You will be training at your local station for about 3 weeks before traveling to Dallas for Now Onboarding. The first week will be computer based training also called CBT’s. The next 2 weeks would be OJT or On The Job Training. However, every station runs a bit differently or things tend to fluctuate so don’t rely fully on what I say.
As for scheduling after computer based training and before going to Dallas, your station trainers will provide a schedule for you. Again, the start and end times are subject to change, it all varies on your ramp trainers. Just know, they will have a schedule for you with 2 consecutive days off… it all depends.
After attending Now Onboarding in Dallas, you’ll return to your home based station to complete the last week of On The Job Training. From then on, new hires are mostly known to work night shifts and weekends. Employees with higher seniority tend to work mornings, during the week, and have weekends off.
During the probation period, I’d say the most strict thing to be aware of is attendance. Always allow yourself extra time to get to work and get prepared for your assignment(s). Getting to the employee parking lot from taking the shuttle all takes time, it’s always best to plan ahead. Also, when traveling on standby, don’t travel to a place that you know will make you miss work, as they can separate you from the company. If anything, just purchase a ticket back so you know that you’ll have a guaranteed seat.
So finding people to cover your shift can be both easy and difficult. So it’s best to know the people in your training class because you can both swap and/or cover each other’s shift. The more people you know or the more people your close to then the easier it is to swap shifts or find shift coverage.
In my opinion, the hardest thing about the ramp training process would be just grasping everything because there is a lot of information in a short amount of time so taking notes is definitely helpful. Also, adjusting to work in extreme weather conditions such as frigid temperatures or excessive heat waves can be challenging. Lastly, don’t forget to ask questions because the your station’s training department is there for you and is willing to help you.
Hopefully, my answers were of some sort of help. Also, congratulations on your contingent offer with Southwest Airlines… much luv from the DEN station.
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