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Old 31st Mar 2020, 23:18
  #15 (permalink)  
macdo
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: uk
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Thought I'd add a personal experience. I qualified on the exact month the UK job market for pilots collapsed a couple of decades ago. It took 2 1/2 years to get a foothold in a turboprop and a further 2 years before a jet job came along. During that time I continued to Instruct and scratched out a meagre living. Eventually, due to family circumstances I had to give up flying and loaded bags at Heathrow for a year to survive. By lucky chance in conversation with a management pilot on the ramp I got told that an airline was recruiting and I got a job. After countless CV's sent and banging on doors in person, my only interview and job offer was by chance. The point I wanted to make is that you must be able to plan a survival strategy for however long you think this Covid19 earthquake will take to pass. Potentially, there could be literally 1000's of qualified and experienced pilots on the market this time next year, all of whom will get a look in before you. Airlines are ruthless scavengers of talent. If one of my children was intent on flying I would advise them to delay for at least 3 years and use the time to gain another way of earning a crust to fall back on before following their dream.
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