Originally Posted by
Fatguyinalittlecoat
I don’t find this thread the least bit Austranautie. There are some blokes swinging there d#$ks around (not all, certainly many contributors are just trying to pass info onto those searching for it) because they went to the states, and how farkin clever they are, and if somebody dares to point out any shortcoming, perceived or otherwise, they are accused of being a pain in the ass because they are Australian. Give me strength.
For those who have gone to the states, Good for you, but if you consider Australia is an aviation backwater, just stay in the states, it no skin of my or anybody else’s nose down here what you do with your career. You also have to accept that if it all turns to crap over there, you should stand by your words and not come back. Deal?
It’s not for everyone, and I still wouldn’t trust it as far as I could throw it, but “you do you” and stop pretending you’re a genius because a once in a lifetime, unexpected policy change occurred.
It's not about being clever, or being better than anybody. This thread for the most part generally has accurate, up-to-date info on what's going on in the US. While the kingair post above was poking fun, it serves as another example of the difference of career expectations one could have here vs at home. This thread also adequately states the potential risks of persuing a career in the US.
So that leaves a few options. Take the safe bet, and stay in Aus, with all the good and bad that entails. We all know this path. Or, take the leap. The risk is it all could fall apart at some point down the road and you go home with nothing but the experience and cash you earned and have to start again. Or, maybe you get lucky, end up at a major or legacy, and make stupid amounts of money for some of the best QoL going. Make no mistake though, if you can get a green card and land a job at one of: Delta, American, United, FedEx, or UPS, you will have one of the most lucrative pilot jobs in the world.
The US is also experiencing the largest hiring wave of a generation, something to the order of 10000 pilots a year, so now is about as good as it gets for hunting jobs in the US. But if the US is not for you, that's ok too. Every Aussie that leaves makes way for local T&C's to increase, which is good too. Options are a good thing, and we're lucky to have the opportunities we do.