TheKabaka
23rd Dec 2005, 13:56
Hi All
After seeing some quite negative posts on this forum I thought I would try to bring some christmas cheer to people with my story from shiny new (and seemingly usless) CPL/IR to jet airline pilot.
I finished my IR in April of 2002 only a few months after 9-11, one of the worst times to be trying to get a job, and after an initial burst of CV and the inevitable rejections decided I had to do something more than simply mail out CV's.
I borrowed some money from my old dear and did an instructors course. I was lucky that the same school I did the training with offered me a job.
Due to the state of the industry at this this time I expected to be instucting for some time and I was not dissapointed! Lucky for me the school I was at also taught CPL and IR which I was able to progess onto, good for the CV. There was also air taxi flying and so I got some twin IFR time,also good for the CV and great for sim rides!
After very nearly 3 years (and 1500 hours) at the coal face I finally got the call to interview with a turbo prop operator. One interview and a sim ride I was in!
The type rating and line training followed quickly and before I knew it I was an airline pilot at last. One thing that surprised me was I that I was even poorer now than when I was instructing as everybody wanted thier money back.
After six months or so a friend told me to apply to BA (min requirements of 100 sectors on a TP). I applied not expecting to be invited to interveiw and was amazed to not only be invited but to pass as well. After another sim ride I am in the hold pool!
I learned a few things during the job search which I hope will help or encourage someone.
1) Keep flying, I only got my first interveiw because I had over 1000 hours, and plenty of flying in the last 6 months.
2) Try to make your flying as constructive as possible, instructing/airtaxi/ anything commercial is so much better than burning holes in the sky, both for you and the airlines.
3) Study for the interview. No one owes you a job and if you put in no effort you won't get one either.
4) I got my employment without doing an integrated course or knowing anybody in the companies concerned it is possible just keep at it!
Good luck to everyone if you are determined you can get there in the end and it will be worth it, it beats having to work for a living.
Merry Christmas
TheKabaka
After seeing some quite negative posts on this forum I thought I would try to bring some christmas cheer to people with my story from shiny new (and seemingly usless) CPL/IR to jet airline pilot.
I finished my IR in April of 2002 only a few months after 9-11, one of the worst times to be trying to get a job, and after an initial burst of CV and the inevitable rejections decided I had to do something more than simply mail out CV's.
I borrowed some money from my old dear and did an instructors course. I was lucky that the same school I did the training with offered me a job.
Due to the state of the industry at this this time I expected to be instucting for some time and I was not dissapointed! Lucky for me the school I was at also taught CPL and IR which I was able to progess onto, good for the CV. There was also air taxi flying and so I got some twin IFR time,also good for the CV and great for sim rides!
After very nearly 3 years (and 1500 hours) at the coal face I finally got the call to interview with a turbo prop operator. One interview and a sim ride I was in!
The type rating and line training followed quickly and before I knew it I was an airline pilot at last. One thing that surprised me was I that I was even poorer now than when I was instructing as everybody wanted thier money back.
After six months or so a friend told me to apply to BA (min requirements of 100 sectors on a TP). I applied not expecting to be invited to interveiw and was amazed to not only be invited but to pass as well. After another sim ride I am in the hold pool!
I learned a few things during the job search which I hope will help or encourage someone.
1) Keep flying, I only got my first interveiw because I had over 1000 hours, and plenty of flying in the last 6 months.
2) Try to make your flying as constructive as possible, instructing/airtaxi/ anything commercial is so much better than burning holes in the sky, both for you and the airlines.
3) Study for the interview. No one owes you a job and if you put in no effort you won't get one either.
4) I got my employment without doing an integrated course or knowing anybody in the companies concerned it is possible just keep at it!
Good luck to everyone if you are determined you can get there in the end and it will be worth it, it beats having to work for a living.
Merry Christmas
TheKabaka