Top End JOBS impossible!!
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Top End JOBS impossible!!
Not gunna lie but getting that first job interview feels so impossible. It is just me that feels like flight training was so easy compared to this process of sitting and waiting and trying to get that coveted "first job". I guess this is a supply/demand game with DOZENS of guys flocking around Darwin trying to get that first break. I know I'm not the only one that feels jaded but how does one cope??? Head south and get an instructor rating on VET help and be lucky to get a job as a G3 because out of a class of 8-10 g3 students, only ONE will get a job with that same school that runs the flight instructor course. Before VET became a "thing" and I was strapping together every $1 to fund my flying, guys were self funding their instructor ratings and *almost* guaranteed a G3 job at the end. I say *almost*. But now with VET, the chances of gettting a G3 job with the school that put you through the course is SLIM.
Sorry I don't mean to vent too much and I reckon a few people will grill me but hey, it's slightly frustrating (to say the least) to invest so much into something and to potentially have to build up another career from scratch after dropping so much $$$$ on this flying dream.
Thanks for listening!
Sorry I don't mean to vent too much and I reckon a few people will grill me but hey, it's slightly frustrating (to say the least) to invest so much into something and to potentially have to build up another career from scratch after dropping so much $$$$ on this flying dream.
Thanks for listening!
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I know what I'm going to say will do very little to help but just know those feelings of frustration that you're getting is perfectly normal! Grinding day after day only to be constantly told "we're not looking at this time" or "our insurance minimums are X" is a tough pill to swallow so there is no shame in feeling the way you're feeling.
I can assure you that I considered tossing it in and doing exactly this a fair few times along the journey to that first gig. After a couple of months of job hunting, I began to doubt myself and whether or not I had what it takes to make it. Interestingly, after talking to some friends who were also job hunting in different parts of the country, they were thinking the exact same things. Despite these feelings though, you have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off because a chance will come no matter what if you keep battling through it. In terms of coping, a few things worked for me. First and foremost, having a good circle of friends and family to talk/vent to. They honestly made a world of difference, especially when you're starting to feel a bit lost with it all. The next thing that I found helpful was just reflecting on where I was 6 months ago, a year ago etc etc. I thought back to 16 year old me who would have killed just to have a RPL let alone a CPL. I looked back to when I was getting ready to do my IR thinking "boy, I have no idea how I'm going to manage this" and seeing how far I had come. It's not easy to pack everything into a suitcase and uproot yourself from where you feel most comfortable so feel bloody proud of what you've done, even if you haven't managed to get that interview yet.
Now on the topic of interviews, the thing you've got to truly understand is it comes down to "right time, right place". I went 6 months meeting people, never getting a sniff of an interview. Most companies had either recently hired or were looking for more experience. Then one day, I just happened to walk in the day that the chief pilot wanted to hire someone and was given an interview. If I had walked in a day earlier or later, I wouldn't have gotten that job. It was just pure chance that I was in the right place at the right time. My piece of advice while you wait for that opportunity is to keep your head in the books. Know your regs, know your day VFR requirements and have a solid knowledge of the aircraft you can be expected to operate because when you do happen to be in the right place at the right time, you don't want to leave anything up to chance. Being on top of the theory is the only thing you can directly control on this wild journey so stay sharp!
Everyone gets a job in the end, just not as fast as we'd like sometimes
I know I'm not the only one that feels jaded but how does one cope??? Head south and get an instructor rating on VET help...
Now on the topic of interviews, the thing you've got to truly understand is it comes down to "right time, right place". I went 6 months meeting people, never getting a sniff of an interview. Most companies had either recently hired or were looking for more experience. Then one day, I just happened to walk in the day that the chief pilot wanted to hire someone and was given an interview. If I had walked in a day earlier or later, I wouldn't have gotten that job. It was just pure chance that I was in the right place at the right time. My piece of advice while you wait for that opportunity is to keep your head in the books. Know your regs, know your day VFR requirements and have a solid knowledge of the aircraft you can be expected to operate because when you do happen to be in the right place at the right time, you don't want to leave anything up to chance. Being on top of the theory is the only thing you can directly control on this wild journey so stay sharp!
Everyone gets a job in the end, just not as fast as we'd like sometimes
I've always advocated doing your training at a small town aero club rather than a sausage factory, clubs often have instructors of reputation within the GA industry, know of one student who had a job before doing the CPL ride because the instructor got a phone call from an employer looking for a pilot and seeking recommendations, "I've got one sitting along side me right now" was his reply. Belatedly, advice doesn't help you, good luck with your endeavors, it's a tough gig.
I once saw a young pilot advertise in the aviation trader saying he was a professional CPL with 250 hours and he was available. He would pick up bibs and bobs by flying at small airports outside the CBD doing basic joy flights and ferries or wound fly private pilots aircraft for them when needed.
Next thing all of a sudden he’s right seat in a Lear doing urgent organ relocations, flying warbirds, joined the RAAF and is now flying international mainline.
Next thing all of a sudden he’s right seat in a Lear doing urgent organ relocations, flying warbirds, joined the RAAF and is now flying international mainline.
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I have but the biggest fear is dropping 20k and being in the same position except, with 20k extra debt from a personal loan. I guess everything is a risk but I applied for 2 x c172 flying gigs the past month or so and the HR department told me "I don't have enough farm hand experience" - even though I've got 140+ hours on a C172 alone (and i actually worked on small crops farms for 2-3 years which funded the ab initio portion of my training). I only mention that because logically, I think to myself that if I cannot land a C172 job (and I've got about 30-40 hours on light training twins), then is it worth taking the risk and being out of pocket for a FIR.
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I once saw a young pilot advertise in the aviation trader saying he was a professional CPL with 250 hours and he was available. He would pick up bibs and bobs by flying at small airports outside the CBD doing basic joy flights and ferries or wound fly private pilots aircraft for them when needed.
Next thing all of a sudden he’s right seat in a Lear doing urgent organ relocations, flying warbirds, joined the RAAF and is now flying international mainline.
Next thing all of a sudden he’s right seat in a Lear doing urgent organ relocations, flying warbirds, joined the RAAF and is now flying international mainline.
Have a look outside the NT. Yes, the jobs outside the NT are not in abundance, however, they don't have a line of 50 fresh CPL holders at the door every morning. Dig through LinkedIn and you'll quickly find who the operators are who hire first job guys and girls.
Furthermore, the best thing you can do is delete/restrict access to all of your social media (apart from a professional linkedin), while some people will say you shouldn't have to, I can tell you from experience that plenty of companies look at these profiles and will turn you away based on the face you pulled at your year 12 graduation or the fact that you hired a 172 from YMKT and certain people don't get along with that flight school's owner etc. It's a small industry, go ghost on the socials.
Furthermore, the best thing you can do is delete/restrict access to all of your social media (apart from a professional linkedin), while some people will say you shouldn't have to, I can tell you from experience that plenty of companies look at these profiles and will turn you away based on the face you pulled at your year 12 graduation or the fact that you hired a 172 from YMKT and certain people don't get along with that flight school's owner etc. It's a small industry, go ghost on the socials.
I regularly employ people in a non-aviation company and I can categorically tell you that I troll their Facebook and LinkedIn without fail!
I also think it’s a good thing when my LinkedIn tells me that my candidates have looked me up too.
I also think it’s a good thing when my LinkedIn tells me that my candidates have looked me up too.
PPRuNe Handmaiden
I haven't been in the job search market since the 90's and haven't lived in Australia since 2001, traditionally, Darwin was not really the place for new CPL folks looking for a job. Has this changed? Reasoning being that the more nice and civilised the area, the more experienced the pilot is to get job number 2 or 3.
Yes, getting a job is rarely easy. It's usually a case of finding a place you don't mind, finding something to do, behaving yourself, and keeping in touch with the local operators.
As others have alluded to on another thread, make yourself stand out with other skills you can bring to the organisation.
Be first job ready. First Aid certificate, Dangerous Goods credits, as current as you can be, drivers' licence etc. Computing skills. You name it.
Yes, getting a job is rarely easy. It's usually a case of finding a place you don't mind, finding something to do, behaving yourself, and keeping in touch with the local operators.
As others have alluded to on another thread, make yourself stand out with other skills you can bring to the organisation.
Be first job ready. First Aid certificate, Dangerous Goods credits, as current as you can be, drivers' licence etc. Computing skills. You name it.
Yes, getting a job is rarely easy. It's usually a case of finding a place you don't mind, finding something to do, behaving yourself, and keeping in touch with the local operators.
As others have alluded to on another thread, make yourself stand out with other skills you can bring to the organisation.
Be first job ready. First Aid certificate, Dangerous Goods credits, as current as you can be, drivers' licence etc. Computing skills. You name it.
As others have alluded to on another thread, make yourself stand out with other skills you can bring to the organisation.
Be first job ready. First Aid certificate, Dangerous Goods credits, as current as you can be, drivers' licence etc. Computing skills. You name it.
Just thought I would drop my two cents. I feel you mate, it felt like hell on the initial job search. The best thing you can do is fly as much as possible even if it is out of your own pocket, the level of friendships you develop with a wide array of people is unbelievable! This coupled with the amount of information you can absorb as a bonus makes it very easy for a potential employer to take you on. I firmly believe getting that first job is 75% attitude and 25% experience. Hang in there, something will come up!
If it makes you feel any better, everyone who works in the industry has had their first job at one point or another, so it is achievable, sometimes it just takes time.
You'll find this industry is either flood or famine. There’s no jobs in sight for 12 months, then all of a sudden you have 3 job offers within a week.
As others have said, don’t restrict yourself to Darwin. Networking will be 50% of it, because someone you’ll meet will know of someone who’s just about to throw the towel in and that’s your opportunity to be ready.
My biggest piece of advice though, is DON’T under any circumstances, go and become an instructor if you only want to do it for the hours. You’ll be doing yourself and your potential students a disservice.
It'll happen, just be ready.
You'll find this industry is either flood or famine. There’s no jobs in sight for 12 months, then all of a sudden you have 3 job offers within a week.
As others have said, don’t restrict yourself to Darwin. Networking will be 50% of it, because someone you’ll meet will know of someone who’s just about to throw the towel in and that’s your opportunity to be ready.
My biggest piece of advice though, is DON’T under any circumstances, go and become an instructor if you only want to do it for the hours. You’ll be doing yourself and your potential students a disservice.
It'll happen, just be ready.
Great advice here, especially re the instructing, if it’s not your passion don’t do it.
The key here is don’t give up.
I got kicked in the nuts several times in my initial job hunt 30 years ago (Fark am I really that old!). I got told it was my own fault as I knew it was hard to get a job but I did my license anyway. I got offered a job only to have it taken away when they realised that they needed 500 hours for insurance not my 250 (it was real as they had recently had a bingle). Then as luck would have it got a job offer from a resume I’d sent out!
No doubt it’s tough, but ya just gotta hang in there and keep on keepin on. ****e it’s even happened to me further down in the career.
Would I change any of it? Not for a second.
In 10 years you will look back and laugh and think what a ride it’s been.
The key here is don’t give up.
I got kicked in the nuts several times in my initial job hunt 30 years ago (Fark am I really that old!). I got told it was my own fault as I knew it was hard to get a job but I did my license anyway. I got offered a job only to have it taken away when they realised that they needed 500 hours for insurance not my 250 (it was real as they had recently had a bingle). Then as luck would have it got a job offer from a resume I’d sent out!
No doubt it’s tough, but ya just gotta hang in there and keep on keepin on. ****e it’s even happened to me further down in the career.
Would I change any of it? Not for a second.
In 10 years you will look back and laugh and think what a ride it’s been.
Timing might be an issue here - it is getting towards the tail-end end of the "season". Most operators won't have the time to get someone up to speed with the onset of the "wet-time" and with a green CPL the "wet time" is not the time to be in the NT. A willingness to work for them over the wet in non-flying position may get you a foot in the door?
March/April is a better time to hawk yourself.
March/April is a better time to hawk yourself.
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Pm me
Not gunna lie but getting that first job interview feels so impossible. It is just me that feels like flight training was so easy compared to this process of sitting and waiting and trying to get that coveted "first job". I guess this is a supply/demand game with DOZENS of guys flocking around Darwin trying to get that first break. I know I'm not the only one that feels jaded but how does one cope??? Head south and get an instructor rating on VET help and be lucky to get a job as a G3 because out of a class of 8-10 g3 students, only ONE will get a job with that same school that runs the flight instructor course. Before VET became a "thing" and I was strapping together every $1 to fund my flying, guys were self funding their instructor ratings and *almost* guaranteed a G3 job at the end. I say *almost*. But now with VET, the chances of gettting a G3 job with the school that put you through the course is SLIM.
Sorry I don't mean to vent too much and I reckon a few people will grill me but hey, it's slightly frustrating (to say the least) to invest so much into something and to potentially have to build up another career from scratch after dropping so much $$$$ on this flying dream.
Thanks for listening!
Sorry I don't mean to vent too much and I reckon a few people will grill me but hey, it's slightly frustrating (to say the least) to invest so much into something and to potentially have to build up another career from scratch after dropping so much $$$$ on this flying dream.
Thanks for listening!
Please PM me I have some advice and leads
