them how you wanted the practice or something, don't lie about it (chances are, when they find out you're enlisted at another base and they're interested in you, they'll call your home unit to check up on you).

My advice is to cast the net wide - apply to as many units as you're financially able to attend the interview. If you want to fly a specific airframe, then just apply to those units. If you just want to fly, then start making packets for a bunch of units. My advice, know some stuff about the unit once you get the call for an interview. For instance, it'd be good to know that the Montana unit will soon be converting to Eagles. At the LEAST, be sure you know what they're currently flying (no shit, the guys at my unit tell stories of people who've interviews and couldn't pick out what an F-16 was -- or on their application say "I really want to fly C-17s at your base"). Show *some* SA.

Good luck.

That would be NA on the SA...

Hah yeah it would be good to know a little about the place you're applying, and with that thanks for the comment on Montana, I did a little research on these boards and saw what you meant about them converting to the eagles. Definitely would be an important thing to know when you get there and start talking about how the 16 is my favorite aircraft and I've been working on them for 5 years.
As for the 2.7, that's not going to move too much since I already have 115 credits so best case scenario would be to move up to a 2.8 which will of course be my goal.
Hopefully that combined with a PPL, 80 hours, good afoqt scores and being a crew chief in the guard on 16's will make me at least marketable. Also planning to have some time working on an instrument rating and take a few aerobatic courses to put on the resume. Fighters are my preferene but they're a lot of peoples preference so I'll be applying to 130's/135's units as well and I have no qualms with the "out of the city" bases a la montana so there's a few of those on my list.
As always, thanks for the very informative answers, this site is excellent. I made the mistake on going to "goguard.com" or whatever the recruiting site is and started one of those direct convo things with a recruiter just to ask a few of these type questions and he yelled at me and told me to go ask the recruiter at by home unit lol. Oh well, I gave him my apologies and that I didn't completely trust information of the recruiters at my base.

Jersey, I am not in yet but, on a similar track as you and I would say that you are good to go. My GPA is a 2.73, my AFOQT is good but not great and I haven't retested with the TBAS, so am not sure what my new PCSM score will be but, it was 79 before. I have my instrument and am working on getting some more glider time and some float time but, have yet to do that. With my stats I have been asked to come to four guard interviews, I believe that the ones I did attend the slots went to someone that was enlisted. I couldn't agree more with emblem, I have learned something new at each interview I have gone to and I feel that my interview and whole package have gotten better after each one. I feel it is just a matter of time until I find the right unit and the right unit finds me. I definitely will say from my experience, try to find the holes in your packet and have something to plug those holes with. People have told me to sound confident but not cocky, (that's how this thread started) and from the advice on here and talking with some of my other contacts I have realized that it is better to sound cocky and arrogant than unsure and incapable. Anyways just my thoughts, good luck to you and maybe see you at an interview or hopefully in the training pipeline or in the air.

Thanks barrett for the reply, it's great to hear that you've been invited to some interviews with some similiar stats. I will definitely be attending as many as I can financially and certainly all the ones that are reasonably close to home. I don't have the type A personality that goes out and interviews well so it will probably be a learining process to get more comfortable for a few unless I get lucky somewhere.
Good luck to you, you looking at any bases in the northeast?

Oh, one more thing, not that you don't already know this but, my dad was a pilot for Delta and all I can say is use the pass benefits that you have. The more people that you can meet in person at the units you want to apply to the better, it let's them put a face with a name and I tell you what, there is nothing that calms the nerves more than when you see a face that you know the day of the interview.

oh man you just brought up a sore subject.
The pass benefits have been awesome and I had big plans to use the summer to travel everywhere and hit guard units plus of course some travel abroad, I also happen to have a good friend in the guard who's father is an AA pilot and we've done some traveling together
But then American decided to reduce the max age to 22 beginning Feb107 with no grandfather clause, so in a couple weeks i lose it for good. Probably going to do a last weekend trip to england to visit my cousin who went ot the af academy and is stationed out there.
So yeah, thanks for the reccomendation but that will unfortunately be out of the question, I'll have to rely on my package for interviews heh

Yeah I have actually, my first interview was at the 105th up in Newburgh NY (learned a lot), I was asked to an interview up in Maine but couldn't attend and I have packets in at NJ, NH, and Niagara NY. I think that is all of them, I cast a wide net because I really want to fly, I will go wherever I have to and do whatever I need to get a slot basically. My whole debate now is whether or not to enlist so that I have that in my packet as well. I have people telling me not to but I am just not sure, I don't have an issue with it at all but, don't want it to slow things up. Plus I will miss some boards if I enlist and go to training and all. I figure give it about a year and then reevaluate, the problem for me is that I am probably older than you and my age is getting real close to becoming an issue.

Doesn't AA have buddy passes? Sorry to bring it up by the way and the more you talk it sounds like you have a lot of in's. Sounds like half your family and friends are in the AF already which is good for you. I wish I had gotten on the stick earlier and enlisted when I was 18.

Yeah that's a tough decision. I understand the predicament, to me it seems like not the best option especially if you've had interviews implying that you are getting up in that top 10% region that they want to inverview. I was fortunate to have my Dad telling me when i 18... "If you want to fly for the airlines, then you want to get a slot in the guard eventually, and to do that you want to enlist in the guard now."
To me it seems like you would only be losing more time by going through the training required just to be able to say you've been in the guard for 8 months or something. For NJ, your talking about the 108th with the summer board?

AA's pass system is basically a joke after your can't use the free ones. The tickets you can get end up being about the same price as a southwest flight and are also standby still so they're rarely worth using unless the flights are wide open, better off just buying a ticket in many situations.
Yeah I Have some ins, being in the unit will look good on paper even though I never have been able to put into it much more than the minimum while being in school. My dad doesn't have too many connections but I'll make sure he uses what he has and see if anything comes up. My buddy who's dads an AA pilot is also graduating in May and putting in apps wih me so that's cool, more or less just to have someone to talk to about it and figure out the systems - and also split the costs to build up a few more hours in the cessna.

Yes sir, my passion, I guess, is in the opposite direction as you. I am looking at KC-135's, KC-10's, C-5's and C-17's, I will fly people and cargo and drill holes in the sky all day long and never think twice about it. I have a buddy that is enlisted up at the 130 unit out of MSP that is looking at fighter’s and I always tell him good, you keep going after that, less competition for me. You are planning on putting an application in at the 108th as well aren't you? Or did I not misunderstand your post?

Yeah the 108th is one of my top choices since it's an hour from my home. My preference is fighters, but I will be applying to the heavies units near my home and would definitely take that if I get it. Deleware is also another unit close by with heavies that I would be happy to take. My base is 15 minutes from home, but not doing applications until later in the year and also very competetive so not counting on that one.

Yeah I am in the same boat with my dad, he and all his contacts flew in Vietnam so nobody is in anymore, some of their kids are though so, have been able to make some connections there. Having someone to talk to is huge, that's one reason why I like this site. Good luck to you though and keep me posted, maybe see you at the 108th or Delaware ( I think I have an app in there as well, have a filing cabinet at home just dedicated for this stuff to stay organized). I am sure you are aware of this to but the F-16 unit based in Duluth is having a board this summer that you might be interested in, great city and only about two hours north of the twin cities, just a thought.