Job Opportunities & Advice
 

As we all seem to be leaving........

Perhaps it is time for a 'transition' thread, to ease the journey. This thread is intended for jobs/job hunting advice.

No direct advertising.
No whinging - there are other threads for that.

All advice offered in good faith.

MODS - I am assuming this is within the rules, and would like it to follow the format of the 'Rotary Jobs' thread. Is that OK?

Use your resettlement training to acquire a defined marketable skill...preferably one that "on trend".

For example (for a lecky perhaps). Get the tick for installing domestic renewable energy sources (like rooftop solar panels or a domestic wind turbine or both) so that the householder qualifies for the "feed in" tariff.

A hard, defined skill such as that above is far easier to turn into income than a soft skill like "passed ECDL and proficient in Excel". Increasingly soft skills are of decreasing value in the workplace because so many jobs are process orientated.

Seems like a decent thread to me- very much on topic at the moment!

My only word of caution is the fact that due to QE 1/2 and possibly 3 , the excess froth of the credit bubble has not been worked-off yet. If anything we (as a Globe) are in a worse fiscal state than the market lows of 2008 due to the false economic rally and Central Banks' money printing. More debt has been created by governments trying to prop up a failing global economy because Keynes said 'G' spending would have solved the Great Depression. Classic Keynesian stuff but never tested in anger on this level before; and with Muni Bonds about to pop in the US and the US debt ceiling being capped by Congress (currently $14 Trillion and Obama wants to increase it!!!??) along with the Euro zone in deep trouble and rampant inflation in China - things could be about to get ugly once again.

So, possibly the devil and job you know better - I would hate for people to think the grass is always greener when in fact the grass is about to die again - all IMHO of course; but the charts are giving off all the signs that realisation of the credit woes could be about to strike - no doubt Ben Bernanke will run up the printing presses again and just add to the woes by prolonging the agony stoking up another false rally in a dying market?!

Think of the markets as a Heroin addict on a come down and Ben has just administered another shot of 'brown' - Euphoria! - but only short lived as the eventual come down will get worse and worse the longer the drug (cheap credit) is administered. The markets need to get through the cold turkey phase and start rebuilding balance sheets and creating jobs. The latest Non Farm Payroll figure last Fri for the US were a shocker; only 18K jobs created - that does't even keep pace with population growth so in effect its a negative figure!!

What should have happened in 08 was for the markets to be allowed to fall and the crap companies fail. We would probably now be in a better position and coming out of a recession. Instead we have made the eventual come down even worse. The only 'hope' is that all G20 Nations meet and decide to start at Year Zero and wipe the slate clean; somewhat unlikely of course!

So airlines may be recruiting now - but I can see them laying people off again as we dive into yearly cycle lows this autumn and winter -IMHO, DYOR of course!! ;-)

GrimWeasel

I think that is a fair call.

You forgot to mention Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland.

.

It's also imperative to remember that flying isn't necessarily the only thing you can do that you can enjoy making a good living at. Don't back yourself in the side street named "I fly, therefore I must"... :}

500N - I just encapsulated those fiscally broken nations into the Euro Zone banner. Note that Moody's has tonight downgraded Irish debt to 'Junk' status. Eekk. The issue is that good old Blighty is well exposed to Irish and Italian problems due to the amount of money we have lent them. Sadly, I fear things are going to get a tad worse before they get better. But of course they won't tell you that. Banks need 'dumb' money to offload their crappy positions into! Failing that the tax payer will no doubt be asked to dip his hand into his threadbare pockets to bail out the largesse and excesses of the privileged once more!:{

Best advice ever heard was from an old Personnel guy before they known as HR and he told anybody who was being made redundant etc to think carefully.

His view was treat it in the same way as you would a death of someone close or a painful divorce, allow a time for breavement / mental adjustment, not an unrealistic statement when you consider what people in the services put into their careers. He viewed it as a 3-6 month time frame even if you have found something else and to allow time for adjustment and not just ignore.

Must admit I thought he was mad but now I think it was wise words.

Due to local skill shortages the Western Australian government are taking a migration roadshow to the UK in the hope of getting more suitably qualified people over here.
Maybe it's time to consider a move dunnunda.
WA turns to UK to find workers | Herald Sun

Ditto. Its not just MGD's thread and inyone can post within the rules. So if it helps, why not? It might be good to see some positivity. :ok:

I think that is excellent advice and wish I had taken that approach when I pulled the handle. It would have saved me quite a lot of grief.

If you plan your departure well in advance (which you pretty much have to do in Service life) you should have built a decent financial buffer in order to fund (survive?) a "thinking" gap.

Perhaps does not apply if you have already lined up/planned for your next job and career?? (Not everybody does...I didn't).

Just a quick one for those considering to jump ship. If you are interested in trying something new, there are a number of interesting aviation jobs in international organisations like EASA, ICAO and IATA. The diplomacy skills learnt in the services and experience of working in multi-national environments are of great benefit in these environments. Sometimes it pays to think outside the airlines/ BAe/ RR box.

EASA Engineer Licences
 

To my military aircraft engineering bretheren:

There is an on-going (& deepening) shortage of licenced aircraft engineers in civil aviation. Advice from one who has made the journey from RAF to the airline world: start studying NOW for your EASA Pt66 Licence; it will take you c18 months to climb this mountain on a self-study basis. Once you have achieved this, operators will gladly employ you & furnish you with an appropriate Type Rating course; you could buy such a course yourself - B737NG or A319/20/21 is a source of strong employment. Course duration c4wks, cost c2.5kGBP.

During this protracted period, you should have saved enough cash to pay for the course due to the fact that you will have no spare time to sit in the pub swilling the Devil's Vomit. Get yourself a 45-gallon drum of Midnight Oil; swotting will become the norm.

Go on then, what are you waiting for?

HB

Think it would apply whatever you doing though your individual feelings may change if you have something immediately available.

Possibly something similar to retiring when if you just stopped at whatever age and gave everything up then it could have a detrimental effect on someone.
Knew via my parents over last 25 years of people who went on to age 65 in their job, leaving on last day possible and either they or partner dead with 6 months because the life change was too much and they hadn't planned it through.

Excellent advice HB, it applies to anyone thinking about a career that requires any kind of qualification. If you leave your prep until you have made the decision to leave then you've probably left it too late. In particular, for pilots and engineers, it is really quite simple; no licence no job.

I know it's a hackneyed saying, but I made two good decisions with respect to the RAF, joining and leaving.

Good luck to all contemplating the change, voluntary or otherwise.

YS

Have heard Cathy Pacific have some potential.

Mods - any chance of making this thread a sticky?

So it looks like [for the 2 winged master race at least] the hot tips right now are:

BA
Virgin
Jet2.com
Cathay

Anyone know of any others?

Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you can get yr head round the geography of leipzig then night freight with DHL. Not many hours, but good a/c, nice destinations, short and long haul and for the right people the possibility of a quickish command.

happy to receive PMs

Do you work for manning?

Interview Prep
 

All,

can thoroughly recommend Airline Preparation Training (APL), Market Bosworth, Nr Leicester for helpful interview steers. Google it for contact details.

They do a 4 hour 1 to 1 service or a 2 day course. They'd need a few to get together to warrant a 2 day session away from Leicester, however.