Help/Advice with Ground Jobs

[jmc757]

Hello, wondering if I could get some help or advice please. I am 18 and in June will sit my A Levels. My real ambition is to become a pilot, and I have extensively researched into the profession, and I realise my situation and the present circumstances, that i should leave this on the 'Back burner' for a while. I have applied to university but have opted for a year out (with an open mind that if i get a job i'm enjoying then I might not go at all).

Therefore, I would like a ground job at an airport (preferably BHX), but my mind just boggles! :confused: I don't exactly have a ground job that i have set my heart on, i'm pretty open minded at the moment.

I would'nt mind going into the passenger services side of things but im not exactly sure who to apply to?! When i flew aith AIH a few years ago we had a substantial delay and there was this really nice woman who looked after us all and gave us info etc etc. Now who would she work for? Is it the handling agent, the airline (do charters base staff at airports), or someone has even told me that tour ops themselves base staff at airports (e.g. Thomson, JMC etc). So can anyone help me as to who to apply to?

Furthermore, i wouldnt mind being on the dispatch side of things either, but i realise i can't walk straight into a job in that, and that is the handling agents isn't it??

Any help or advice for me would be greatly appreciated. Whether general or more specific i would be grateful. Or any other suggestions for what i could do?

I realise this may have been a slog to read, and may not have 'flowed' all the well, sorry if thats the case!
thanks

jmc757 :ok:

[Dispatcher]

not sure about other airports, but specifically bmi at LHR :

to get into load control (aircraft dispatcher) you need to be fully conversant with pax handling computer system ( LH Guide ), looking at roughly a couple of years as a CSA (customer service agent) before either going straight into dispatch or via tc's (traffic controller) as a tca (assistant).

after 9/11 movement has been minimal, but people are now moving on and positions are coming available more often now.

there are courses for csa's every 3 months ish.

good luck !

[justforfun]

Try Servisair or Aviance at BHX... they'll be recruiting pax services staff shortly for the summer season (probably)... if you get in, they'll give you most likely a part time position, if you're lucky, full time for the summer season, don't be under any illusions about the pay - it aint great, but everyone has to start somewhere!
If you're any good and they have the vacancy, there's a possibility they'll keep you on after the summer (March-October)... once you're there you'll have a better idea of what you want, but as far as Dispatch is concerned - see the post above this one! The tour operators do have staff at many airports, however, they don't have many - maybe one carrier'll have 3 or 4 only as the handling agent takes care of the rest....

Best of luck!! :cool:

JFF

[AOG007]

JMC757,

Working for a handling is not a very rewarding way to spend a summer, let alone any longer. However they do give you a crash course in aviation, and most of it will stand you in good stead for years to come.

Dispatcher is obviously talking about BMI LHR, but handling agents like Servisair and Aviance are generally quite happy to put people with little, or no experience into a dispatch position. (Differs at each station)

Personally, go to Uni.... You won't find much with a handling agent, apart from stupid working hours, insulting pay, and going grey by the time you are 20yrs.

Stick to your guns! Get what you need for either sponsorship or RAF, and go for it. And once you get through Uni, who knows? Maybe the aviation scene will have picked up.

Good Luck in whatever you do!

AOG007

[jmc757]

Thnaks for your help everyone. Anyone know what that new JobCentre Plus is like at BHX???
thanks again

jmc757

[Frosty Hoar]

C'mon AOG we had a good laugh in station control didnt we...!:D ;)

[useless_info]

:( jmc take note of wot all these wise people have said but bear in mind that this is a dieing industry at the moment and it isnt much fun! living day to day wondering if redundancies are about to take place!! take up something safer likethe army!! guarenteed career!!!

[HZ123]

Try the cargo outfits at Coventry airport direct and the BHX companies. You will need to contact any and everyone, you can never send out to many CV'sand covering letters. Good hunting !

[AOG007]

Frosty Hoar,

To true! We did have a good laugh, but remember, we were lucky in that we were employed by an airline, and not a handling agent. That was a big difference from where I was before. Penny Pinching beyond all comprehension!

So any advice for JMC757?

JMC757,

useless_info makes a very valid point, relating to the state of the industry at this current time. Plus the threat of was does not help either. Until we know what will happen in the Gulf, then it remains up in the air.

As I said before, stick to your guns, and go for whatever it is that interests you the most.

AOG007

[The Grooover]

JMC
Not sure if you have got yourself fixed up yet, but according to the Local Derby Rag tonight there is a Job Fair being held at EMA in the Departures Concourse (Heres hoping it's not foggy like last Saturday!!) this coming Saturday.

It even has free Car Parking (Should get the spotters out at least !! ) Servisair and the other ground handlers are alledgedly being represented.

Best of luck.


TG


PS Not a plug, as I have no reason to do so other than spreading the word on something that may not be common knowledge further south.

[sum41]

jmc
Why not try the ryans in ema . All the training is done from there and both 73-2 and 73-8 sims are there so may give you a little go to see if you have the bug or not as it is alot of money to spend if you dont like it . Try not give up the chance for Uni as the nite life training is sure to help you when your down route.
Best of luck in what you do

[Whispering Giant]

JMC - you could try flybe.- british european at BHX for a c.s position - also if your interested in flying the company has is it's own sposorship scheme which you could apply for after you have gained some experience of working for a airline.
The only downside is the position's at BHX will be on the ticket desk as we use Aviance for load control and despatch there.

Hope this help's.

Yo Frosty and AOG - good to hear from you both, how's Hannover Frosty ??

AOG how is what's possible going to happen in the gulf going to effect you and 3off the tee ??

brgds
W.G

[tightturnaround]

JMC,
Been there not too long ago and know exactly what dilemma you are now facing. My advice, go for it. If aviation is something for which you are passionate about then you are unlikely ever to have such a desire for any other type of employment.

You really must decide what exactly you eventually want to end up doing. If your eventual aim is to become Flight Crew, then uni would now be a good choice as increasingly the airlines require a degree of some sort (generally a maths/science subject is good) for placement on a 'cadet' scheme, as mentioned...such qualifications are also useful (although not neccessary) for careers such as ATC.

Money, isn't however everything and if you are not particular about which area of the industry you favour there may not be a need for uni. I personally wen't straight from 'A' levels to a summer season with a handling agent, and have never looked back. After 6 months at this I'd gained enough experience to be accepted as a junior Ops Assistant, and have since worked my way thru the ops department, where, for now, at least, I earn a damn sight more money than 80% my fellow college mates who went on to uni, and are now working in the local supermarket.

As pointed out, temp. work with handling agents isnt easy, and the money IS poor, however, it is one of the only decent ways of getting into the industry with little or no experience. PSA's work long and unsociable hours but my company (at MAN) always had plenty of overtime up for grabs which could bump up your wage considerably. The job can be stressful and the hours crap, but we always had a good laugh on the Terminal 2 night shift :)

Let us know what you decide ... best bet for handling agents at BHX - aviance/servisair (wouln't bother with BA, i'd say you're a tad young), or BMI/servisair at EMA. Hope this helps.

TT

[jmc757]

Thanks for your help/advice everyone. I really do appreciate it. Especially TT, some encouraging words there:) I wouldn;t mind working my way into operations either, that is also something that I know I would enjoy, and probably my favourite choice if I can't make it up into the air (and believe me, I will fight to the very end to try and do so).
Your point about graduates and supermarkets is very valid. I work part-time at Tesco, and most of our full-timers are uni-grads!! the only thing is, to tesco's credit they do pay really well, and i would have to take a pay-cut probably if I went to a handling agent, but I'm not too worried about that, it's a better career move than retail (well for me anyway!).
Thanks WG, I hadn't thought about FlyBe. Are they the only airline that man their own ticket desks??
I'm now composing my letters and CV's to these guys... and finding addresses. I have Groundstar's, I really can't find Aviance or Servisair, just telephone numbers!! Groundstar's is Groundstar, Second Floor, terminal 1, Birmingham Airport etc...., you think i should just replace GroundStar with aviance.servisair and hope for the best ?:p
Anyway, thanks again everyone.

jmc757

[super aviator]

JMC

Try www.servisair.co.uk

www.aviancehandling.com

They have the head office addresses etc