I have had my licence since December last year. Sent off a whole batch of CVs to anyone with at least half an aircraft! I then started looking for some other aviation-related work in the meantime; flight operations dispatch etc. What I have discovered though, and heard it from the ‘horse’s mouth’ a couple of times, is that they won’t even consider me for such a position because I am a CPL.
Here is the dilemma: We know that it could take ages to get our first flying job, so in the meantime we may as well do something aviation related. Learn more about the routines and understand the workings of an airline, we all understand the logic… So to get such a job we send more CVs, we have to account for the last ‘n’ years of work and study and therefore we have to mention the fact that we are CPLs (Which in itself shows a rather serious interest in aviation). However, because we are CPLs the companies know that with the slightest whiff of a flying job we are gone! So, what are my other options? I shouldn’t lie but perhaps I needn’t mention the fact that I did any of the CPL training. Ah, but I can’t do that because to get such a job I will need security clearance and therefore have to account for the last five years of my life.
I don’t mean to sound too pessimistic, in fact I actually feel very optimistic about my whole situation. However, I would love be working for an airline, in any capacity, but I just can’t seem to get my foot in the door.
To stay on-topic; I am currently working as a ‘fashion print technician’, somewhat unusual maybe but at least it pays enough to live. If anyone has any advice on getting an airline job I would appreciate a PM. Interesting thread by-the-way.
ConcreteFloater.