How to search for a job?
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: bespin, the cloud city
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Experience id the name we give to our mistakes...
Might be Luck the name we give to our successes? I wonder...
Not completely true, I am afraid. Ask to our Spanish or Italians collegues. Sad to say but a lot of monkeys got their RHS thanks to a padrino. Many other went scrogg's route, but that's life...
Might be Luck the name we give to our successes? I wonder...
Also don't get the wrong idea and only make friends with people to get yourself a job!
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Nebraska
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How to get that job 4 years after your CPL/IR
Ok, I never thought I'd find myself doing this as I never write on PPRUNE, only read through the threads and weap! However, I am now no longer sure what to do.
I qualified approx 3.5/4 years ago. I got the shiny CPL licence. I had managed to achieve what many people thought I'd never do. I had wanted to be a pilot since the age of 5 and overcame extreme finiancial vulnerability with family being made bankrupt and no real financial security. To cut a long story short I worked my ass off for many years and saved money, met a great bank manager who was sympathetic with my cause and finally managed to gain my CPL at the age of 26 years old. The only unfortunate thing was that I obtained this when the UK went to war with Iraq and the were more pilots on the dol than there were jobs available. Basically no jobs is what I am trying to say!
So I had to diversify a little after passing my IR. I started working in a completely different industry as I had to live and get myself back on track. 3 years later I have worked my way up in my current company (not airline related) and manage a number of people and developed my managerial and people skills (I am sure this is what airliners would look for and not the bog standard frozen ATPL with 200 hours).
The only thing is, I so want to get into flying again. I can't become an instructor as the pay is too bad and have debts, a wife, a mortgage that I need to be responsible for; I can't take time off work to look for a job as I need to earn some money. I can't drop everything and join CTC academy as I have been recommended by so many people, as the cost is tremendous - I know I am an excellent pilot and manage to keep my IR running (well give or take a few months here and there) and know I have a lot to offer any future Airline employer but just don't know what to do.
Everyone talks about the demand for pilots is great and so many people are getting jobs - I suppose you have to be "in it to win it!"
I really am now at my witts end. I network and do all I can but just don't seem to get anywhere. If anyone can offer any advice or encouragement then I would really appreciate it. I am always the first to be extremely positive and gave all my flying buddies encouragement but now just feeling extremely p*ssed off with the whole thing as it just seems to boil down to money.
Sorry for winging but would appreciate anyone's help!
I qualified approx 3.5/4 years ago. I got the shiny CPL licence. I had managed to achieve what many people thought I'd never do. I had wanted to be a pilot since the age of 5 and overcame extreme finiancial vulnerability with family being made bankrupt and no real financial security. To cut a long story short I worked my ass off for many years and saved money, met a great bank manager who was sympathetic with my cause and finally managed to gain my CPL at the age of 26 years old. The only unfortunate thing was that I obtained this when the UK went to war with Iraq and the were more pilots on the dol than there were jobs available. Basically no jobs is what I am trying to say!
So I had to diversify a little after passing my IR. I started working in a completely different industry as I had to live and get myself back on track. 3 years later I have worked my way up in my current company (not airline related) and manage a number of people and developed my managerial and people skills (I am sure this is what airliners would look for and not the bog standard frozen ATPL with 200 hours).
The only thing is, I so want to get into flying again. I can't become an instructor as the pay is too bad and have debts, a wife, a mortgage that I need to be responsible for; I can't take time off work to look for a job as I need to earn some money. I can't drop everything and join CTC academy as I have been recommended by so many people, as the cost is tremendous - I know I am an excellent pilot and manage to keep my IR running (well give or take a few months here and there) and know I have a lot to offer any future Airline employer but just don't know what to do.
Everyone talks about the demand for pilots is great and so many people are getting jobs - I suppose you have to be "in it to win it!"
I really am now at my witts end. I network and do all I can but just don't seem to get anywhere. If anyone can offer any advice or encouragement then I would really appreciate it. I am always the first to be extremely positive and gave all my flying buddies encouragement but now just feeling extremely p*ssed off with the whole thing as it just seems to boil down to money.
Sorry for winging but would appreciate anyone's help!
Join Date: May 2006
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I dont think that anyone finds this easy at all, whichever route you take. The goalposts are always moving and soif you have a family in tow and all the other normal life things going on, it does make life excrutiating.
I as no doubt as many others have done, have gone down the self improver route, regularly missed the peak demand through insufficient experience or wrong type of experience only to find that when I have gained it, there has either been a world wide glut of pilots, a downturn through catastrophic events or some other reason.
Regularly, people on the forum encourage you to keep trying. There will be a way of doing this if it really is what you want to do. It becomes an inbuilt drive that motivates you through the hardest of times.
I truly beleive that the industry is as alive as I have ever seen it. I have an age issue at 46 and I find myself getting interviews all over the place.
I am qualified to instruct at all levels but this is still piston hours and wont be what is required by many outfits. I believe that the experience counts when the s**t hits the fan but that is only my opinion and may not be that of many others.
I think that there are many jobs going at all levels but also many applicants and luck will play a significant part as well as recommendations etc.
I reckon that we all feel that what we are doing is crazy from time to time and if a psychologist got hold of us would probably bar us from a flight deck for life (in fact crayons might get limited).
It boils down to what makes you happy and sorting out perceptions from reallity when stress and compulsion to become "" drive all the sanity from us.
You have to ask yourself if you are prepared still to continue the slog with no guarantees and bear the price or whether you already have what you are looking for in terms of quality of life.
If you are still compelled to carry on, you couldn't pick a better time to give it another go. It may take quite some financial risk and no doubt many have tried and failed with disastrous consequences.............choices............decisions....... .yada yada!
I think that the best advice I could give is to focus on what is really most likely to come to fruition, however with the industry in its current state, who knows what you might get.
What are your experience levels?
I as no doubt as many others have done, have gone down the self improver route, regularly missed the peak demand through insufficient experience or wrong type of experience only to find that when I have gained it, there has either been a world wide glut of pilots, a downturn through catastrophic events or some other reason.
Regularly, people on the forum encourage you to keep trying. There will be a way of doing this if it really is what you want to do. It becomes an inbuilt drive that motivates you through the hardest of times.
I truly beleive that the industry is as alive as I have ever seen it. I have an age issue at 46 and I find myself getting interviews all over the place.
I am qualified to instruct at all levels but this is still piston hours and wont be what is required by many outfits. I believe that the experience counts when the s**t hits the fan but that is only my opinion and may not be that of many others.
I think that there are many jobs going at all levels but also many applicants and luck will play a significant part as well as recommendations etc.
I reckon that we all feel that what we are doing is crazy from time to time and if a psychologist got hold of us would probably bar us from a flight deck for life (in fact crayons might get limited).
It boils down to what makes you happy and sorting out perceptions from reallity when stress and compulsion to become "" drive all the sanity from us.
You have to ask yourself if you are prepared still to continue the slog with no guarantees and bear the price or whether you already have what you are looking for in terms of quality of life.
If you are still compelled to carry on, you couldn't pick a better time to give it another go. It may take quite some financial risk and no doubt many have tried and failed with disastrous consequences.............choices............decisions....... .yada yada!
I think that the best advice I could give is to focus on what is really most likely to come to fruition, however with the industry in its current state, who knows what you might get.
What are your experience levels?
Join Date: Nov 2000
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My advice to anyone: Read the book "the alcemist". If you recognise yourself in it you will know what to do and what it takes.
It takes luck and a bit of guts to do what others don't.
/LnS
It takes luck and a bit of guts to do what others don't.
/LnS
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Hairy Hound,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Its really appreciated. However, whilst reading your post I just received an e-mail (twice) from Thomas Cook to say thanks but no thanks. I don't know why they had to send it twice, probably to ensure they provided double the pain!?
I have a mere 250 hours. Most (if not all) of these hours were carried out 3.5 years back. I have only recently started flying again as PUT as opposed to a passanger with a mate at the flying controls.
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. Its really appreciated. However, whilst reading your post I just received an e-mail (twice) from Thomas Cook to say thanks but no thanks. I don't know why they had to send it twice, probably to ensure they provided double the pain!?
I have a mere 250 hours. Most (if not all) of these hours were carried out 3.5 years back. I have only recently started flying again as PUT as opposed to a passanger with a mate at the flying controls.
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Chief. This all sounds very familiar! By just simply sending out CVs or filling in on-line applications it will result in a large collection of PFO letters. You have to make yourself stand out from the crowd. I was in exactly the same boat as you. Wife, 2 kids, mortgage, job etc etc. It was a nightmare. Thing is you have to do something. I’m not saying you won't get a job, but you are the same as countless CLP/IR pilots with 200 odd hours. I could not give up my job to instruct. Same reasons as you. You have to adapt it then. I found a great flying school that would let me work part time. I instructed on my days off. It built my hours, and improved my networking. Getting time off for courses was also difficult. What I sorted at work is that I would work some of my days off, to build days off that I could take all at once. Don't get me wrong, your wife will need to be pretty understand as I was practically a stranger at home sometimes. I would walk in the dog would growl at me, and the kids would ask the wife who the strange man was in the kitchen!
It did make the difference though. It started to narrow down the numbers, I was now in a slightly smaller pool of CPL/IR pilots who instructed. Your networking has to be quality networking, with key objectives. It’s no good just saying "I know Bob, and he’s a pilot at BA". Realistically this would not achieve anything. However, if Bob is best mates with the Chief Pilot at a turboprop airline and is playing golf with him on Tuesday, where they are discussing the pilot turnover at the moment, well there you go. You have to raise your game. If I can give you any steers then please PM me.
It is all a real test of your mental strength and ingenuity. Get it right, and you will secure that elusive position. Remember it's just one lucky break. It might take a few years to get, but that is all you need.
It did make the difference though. It started to narrow down the numbers, I was now in a slightly smaller pool of CPL/IR pilots who instructed. Your networking has to be quality networking, with key objectives. It’s no good just saying "I know Bob, and he’s a pilot at BA". Realistically this would not achieve anything. However, if Bob is best mates with the Chief Pilot at a turboprop airline and is playing golf with him on Tuesday, where they are discussing the pilot turnover at the moment, well there you go. You have to raise your game. If I can give you any steers then please PM me.It is all a real test of your mental strength and ingenuity. Get it right, and you will secure that elusive position. Remember it's just one lucky break. It might take a few years to get, but that is all you need.
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Chief -
Here is some advice for ya.... LEAVE NEBRASKA
All kiding aside, 200 TT won't get you anywhere in the US... Flight instruct, get your 1000 TT and your good to go to Pinnacle/SkyWest/ASA etc etc
V1.
Here is some advice for ya.... LEAVE NEBRASKA
All kiding aside, 200 TT won't get you anywhere in the US... Flight instruct, get your 1000 TT and your good to go to Pinnacle/SkyWest/ASA etc etc
V1.
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Jesus,
All seems like bloody hard work to me.
I'm thinking of taking what experience I have and going off to some far flung land to be a bush pilot or something like that. But then again i'm not married or mortgaged up large. It seems like it would be a laugh!
Also thinking of perhaps getting my CPL(H) and flying Heli-Skiiers around.
Anyone know any companies which specialise in this sort of stuff?
All seems like bloody hard work to me.
I'm thinking of taking what experience I have and going off to some far flung land to be a bush pilot or something like that. But then again i'm not married or mortgaged up large. It seems like it would be a laugh!
Also thinking of perhaps getting my CPL(H) and flying Heli-Skiiers around.
Anyone know any companies which specialise in this sort of stuff?
Join Date: Aug 2004
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False promises???
G'day everyone
First of all i'd like to appologise if this has been asked before but i looked through the boards and couldnt see it.
I've got a UK and NZ passport and recently moved back from NZ with a full CPL/IR with the promises of "better oportunities" for fresh minimum hours pilots, i only have 400 hours of which 50 are multi. I also hold an OZ CPL and have a diploma in aviation.
I'm currently doing the ATPL theory and have made arrangements to get my full JAA frozen ATPL and MCC by March and i suddenly thought how much of what i have been told is true (stupid i know, but too late now eh)
What is the job market here like? Is it really possible to find myself on the flight deck of a 737 when i finish my conversion in March, or am i doomed to live in debt forever chasing false promises!
If the market isn't as bad as all that which airlines take minimum hours pilots and how do i go about getting my name heard, i hear Ryanair does but looking into that it looked like a nightmare.
Any help would really really be appreciated.
First of all i'd like to appologise if this has been asked before but i looked through the boards and couldnt see it.
I've got a UK and NZ passport and recently moved back from NZ with a full CPL/IR with the promises of "better oportunities" for fresh minimum hours pilots, i only have 400 hours of which 50 are multi. I also hold an OZ CPL and have a diploma in aviation.
I'm currently doing the ATPL theory and have made arrangements to get my full JAA frozen ATPL and MCC by March and i suddenly thought how much of what i have been told is true (stupid i know, but too late now eh)
What is the job market here like? Is it really possible to find myself on the flight deck of a 737 when i finish my conversion in March, or am i doomed to live in debt forever chasing false promises!
If the market isn't as bad as all that which airlines take minimum hours pilots and how do i go about getting my name heard, i hear Ryanair does but looking into that it looked like a nightmare.
Any help would really really be appreciated.
