I think aviation is a bit like any other industry where there is competition for the relatively few vacancies available. Many employers expect (or at least want) the new employee to have some experience before hiring them. How does a newbie get that experience?
If you were an employer, would you hire the pilot with no experience (just a bare licence) or the one with 500 hours?
A friend of mine worked as a "volunteer" to get experience in a non-aviation job for 6 months (Mon-Fri 9 to 5) to get a $45k a year job. He effectively 'spent' $22k on 'training' to get the required experience. I had the same opportunity but did not want to work for free. He gained the experience required and is now employed and I didn't get the experience and I did not get a job there. Good luck to him.
I'm not advocating working for free but I just wonder how someone who has just gained their CPL, can get the required experience that is needed for a paying job, without resorting to 'buying' time, either by volunteering or paying for a cadetship.
I understand that cadets fill vacancies by effectively paying their own wages while they are training. Once they complete their training, they will be replaced by new cadets paying for their jobs; and so on and so on. Effectively, those positions will always be filled by people who are willing to pay for their own employment (there goes the T+Cs enjoyed by pilots up until now). So what is left for everyone else?
Whether it is in aviation or other industries, it seems as though the employer can sit back and choose someone who is so willing to work, that they will volunteer to get the required experience.
When I go out and start door-knocking with a bare CPL, I expect that it is going to be pretty tough. I can't afford to work for free, so how does one get the experience without under-cutting the other door-knockers?
If I have to buy the experience by hiring a plane and flying joy flights or whatever, I still pay. If I volunteer, I still pay (exchange my time instead of money). So what is the answer? How do I get the experience without volunteering (I still have a way to go yet before getting my CPL so I'm not about to go out destroying eveyone else's T+Cs; I just want to devote my time and resources in the right directions, thanks)?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Cn