Career Advice

[Captain Grill]

I'm looking for some reasonable career advice. I'm currently working outside of the aviation industry to persue other life opportunities. I've resigned from my previous 121 carrier a few months ago where I was a prop captain and then displaced to the RJ. I also have previous experience in GA and international experience from another employer in Gulfstream and LJ aircraft. I've been there and done that. I'm now single and have two distinct career choices to make--one corparate, the other charter.

My first opportunity could be with the Fortune One company flying LJs out of Rogers, AR with a set schedule, mostly M-F, most weekends and holidays off. Upgrade time is indefinate and the FO salary is industry average. This would involve selling my house and moving to the base and starting new.

My second opportunity is with a charter operator as a G-II FO or a Citation CA. Pay is industry average and upgrade time in the G-II could be anywhere between 3-12 months. I'd be home based and would not have to sell my house or move for this opportunity, leaving behind life-long friends. Days off are 5 hard and 5 soft. The G-II pilots fly about 200 hours annually and the Citation pilots fly nearly 60 hours a month.

I've lived and worked now in the real world for nearly 3 months and I know that the aviation industry is where belong--the real world sucks. But, being home every most night and sleeping in your own bed is worth it's weight in gold. New, young and naive pilots to the industry don't understand that concept until they log many hours at the Ho-Jo, away from what matters most. I've seen the best and worst of the airline industry while employed in it and have no desire to return to it. QOL is my only concern as to where I want to take my career. For three years I commuted to my old domicile being gone as many as 20-22 days a month which, in part, caused my case of AIDS. I never want to do that again for obvious family and personal reasons.

I'm not trying to put the proverbial cart before the horse, I'm just looking for opinions and perspectives that I may not be considering. Thoughts?

 

[Flying Illini]

Captain Gill,

IMHO; it sounds like the job at your current home would be best (based on the limited info you've posted). You say that you could be an FO on the G-II with possible Capt. upgrade within one year or begin as capt on the citation. Either way, after a year with this company you would be pulling down captains pay whereas it could be 5-10 yrs at wally world before you make captain. That is one reason why I would choose that job over the Rogers, AR job. Yes, the walmart (I'm assuming) job is a pretty decent schedule, although the 5 hard days off and 5 soft days off aren't that bad either. Uprooting and moving your whole life is difficult so it would seem that if you can stay put and pull down more money, I would do that. Sounds like QOL would be better than moving to rogers, AR and leaving everyone and everything you know, behind.
Tough decision and only you know all the details and only you can make that final decision, but you asked for input from others and this is my take on the situation.

Good luck.

 

[banned username 2]

I'd have to agree with what FlyingIllini had to say... Sounds like your best bet is to stay put, take the better paying job at "home" and get one with your life... Enjoy life, there is far more to it than work!

 

[Jack Schitt]

It all depends on where you're from. Are you a redneck? You know you're a redneck when......

1. You let your 14-year-old daughter smoke at the dinner table in front of her kids.
2. Your junior prom offered day care
3. You think the last words to the Star-Spangled Banner are "Gentlemen, Start your engines".
4. You think loading the dishwasher means getting your wife drunk.

If you're not a redneck, I'd take the G-II job.

 

[vclean]

Your last paragraph shows you are leaning toward the G-II/Citation job. Your personal life is more important than any job. The first opportunity will seem great at first, but after 6-9 months the novelty will wear off and you may regret your decision.

A job is a job. Keep your friends and home intact. Remember you're one medical away from a new career.

 

[Jump Pilot]

Give me the G-II and Citation.

 

[Uncle Sparky]

It all depends on where you're from. Are you a redneck? You know you're a redneck when......

1. You let your 14-year-old daughter smoke at the dinner table in front of her kids.
2. Your junior prom offered day care
3. You think the last words to the Star-Spangled Banner are "Gentlemen, Start your engines".
4. You think loading the dishwasher means getting your wife drunk.

If you're not a redneck, I'd take the G-II job.

Have you ever been to Rogers Jack She-ite? It's actually fairly nice. Big lake.......Big houses on the water.... Are you looking to collect a type to pad the resume' Capn' Grill? Choice "B" might be what you're looking for!
The one big factor that I consider central to my own choice in job(including my current job)is stability of the company. I'm guessing, (just like Illini)if it is Wal-Mart, that is a pretty big motivating element. It's a pretty good bet that you're not going to wake up one morning during a market slump and find out that the company jet has been sold and McDonalds is hiring, if you choose "A".

 

[Hobbs]

There's something to be said for job security. Perspective changes dramatically after years of living with intermittent employment. Don't forget to factor in stock options, bonus checks, well equipped, well maintained a/c, excellent training... There's a lot of negative talk about Wal-Mart from people who don't know what they're talking about.