Originally Posted by
hjthedriver
Any stories, tips or advice would be great.
My stories I don't tell in public ;-) but you can get my best advice: Do everything you can to join a commercial operator (*) who has been on the market for a long time (decades!) and who operates more than just two or three aircraft. This usually (not always though...) indicates tthat a certain safety/quality standard has been achieved and the more planes on the fleet, the more experienced (training) captains there will be who can teach you everything that the flying school has not tought you. Training on the job in a safe and secure environment, just as in the airlines.
Avoid at all cost to fly as "safety pilot" with self flying owners unless you are very experienced yourself, ideally holding an instructors and/or TRI certificate. Otherwise you will only get to do the "dirty work" (flight planning, radio, aircraft cleaning, rental car and hotel booking,...) with next to zero stick time of your own whist being exposed to hair-rasinig harakiri flying from the person next to you. How do I know that? I told you already that I will not tell any stories in public
The very best thing is to talk in person - not on the internet or via mail or social media - to active pilots. Maybe you can get access to a crew room or general aviation terminal at an airfield/airport in your vicinity. Just chat with anyone who looks like a pilot. Many of our colleagues are quite talkative and open minded and will tell you what it's like to fly for their company and if there are any vacancies. At my homebase there are (or rather were - before Covid) regularly so called "pilot controller meetings" held, that can be joined by anyone belonging to either group, usually as a barbecue or similar event. That's always an eccellent occasion to find out first hand what's going on.
(*) or corporate flying department if you can get into one (not really realistic for an absolute beginner)