If you were in my shoes...
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If you were in my shoes...
Hi, I have a question to all pilots, I'm in a situation now but don't know what to do, and I need your help to decide, so here we go:
I'm a senior First Office and our National Carrier Airline which I work for is about to be privatized, we have been giving 2 choices for for our future when the company privatized:
1. Go work with the new privet company with the same salary and benefits we are getting now guaranteed for 5 years, then we'll get a new offer from the new owner if they want to employ us.
2. Get a "Suitable" desk job with the government, same salary and benefits we are getting now guaranteed till retirement age (60 years old).
So if you were in my shoes what would be your choice?
Help please.
I'm a senior First Office and our National Carrier Airline which I work for is about to be privatized, we have been giving 2 choices for for our future when the company privatized:
1. Go work with the new privet company with the same salary and benefits we are getting now guaranteed for 5 years, then we'll get a new offer from the new owner if they want to employ us.
2. Get a "Suitable" desk job with the government, same salary and benefits we are getting now guaranteed till retirement age (60 years old).
So if you were in my shoes what would be your choice?
Help please.
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Q8,
You have listed the two options and it basically breaks down as to whether,
Option 1, you want to keep flying.
Option 2, you want to stop flying and have a desk job.
So which do you want? If you want to keep flying then go for option one. You seem to have age on your side certainly. If it doesn't work for you in the 'new' carrier then you could leave and work for another airline. Remember if you stop flying and work on the ground then it is always a litle harder to get back into the skies due to recency etc.
I'm sure others will follow with more sage advice. As for me?, I'd keep flying.
Good Luck with what you choose,
V3
You have listed the two options and it basically breaks down as to whether,
Option 1, you want to keep flying.
Option 2, you want to stop flying and have a desk job.
So which do you want? If you want to keep flying then go for option one. You seem to have age on your side certainly. If it doesn't work for you in the 'new' carrier then you could leave and work for another airline. Remember if you stop flying and work on the ground then it is always a litle harder to get back into the skies due to recency etc.
I'm sure others will follow with more sage advice. As for me?, I'd keep flying.
Good Luck with what you choose,
V3
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What is the answer you want to hear?
Me personally, given what you wrote, I would keep flying. But my situation is far different from your own.
Do what makes you happy. Can't live life basing todays decisions off of a question mark five years in the future. No crystal ball, so do what you feel will keep things well.
Me personally, given what you wrote, I would keep flying. But my situation is far different from your own.
Do what makes you happy. Can't live life basing todays decisions off of a question mark five years in the future. No crystal ball, so do what you feel will keep things well.
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Thank you all for your replies,
I love flying, but what is bothering me the most is that I've been flying for the National Carrier all my life, which basically means I had a "secured job" but now with privatization the job and it's benefits are not secured any more (after 5 years) , and that is what I'm afraid off. as of working abroad that is not an option, I'm very family oriented and can't handle more than few days away.
So I guess most agree on working for the privet company?
I love flying, but what is bothering me the most is that I've been flying for the National Carrier all my life, which basically means I had a "secured job" but now with privatization the job and it's benefits are not secured any more (after 5 years) , and that is what I'm afraid off. as of working abroad that is not an option, I'm very family oriented and can't handle more than few days away.
So I guess most agree on working for the privet company?
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I would most definately go with going to the new private company. You have better chances of ending up with NO job if you listen to the government...
Keep flying and enjoy yourself!
SVoa
Keep flying and enjoy yourself!
SVoa
Q8,
I'm going against the flow here and suggesting you consider the desk job.
I am assuming you are an Arab working for the National Carrier of your country. I fly in the Middle East and know and work with many of your fellow Arabs, whom I like and respect.
Please believe me when I say I mean no disrespect, but you are no doubt used to the idea of being able to stay living in you current location with a comfortable salary and stable employment. This was the case with National Carriers in other parts of the world in the past.
The world has changed, and your region is starting to change with it.
I am a life-long Pilot and intend to stay so, but that has meant changing employer, city and country several times. It is rare indeed for a Pilot to be able to gain a well paid job and have that job, in the one location, till retirement.
The fate of national carriers which privatize has not been good. Most have eventually had to substantially re-structure, downsize and shed employees to survive- or else have not survived. If your Government is truly privatizing your airline and leaving it to sink or swim depending on Market Forces, you must consider the very real possibility that, at some future time, you will be faced with a substantial reduction in Salary, relocation, or outright unemployment.
If the necessity to stay with your Family (and I fully understand the significance of extended family in your culture) outweighs you desire to fly, the desk job may well be a viable choice.
I wish you the best of luck with your decision and future.
I'm going against the flow here and suggesting you consider the desk job.
I am assuming you are an Arab working for the National Carrier of your country. I fly in the Middle East and know and work with many of your fellow Arabs, whom I like and respect.
Please believe me when I say I mean no disrespect, but you are no doubt used to the idea of being able to stay living in you current location with a comfortable salary and stable employment. This was the case with National Carriers in other parts of the world in the past.
The world has changed, and your region is starting to change with it.
I am a life-long Pilot and intend to stay so, but that has meant changing employer, city and country several times. It is rare indeed for a Pilot to be able to gain a well paid job and have that job, in the one location, till retirement.
The fate of national carriers which privatize has not been good. Most have eventually had to substantially re-structure, downsize and shed employees to survive- or else have not survived. If your Government is truly privatizing your airline and leaving it to sink or swim depending on Market Forces, you must consider the very real possibility that, at some future time, you will be faced with a substantial reduction in Salary, relocation, or outright unemployment.
If the necessity to stay with your Family (and I fully understand the significance of extended family in your culture) outweighs you desire to fly, the desk job may well be a viable choice.
I wish you the best of luck with your decision and future.
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I tend to agree with Wizofoz,
the fact that you actually raise the question here show, that your passion for flying does not outweigh your need for stability in your life. Only you can determine, how serious the Government offer one can take. Will they be able to keep up their promise for the next 26 years?
I think most of the professional pilots nowadays are in there for the love of flying and are willing to sacrifice a lot, when it comes to stability, job security and job location.
You should consider your own background, too. Do you have any other qualifications, besides your ATPL and B777 F/O rating? If not, it might make it rather difficult for you to find a job after 5 years, in case the new conditions of the airline job don't suit you. If you do have something to fall back on, you might want to take the risk and keep on flying.
the fact that you actually raise the question here show, that your passion for flying does not outweigh your need for stability in your life. Only you can determine, how serious the Government offer one can take. Will they be able to keep up their promise for the next 26 years?
I think most of the professional pilots nowadays are in there for the love of flying and are willing to sacrifice a lot, when it comes to stability, job security and job location.
You should consider your own background, too. Do you have any other qualifications, besides your ATPL and B777 F/O rating? If not, it might make it rather difficult for you to find a job after 5 years, in case the new conditions of the airline job don't suit you. If you do have something to fall back on, you might want to take the risk and keep on flying.
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Q8
Stay with flying if you REALLY love it.
To all those saying take the desk job....beware.
In the UK many so called safe government jobs with huge pensions and doing very little were given a swift dose of reality with many of them or parts of them being privatised.
In this world there is no such thing as a life long career as we are all now subject to market forces.
Good luck
Ps i really really really couldn't imagine sitting at a desk again punching keys on a computer or trying to stay awake in yet another boring meeting and listening to the same old boring office politics......Rather fly above the clouds looking down than in an office looking up
Stay with flying if you REALLY love it.
To all those saying take the desk job....beware.
In the UK many so called safe government jobs with huge pensions and doing very little were given a swift dose of reality with many of them or parts of them being privatised.
In this world there is no such thing as a life long career as we are all now subject to market forces.
Good luck
Ps i really really really couldn't imagine sitting at a desk again punching keys on a computer or trying to stay awake in yet another boring meeting and listening to the same old boring office politics......Rather fly above the clouds looking down than in an office looking up
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Wizofoz, It is nice to hear from someone who understand the Arabic culture. Your point about how the world is changing and how the change is coming to our part of the world, is absolutely right, but isn't it time for us to change too?
And yes, a desk job would be very stable for, but I'm afraid it would be TOO stable, another thing is that the desk job description is unknown! What will it be? No one knows! What will we do? No idea! So taking the desk job is a big risk too, I might hate my self for taking the desk job after some time, cos there is a good chance that they wont know what to do with us and we will end up doing nothing! Just sitting at a desk all day long.
And yes, a desk job would be very stable for, but I'm afraid it would be TOO stable, another thing is that the desk job description is unknown! What will it be? No one knows! What will we do? No idea! So taking the desk job is a big risk too, I might hate my self for taking the desk job after some time, cos there is a good chance that they wont know what to do with us and we will end up doing nothing! Just sitting at a desk all day long.
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Yes, in our part of the world I think they will keep paying us as government employees, another sector of the government have been previously privatized and the ones who went to work of the government are sitting at home with no jobs and getting payed till today!
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At your age, I'd take the flying job. If you were over 45 I'd say the desk job. However, if you take the desk job, it might allow you to discover all sorts of new joys, like regular weekends with your kids!
But if you take the flying job, the new management might make your life hell after 5 years.
Tough choice, but I wish I had it. Best of Luck.
But if you take the flying job, the new management might make your life hell after 5 years.
Tough choice, but I wish I had it. Best of Luck.
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I wondered lonely as a ??????
Job Security is sadly a luxury these days and well up Maslow's pyramid.
You are either a pilot at heart or not. If you are however much you think the desk job gives you security, time at home with the family etc etc you will sit there staring out the window at aircraft wondering why.
It's a bit like marrying the girl your mother wants you to or the one who she thinks a little unsuitable as her skirts are too short. Ultimately you will end up happier with the latter and not always wondering if you tempt fate with the new 19yr old Ukrainian 6ft2in cabin crew member down route whether the former would ever find out!
The ever willing 19yr old Ukrainian model lookalike girl will make you happy for 15 mins, possibly longer if your route structure is not too demanding and you are not as old as some of us but will just provide a distraction from the monotony of getting your suit on everyday, knowing your equivalent of the 07:36hrs to Paddington like the back of your hand and meetings about when he next meeting will be whilst showing graphs on powerpoint of how many widgets the company will/has/wants to sell/buy/move etc. yawwwwwwwwwwnnnnn
Take the desk job when you loose your medical or cannot fly anymore go office at your peril!
However if you fly B737. I suggest the desk job as the less people out there competing with me for the next job the better
Good luck with the decision tell us all what you did.
You are either a pilot at heart or not. If you are however much you think the desk job gives you security, time at home with the family etc etc you will sit there staring out the window at aircraft wondering why.
It's a bit like marrying the girl your mother wants you to or the one who she thinks a little unsuitable as her skirts are too short. Ultimately you will end up happier with the latter and not always wondering if you tempt fate with the new 19yr old Ukrainian 6ft2in cabin crew member down route whether the former would ever find out!
The ever willing 19yr old Ukrainian model lookalike girl will make you happy for 15 mins, possibly longer if your route structure is not too demanding and you are not as old as some of us but will just provide a distraction from the monotony of getting your suit on everyday, knowing your equivalent of the 07:36hrs to Paddington like the back of your hand and meetings about when he next meeting will be whilst showing graphs on powerpoint of how many widgets the company will/has/wants to sell/buy/move etc. yawwwwwwwwwwnnnnn
Take the desk job when you loose your medical or cannot fly anymore go office at your peril!
However if you fly B737. I suggest the desk job as the less people out there competing with me for the next job the better
Good luck with the decision tell us all what you did.
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And yes, a desk job would be very stable for, but I'm afraid it would be TOO stable, another thing is that the desk job description is unknown! What will it be? No one knows! What will we do? No idea! So taking the desk job is a big risk too, I might hate my self for taking the desk job after some time, cos there is a good chance that they wont know what to do with us and we will end up doing nothing! Just sitting at a desk all day long.
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Vortex Thing,
That was a nice way to put it, I was telling my wife the other day, I don't want to quiet flying and then go out in the morning and see aircrafts taking off and wonder were are they going, I want to be inside them.
So I guess I'm 90% settled now on working for the privet company.
I will sure let you guys know when I sign the contract.
Thanks.
That was a nice way to put it, I was telling my wife the other day, I don't want to quiet flying and then go out in the morning and see aircrafts taking off and wonder were are they going, I want to be inside them.
So I guess I'm 90% settled now on working for the privet company.
I will sure let you guys know when I sign the contract.
Thanks.
