The first job hunt - Australia.
 

First off - i want to quickly acknowledge that we are all in this together - International long haul pilots, GA Pilots and Operators. It's a tough time and understand that my situation is not nearly as bad as others.

However, i thought i would re-ignite a heavily asked question on these forums - although, hopefully, with updated information considering the pandemic we are going through.

I got my CPL last year Dec' and Multi this year Feb' and have approx. 200hr total. (Yep, Fresh!)

Whilst I appreciate that the aviation industry is currently facing challenges, I remain eager to establish a relationship with any operator in the event that any positions do arise.

Unfortunately, i'm not in a position where i can do the drive north due to family and financial reasons. I have been sending out emails with the standard "Thanks for your email - we will keep your resume on file" reply.

I have actively pursued involving myself in the GA industry and so far, i have gotten to know some really great people but alas, no opportunities have arisen.

So the question remains! How did you get your first aviation job? Any tips/advice for someone starting out in this pandemic? Websites? (Other than AFAP). Emailing tips? Resume tips? Any chief pilots out there with some advice?

Appreciate it.

congrats on the cpl.
Speaking from personal experience, especially in this job market, don’t send emails to companies up north if you’re not prepared to do the drive up, really even unless you’re already planning on moving to the area where you are applying.
Even as someone currently trying to get into that first charter job living in the NT, opportunities are few and far between and it seems the jobs seem to go to whoever popped their head in on a day the cp was thinking about hiring.

Keep hanging around whichever GA airport you are closest to and keep meeting people, join an aero club and go to the events, flying and non flying.

Anecdotally, I haven’t met a low time pilot who was hired in Darwin/NT in the past year who wasn’t already up here handing resumes door to door, having said that there may be the rare outlier.
With that said, if you’re unable to come up north right now, an Instructor Rating will be your best bet at finding a first GA job in a southern state.

having originally gone down that path myself, my anecdotal advice would be to find a school you’d like to work at, and do your instructor rating there. Every school regards their instructor graduates as “the best”, and will typically hire their own graduates over others.

if you can’t find 20k for the instructor rating perhaps get a JPA and try find a skydiving gig, although you may need a second job (true even for instructing and entry level charter)

If all else fails, continue your current job, fly to keep current, keep going to flying club events, keep networking. Inevitably things will become better.

I’m not sure the current status but certainly on the east coast and Melbourne there was very little charter of freight work at the best of times. Most people got instructor ratings and also did charter work for the same company. As you’ve probably been told it’s more about face to face recruitment than sending emails. Being in the right place at the right time (luck and connections can help that). There will be jobs out there so stay current, don’t waste money on unnecessary endorsements and courses and make as many friends as possible.

I'd be surprised if anyone, ever, got a low time GA job by emailing an operator. You need to be up here. Some people leave after a week. Some people give up after a few months. How are those people who can't cope living in Darwin (a bona fide city) going to cope at a remote base... Anyway - it's entirely your problem that you have a CPL but aren't in the financial/family circumstances to move up here. Flight schools need to include the "move up north" in their information sessions... it's not the only avenue to getting your first flying job, but it's the most trodden and it's what people seem to be getting told to do after 200hrs and 1yr of training... rather than before they start it all.

There are jobs going in the top end. Depending exactly on where you are, tourism is booming, above and beyond past years. Just like previous years, getting the first job is all about knowing the right people or being at the right place at the right time.

As already stated - talk to people. Not really people at your flight school or sitting round the city - they usually have no idea what goes on up north. Talk to people actually up here. Get involved in the town you move to. So much hiring is based on nepotism. Or at least people that have some kind of rapport with the operator. Maybe they've seen you round town, you've had a chat to them etc. You might not even know they work for the operator. That's the best way - then you're not consciously sucking up to them.

You’re right; longhaul, shorthaul, charter, GA, all in this together..

​​​​​….because we’re all going for that GA job