CPL Graduates... no jobs?
 

Hey,
Just looking to see how many graduates are like me still waiting and seeking that first GA job? Who is in Darwin now just waiting?
I have finished everything and been recently applying for jobs in a Call Centre. Soul destroying given the money and time I've spent on flight training... to go and work in a Call Centre!!
Petra

I’m guessing it’s not as soul destroying as the guys and girls with 10,000 hrs B737 time who are also working in call centres.

^^ This ^^

Id say hang in there. But expand the horizons beyond Darwin. Look at spotting planes on the west coast (they’ll be end of season now but fire up late December/early Jan), station work, Kununurra (again maybe next season), anywhere you can find that has a 172/182/206/210 etc.
Things can, and often do, change quickly. Even in good times it can take a year or more for the first job. It’ll come.

Why would it be any different? Not sure of the relevance to the question.

Posting the obligatory "hang in there, your dream will come true" comment to add to the others.

Is this a wind up?

Jesus.

MCD

I'm a 13000 hour A320 skip, working down on the docks here in New Zealand, as a casual labourer operating diggers and cranes. We've also got an A330 TRE from QR, a Virgin 737 skip, 4 fixed wing CPL graduates, and a rotary guy who lost his job after the White Island fiasco. These are extraordinary times.

Hang in there, but also don't kid yourself that it's gonna be anything other than a LONG wait. Getting the first GA job isn't about who's the best pilot, it's about who's the last one standing and who wants it the most when all the others have quit. You'll suddenly get that golden phone call when you least expect it

Soul destroying eh? I worked in a call centre for 10 years to pay for my licences. There were no loans when I did it. I've got mates that have thousands of hours flying widebodies now working in call centres, their careers severely disrupted or destroyed. Yet strangely enough don't need to post up attention seeking threads whining about their situation - they are just getting on with it.

An all too familiar story these days, a lot of it the legacy of the bull**** training outlets spew out! Pilot shortage, plenty of work, go network.....
A flying career theses days is not a forever gig anymore, best have several other skills to ride the ever changing fragile world of aviation!

15000hr+ 777 captain and twiddling thumbs wondering what the hell to do……..so whilst I have sympathy …….

Boy Petra,
You certainly know how to pick the wrong time and place.
Have you any idea what has happened to the airline industry over the last two years ?

Maybe some perspective..
 

After obtaining my CPL in August 1973 there were no jobs, in those pre-internet days I would go to the Sydney GPO where they had a collection of telephone directories from all over Australia....looked up the Air Charter Yellow Pages and wrote letters to operators all over Australia, I was fortunate when in May 1974 I received a reply from a Central Queensland Charter Company who were after a SE VFR pilot, I had been working as delivery driver for a book publishing company for $60/week and could not believe my luck to secure a job at $100/week, by contrast my wife was a Primary School Teacher at $120/week... be patient and keep trying no matter how frustrating it seems... Good Luck and wishing you a long secure and safe career in aviation.

Crikey. Hang in there. Best words of advice are that Australian Aviation is toxic as heck. Younger the better I’d get out.

If you’re really wondering how many CPL graduates are out there in the ether looking for their first job, my guess would be a lot. The universities are still pumping out sausages in similar numbers to what they were doing pre covid, and instructor rating course also seem to be busy at the moment. Take comfort that a lot of people share your pain and frustration, some just at the beginning like you, some with families, mid way through their careers now with no prospects or qualifications to fall back on.
By the look of your user name I’d guess your mid twenties so still plenty of time to explore some other career options.

As much as everyone would love to provide words of encouragement, right now those words would be hollow. Even in the UK which domestically is functioning in a similar manner to Pre-Covid, British Airways is only operating 21% of Pre-Covid flights. It's going to be a very long path to a full recovery. Any plans to join this profession should currently be on hold for the foreseeable future. It's pointless doing a licence and then coming on here and complaining about how heartbreaking it is to have done the work and now no job.
Something like 50% of qualified and experienced Pilots worldwide are currently not working in the industry.

Crickey guys, I find it really sad that the last 18 months hasn’t helped people develop much empathy for others’ situations. When I finished my training a long time ago the industry was in a protracted downturn, no jobs anywhere, plenty of negative people around ready to flame you. Obviously this situation is even worse but I think if you are determined and persist, network well and try to stay positive you will eventually succeed (might take several years though). Heading overseas is a good option when it becomes available, I did as soon as I could and found plenty of opportunities.

Developing a second career in the meantime would be sound advice though, think about what else interests you and take a look at what opportunities are available. If you have to use the call centre job to pay the bills in the meantime so be it, it won’t be forever.

And good luck to everyone else working menial jobs at the moment, I’m in the same situation as a 16000+hr TRE/TRI.

Go well.

Unless China opens it's doors to its own people again and the cruising industry is restored, that's how it's going to stay too, just like it was 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, as you know, now is not a great time. However there has always been a surplus of pilots to jobs. The coarse I went through had 30+ pilots and only six of them ended up with aviation careers (2 of them had parents in the airlines). Finding the first job needs perseverance and often a large chunk of luck. You have to hang in there and accept there is no easy route.

Tell us more details about the Call Centre job and how to apply.

There will be huge demand in a year to 18 months - barring no post Delta variant wreaking havoc.

Soon after, there will be a pilot shortage the like of which we have never seen before.