Gents,
Most of the jobless lot in India are only 10+2, ie., high school passouts. What knowledge and maturity do you expect these guys to have? Obviously, they live in their own virtual worlds where they consider that it is their destiny to have their first job as a tubeliner f/o. You can't really expect any hint of professionalism from these wannabe jocks. They hardly know anything about life. Their line of thought is very narrow.
If you have been to uni, then you have obviously experienced first year dorms, resisting temptations, coping with unimaginably large syllabi, dealing with different kinds of people, working around tight situations and so much more...All this valuable experience makes a huge difference in how you get around business in India.
Unfortunately, there is very little honest recruitment in India. Your Dad's money and influence play a key role in securing you that flying job. At the least, you are going to need some contact in the industry to see to it that your CV is picked up from the 100s that usually end up in the trash can. Getting into flying in India, without someone on the inside, is a very foolish move.
There is no laziness as such among jobless Indian pilots but rather that they don't know much. They are not really street smart. It also makes a difference to which uni you go to. These days, there are many random engg. college who will gladly take any 60%+ guy. These are low standard colleges and obviously their graduates are also not that great.
If you are a honest guy with a not-so-rich Dad, then your only hope is to study hard. Remember what Amitabh Bachhan said in KBC: "Sirf gyaan hi aapko apna haq dilata hai" Realizing this and seeing the state of the jobless lot, a senior pilot I know decided to study hard. He was a 92 percenter, and had got into one of the top NITs (earlier known as RECs) which was the 8th/9th best engg. college in India. Obviously, he learned a lot during his 4 year stay and also became accustomed to maintaining and adhering to high standards. Recruited off the campus, his first year paycheck alone allowed for a MECPL+TR. I am serious!
It also makes a difference to work after graduation. Because you also gain a lot of valuable experience in the office environment. Learning to deal with high ranking officials, understanding office politics, etc. Two years later, this person funded his CPL on his own and went on to pursue a TR. By that time, he had strategically built contacts and as expected, got himself into the 737 RHS. Obviously, the 1.5 lakhs/month paycheque was peanuts compared to his previous pay but it was worth the effort because he was doing what he wanted to and he worked hard for it and done it on his own. There is no greater satisfaction than this form of achievement.
So in short, if you are a normal guy then you've got to know someone on the inside. Or you've got be very very lucky. But at the end of the day, it's all about hard work for us normal people.
EDIT: I should also add that being more educated raises your standard in other's minds and increases the chances of your CV being picked up. Sure skill does matter but that test comes after the clearing the first impression test. 10+2 spoilt kid funded by rich dad or humble B.Tech. Aero Engg. with ratings funded by own hard earned money??? Who will you pick, if you are the CP?
Last edited by contractpilot69; 11th Jul 2013 at 04:32.