First off I will say this was a very lengthy process but for good reason. United Airlines is a massive corporation and recently merged with Continental Airlines to make this company even larger. So results will take time as I will depict throughout this post.
First I applied for the position in late November 2016. I am currently getting out of the military and wanted to find a great company to work for. It wasn't until late December 2016 before I got a call asking me to come in for a face to face interview. I was flown to the airport I applied for, given a hotel room for the night because the flights didn't allow me to come out there and get back in the same day.
Once I accepted the interview, they will send you everything you need on how the process works, who to meet with, etc. I flew out in early January for the interview itself. I got to the hub and went to my room for the night. The next I arrived at the Operations building about an hour early just in case sometime unforeseen came up. I signed in at the security desk and waited for my interviewer. He came down, greeted me, and we talked briefly about how the process would work. He then showed me around the facility as we worked towards the room where the interview was conducted. It was a panel style interview with multiple people sitting in on it, but it wasn't a pressure situation. They were all very professional, personable and made the expectations extremely clear on the position, the interview process and how they follow up.
The interview is self was very well structured. They are not there to trick you into an answer, make you second guess, etc. They discussed my resume and then began asking questions. They want to know how you conduct yourself not only in the interview but in previous positions held. Working for a man airliner is a major responsibility and they need to make sure that each person understands the gravity of the position they are applying for. The interview lasted about 45-60 mins. Once completed, they thanked me for coming in and I did the same for the opportunity. I was walked out the building and told that recruiting will contact you regarding the position.
Fast forward another 5 almost 6 weeks before recruiting called me. In the mean time I waited about 3 weeks and called them to see if a decision had been made. Each week I called to check in, express my interest and just see if anything had changed. Finally the call came from recruiting with an offer and I accepted it. They will call you either way to let you know on their decision. This company isn't one to let people stress endlessly without a decision to either hire or not.
This is the last bit of advice I want to share with those who were just like myself. I researched as much as I could, stressed to new levels I didn't know where achievable, etc. This is a large company and it does take time for them to conduct the entire process. They do not withhold info to torture anyone. This process is to ensure they give each qualified person the opportunity to compete for the position they applied for and select the best qualified candidate. Good luck to all!