Getting First Job , is it easy ?

[RobertFL]

Hello Everybody
Iam about to start training and Iam pretty curious how many of you got their cpl has little hours and try to land their first job, how is it? and by the way how old are you guys?
Thanks
Robert

[redsnail]

Getting the first job isn't easy. In fact, in many cases it makes the exams and flight training look like a walk in the park.
I got my first part time job as a flight instructor (1992, age 27) at the school where I did my CPL. They liked my attitude and knew I wouldn't let them down. I worked full time at uni, studied part time (5 nights at tech for the ATPLs) and worked all weekend at this flying school. I was only paid to fly so in most cases it was a negative earning situation. I was given free flying every couple of weekends and sent on some interesting flights. After a year I realised that there was no way I was going to make any decent money flying as an instructor in Sydney (Australia, a capital city).
So, time to find a full time flying job.
I quit my full time job, rented out the house (I had a mortgage), left the cat and the boyfriend, packed a car and headed to the outback. (age 28 1994)
I knocked on many doors on the way to no avail. It was becoming obvious that it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. (Knew this, many don't).
Found a town that had good prospects. Approx 5000km later. Pop 5000. Remote. Hot. It was cut off for 2 weeks with flood water. No biggy but it was getting low on my favourite beer. Lived in a caravan park for a while. Got a job as a hangar slave come aircraft washer. That's what I did for + 4 months. Paid for some flying to keep my hand in. Networked like mad. Proved to the operators up there that I was reliable and reasonably sensible.
After surviving the hours cull (ie had more than the minimums - therefore fly as often as you can. Grab every single free hour/minute you can get your hands on. Ferry flights, check flights. Any thing. Experience cannot be obtained in a text book) Did ok in the interview with the boss and Chief pilot. Flew well in the check ride. Got the job. Approx 100 pilots were going for these 2 jobs. The job? 3 month (extendable) charter/scenic pilot flying C206/7/10's in the Kimberley region of Oz. $A20K per annum. Since I didn't stuff it up, it was renewed.

Now in the UK, 10,000 miles from Australia. Age 38, just cracked a jet job. At last. Only the persistant survive.

Good luck.

[RobertFL]

Thanks for interesting story, I truly believe that will power is very important. Iam actually your age thats why Iam asking about age and I have no flying experience I figured out to give it a chance now or never , we will see
Thanks anyway for sharing

[Tinstaafl]

What Reddo said neatly encapsulates a typical wet ink CPL situation. No matter how hard, long, expensive or difficult it seems on the way to getting a professional licence + all the add-ons, always bear in mind that that's the easy bit!

Even in the UK where the market is skewed differently there is still an equivalent to Reddo's tale post-licence issue for most people. The world is littered with little used licences from people who gave up.

On the bright side many, many of the pilots who you see today were in the same situation but kept slogging along until they got somewhere.

[redsnail]

Oh I wanted to add some more little points.
You are being watched all the time. No, not in a "Big Brother" way but by your instructors, theory instructors, fellow pilots every one. What you want is for as many of them as possible to say "good person, easy to get on with, works hard, knows his/her stuff, trustworthy". I have had more than one instructor (theory and otherwise) say to me "If you need a contact in ***, let me know, I'll put in a word for you". This sort of thing is vital.
However, don't get slack now and think you don't need to work for that interview.
It doesn't matter what job you are going for, a C206 job carting indigenous folk around or corporate 737. You must prepare for it and take the preparation seriously.

Know the company and it's niche. (where does it operate etc) (Their websites are very useful for that)
Competition and challenges for that company.
Know the fleet. If you have time on their aircraft of choice, expect questions on them.
Know the type you are currently flying now. (if not currently flying, grab an hour in something relevant) General stuff, how much oil, fuel etc. You are now a professional, you should know your tools of your trade.
Be expected to be asked questions about privileges and limitations of your lic/rating. If never asked, know them any way.
Have all your documentation current. Lic, medical, any thing else you'll need. (eg in Oz, Dangerous goods certificate, useful = First aid certificate, bus driver lic, language skills very useful)
The boss's name. Owner's name if different.
Fleet ops manager's name. You get the idea.

Practice practice practice.
Grab a mate in a similar or better position than you (ie working). Get him/her to run interview scenarios. You want to be relaxed with your answers but not too rehearsed. Some humour is ok but be careful with it.
Eg, I was asked in an interview "Do I drink alcohol?" [hello! Australian!!] I answered "No more than the average airline pilot"
Fortunately, they liked the answer - but - I knew the company wasn't mega strict like that.
If psychometric tests are used practice them.
If sim checks are used get some time on something similar if you can. (Or fly raw data etc)
Note, it is possible to screw up the interview by being rude to the secretary. Well, you thought she was the secretary but she's actually the CEO... You get my drift. :D

Good luck. The training is comparatively easy. The getting the first and subsequent jobs is much harder.

[AIRWAY]

Reddo, always full of interesting and amazing stories. It's not easy to crack the first job, but hey like reddo mentioned, presistance takes you somewhere, like i said on another forum, a friend of made wanted to get into a particular airline and it took him 3 attempts to get in, he persisted and got lucky. Anyway nothing is easy in today's world, you have to work hard and be motivated.

:}