hi,
i worked as c/c for 8 years ......i started my pilots license ,somewhere in the middle of the 8years .....i did my private pilots license first ,just to check that what i wanted to do since a kid and what was the reality of flying a plane, was any different .there are a lot of c/c wannabe pilots ,because of the interaction with pilots .i suggest you think of the reasons why you want to be a pilot ....for me ,a job as a c/c provided the money to get my pilots license .....working and study-ing is not what i propose cause its hard to keep loyal on both ,and at times work gets in the way of studying (i failed exams because of poor preparation) ,forcing you to step back and try again,as well as extra cost....its not easy and if you r not determined and focused on what you really want to ,you may end up giving up .
what i am trying to say here is that ,if you want to do this for the wrong reasons(pilots look good in uniform?!!),you will end up giving up .
you have to realise that all your savings ,plus loans can bring nothing more than a comercial pilots license ,with no job in the horizon.
be prepared to be one of those unemployed pilots.....in my case that didnt matter cause flying was what i wanted to do and i was ready to take the economical risk of ending up unemployed.
....back to the advantages of beeing a c/c before flying the thing ,are :
-you get to know from experience what goes on behind you ,when you cruise at 35 th feet.....i remember getting upset when ,on short demanding sectors ,i was getting the captains call ,followed by dinner request ...in other words you are more aware of whats going on onboard ,and you try to help ,by not interapting them ,so much.
-as a c/c you interact with a lot of people,and you develop "skills" that help you state your opinions in a non threatennig way ,without beeing confrontational ,in an enviroment that at times is very ego driven
-i went from junior c/c ,with other c/c bullying me around to be their "boss".....beeing one of the c/c helped me see peoples real personas ,something ,that a pilot joining a company may never get the chance to see ,behind the fake smiles .the biggest change you notice when you jump in the pilots seat from the cabin,is c/c 's change in behaviour towards you .....i am glade to report though,that fellow c/c's that ,i thought of, as,genuine when i was a c/c ,and of the same rank,remained the same when i got promoted.
i am sure there are more things to be said here ,but i am feeling i waisted a lot of internet space here already.
....to end up ....
the tools you obtain from working as a c/c can be useful ,if used wisely ,and can help you be a better "commander",and decision maker....having said that i have be around pillots that lack c/c experiense ,but are by far , better than i am ,in what they do and how they handle situations .
regards