Luck. Plays a huge part in it all. Right place, right time, right shoes - whatever. All recruiting practices are flawed - they let numpties through and reject good guys sometimes. Same with sponsorship selection.
Once you start to appreciate the lottery aspect of it all it helps lower your blood pressure a tiny bit.
The thing is to be happy that at least now things ARE moving in the employment marketplace.
The big picture includes MyTravel surviving, Virgin and easyJet expanding solidly and even BA recruiting. The world and British economy is on the upswing and travel has never been so fashionable nor cross border trade so vibrant. New runways are planned, all airports are increasing capacity and new aircraft are being developed and ordered. There is no particular retirement bulge but there are a lot of Captains out there who joined airlines in the big package holiday boom of the 70's. The golf club is calling them.
In the months following Sept 11th 2001 I made quite a few posts about how Wannabe hiring and sponsorships were going to basically stop for a couple of years. Two and half years on I think the lean times have passed.
Good luck,
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