I'm a heavy prop, glass cockpit, first officer. First job after flying school and I've been doing this for 4 years now.
I know I don't have any reason to complain, good base (in my home country), good roster (2on 1 off), good money(three times what WizzAir offered me) and great colleages (all of them flown only props all their life).
But still, something is bothering me, there is no career advancement and for a mid 20's guy this is killing me.
I know that basicly every other job would be a step back in terms&conditions but I still send out CV's because I want to keep on "advancing" my career and the only way to advance right now is to get jet hours. I see all my old flying school buddies who flown boeings for 3 years getting jobs in Turkey and in the desert. Again; I know I shouldn't complain but I'm honest and say that jealousy is something we all have from time to time, even though I'm home a lot, have a great motorcycle to work on and still have money left for food.
It's just that there is no motivation, no growth in my career so I've been applying everywhere for over a year now.... and never got anything back, including companies like FlyBe who, apperently are begging pilots to join them.
If you talk to anybody and explain them; What do you think creates experience, a 5 hour flight staring at a screen or 5 landings and take off's in 5 hours in icing, turbulence and all the crap you can find around FL160? You can all guess what they will say.
Unfortunately the HR department doesn't see it this way. I don't see this changing and I don't blame them for thinking like this, it's just the way it is for the TP guys.
Corporate is the way to go some of you say, but is it not so that for every corporate jet vacancy they either want a type rating or jet hours? Networking is fast becoming a thing of the past, or maybe it is where I live.
I just keep on trucking and try to find fulfillment in other things. I know in the near future I won't get it from my career.