Does it matter where you live the time applying for a job

[syed]

:confused: :confused:
Dear readers
Does it matter where you live when you put that down in your CV, because i have been looking for a flying job for long time and live in a small town in Scotland further away from all the flying activities and not down south. I have been told that if i manage to put down address of down south, stands a better chance.
One turboprop operator told me last week if i could come and live around coventry area might consider you,
Dear friends, I think its a catch twenty situation, every one knows that if your job takes you anywhere you would go .
I know not many lives in a perfect location

[redsnail]

It shouldn't really matter so long as you are prepared to move and you are genuine about that.

[FlyingForFun]

Just make sure your CV says something along the lines of "willing to relocate anywhere in UK/World/Universe" or wherever you'd be prepared to move to.

I'm sure you'll get replies from people who recruit in the aviation industry, whose answers will be more relevant than mine. The only recruiting I've done has been in the IT industry, but personally I don't care where someone lives at the moment, as long as they are prepared to relocate if they live too far away. I once interviewed someone who was living in South Africa for a job in London. He was prepared to come to London for the interview, and relocate to London if he got the job, so I was prepared to treat him the same as any other applicant, except that I suggested a telephone interview first to save him some expense if he was obviously unsuitable. (As it happened, he was obviously unsuitable, but that's not the point.)

Good luck!

FFF
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[Broken Wings]

Syed
Agree with Redsnail and FFF. I put what they suggested on my CV and I live as just about as far west as you can get in Wales and I've just been offered a job out of Heathrow. Best of luck.

[ravenx]

Syed,

Which T/P operator told you Coventry wa a good option

[AMEX]

I guess it depends where you apply.
More important ones know that not everybody lives near LGW,BHX,LHR,... and usually there is something in the contract stipulating that at time of employment you should live within an hour from base.
It doesn't mean you have to but it is your responsability to go by the contract you have signed so during stand by blocks you can't just say no simply because you live too far. As a matter of fact lots of people commute from abroad but during stand by duty, tend to find a B&B where to spend the block.

Now if you apply to small charter (Air Taxi) then where you live could make a difference.
My employer requires us to live within 30 minutes from the airport. It isn't in London so traffic isn't that bad and when the company says 30' they mean 40ish really.
As you said most of us would be willing to relocate but smaller operators really rely on you and you availability so once they have a bad experience, they really tend to go local.
In the past the company has hired guys who promised to relocate but never did. To be fair most of the time it isn't a problem but occasionally it has been the case where the guy wasn't available because he lived 3 hours away.

So to answer your question, yes the people I work for do care about where you live.
I am sure it is a minority amongst airlines in general and we really aren't that big but for prospective pilots, it is always an option to be considered.

In the past I too have considered putting a more "practical" address on my CV and I would probably have ended doing just that if I had had to.
Why not, can't really go against you since you really want to relocate there anyway.


Edited because I just remembered something about TNT's selection process. They determine your suitability for interview using a point system (check their website), i.e if you live within 150 Km from base, you get more points etc...
Maybe not the kind of operator you were thinking of but just to show that some do....
Now who would want to live there is my question ? ;)

[RVR800]

Yes it does because if you live in the North you will
only be able to afford to rent if working out of LHR etc

i.e your quality of life will be low

[Token Bird]

If it is indeed the case that it matters where you live when you apply for a job, even for only a few operators, then that it utterly ludicrous.

When I qualify I plan on applying for jobs all over the country and possibly the world. I can't live near all these places!

I may be odd in my viewpoint but, at the risk of sounding cheesy, wherever I lay my hat that's my home. My 'address' is only the place where I am currently receiving mail, but I don't consider it to be home.

There are so few jobs out there at the moment that the chances of finding one are slim, therefore the chances of finding one near where you are currently living are infinitisimal (probably spelt that wrong). Surely no-one who would commence study to be a professional pilot would be naive enough to think that they can stay where they are? Those people who promise to relocate but never do must be in the minority, surely?

TB

[AMEX]

Token Bird I agree with you but don't worry too much about it. I have had jobs in three different countries and within the UK I moved from LGW, FZO and MME so not all hope is gone for you.

Someone help me here but apart from the two examples I have cited, I seem now to remember having read in some job search publication things like: Prefer to hire locally.

Again there are plenty of exceptions so don't be put off. Your enthusiasm and keenness will overpower most obstacles you will encounter.

Respect !!! ;) (Watched Ali G last night)

[Mister Geezer]

I feel that your address can play a role in getting that job or at least getting your CV looked at. Obviously if you are 'willing to relocate' then that should not make any difference. However whenever Loganair established their Aberdeen base, rather than advertising in Flight (for example), they decided to advertise in the local press because they wanted local people who would probably be more likely to stay in Aberdeen with the company.

I was recently told that one particular Chief Pilot from a 'well known UK commuter airline' has become very sceptical about taking on 'young guns', due to the fact that they will move onto pastures new asap. Which can be very frustrating! Being allready locally based can put such a person's mind at rest since you already reside in the local area and the chances are that you are going to serve more time with the company at that particular base. Which can be quite different from someone who has relocated and is sitting on the edge of his seat to get a LHR or LGW job for example.

The above will obviously mainly apply to those bases which are at arms reach, eg north of Scotland where airlines have had a history of crew shortages. Brymon used to pay a £2K bonus to Aberdeen based crews just so that they could retain staff there!

MG