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Career Change Poll

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MntJam, it didn't take you long for the SJS to wear off. How long have you been at Pinchnickle? 8 mo? Although I completely understand where you're coming from. It's not really what I thought it would be either.
 
VampyreGTX said:
Still, I have a co-worker and a friend that is married to a fire-fighter/paramedic. The divorce rate there is pretty high as well. Even they complain about aspects of the job. I don't think I have ever met one person that has not complained about something with a job.

Is there anything like a perfect job? Does that even exist?
I think it all depends on your mind set and those of your spouse. The irregular nature of some jobs make them harder on a home life that others. Problems can fester when you're away for a few days at a time and the hotel/travel lifestyle certainly promotes extra curricular activity when things aren't going so well at home.
 
I've never flown at a 121 carrier, but I've got to admit that I'm not real excited about it. I mean, I'll do it if I have to, but... only if I have to.

-Goose
 
121 vs ???

I worked for two 121 carriers, several 135 and even certificated a 135 op as 121. I fly 135 charter now and absolutely love it. We work as many as 16 days a month, stay in great hotels, the airplanes often come home empty so we don't spend a lot of time sitting around away from home. I fly all over the world in great equipment with outstanding airmen and our client base can't be beat.

I can't say anything bad about the operation or the profession ... now that I'm away from the airlines.

TransMach
 
"After 10 yrs at the airlines, I switched to corporate. Much better lifestyle."

Not flame baiting at all- since I am seriously thinking about switching to corporate... but I hear this every so often and then I ask around as to what a corporate schedule is, and it seems there are rarely more than a few golden days off a month, with the bulk of days off basically being whatever day you happen not to fly, sitting within an hour or two on reserve with a pager. And you have to live in whatever podunk your job is in. To me, that sounds like a dream job only if you want to live in that particular podunk and you have a spouse or GF that doesn't mind only making hard plans for 4 or 5 days a month, and maybe just one weekend. What am I missing?

As for the original thread topic... I agree with the pros/cons of 121 jobs posted thus far. I say that as a 121 furloughee from company with an industry-leading contract, now sitting at the bottom of another 121 regional with a horrible contract. The lack of lateral transfer in an industry (airlines that is) where every job and every company is a crapshoot basically sucks, as does the perpetual whipsawing of contracts. The old joke that one day we will all work for Walmart is basically true... except we will all work for Mesa, or its equivalent (as each company transforms itself into Mesa or loses its flying to such a carrier), it seems. The future for airline jobs now is overseas, where the growth really is.
 
For all the doom and gloom that everyone spouts here, I had an extremely rewarding 121 career with a top company. I retired 3 years early with a VERY nice retirement. Maybe I was fortunate in that my career choice was a company that everyone laughed at or derided for "bringing down the profession" until the last few years when pilots couldn't beat the doors down hard enough.

Take your best shot and live with it. DO NOT LOOK BACK. There is nothing to see behind you.
 
I have been going to write this for a while, but a thread came up that was along the line that I was thinking about. Like most guys here Ive been caught in the mess that he busines is in also. So I have had to question myself, and do some real soul searching. Having worked at other jobs before, at least I do know what that lifestyle is like. What i came to realize is that even if this career has gone downwards lately it still has some plusses that are hard to get over. I may be gone several days in a row, but when Im home ,Im home all day and night. Especially in the summer I see my kids all day long, go camping with them on Tuesday, and to the beach on Wednesday. I still have a minimum of 12 to 14 days off, and sometimes 18. I'm not rich at all, but I make a living without working 50+ hrs a week. I can see for some it does get old, and I do get tired of all the BS from time to time, but the one good thing is when you get in the air, you pretty much leave it all behind. Well enough said, maybe Im in the minority any more.
 
Well said too, BigBoeings. I'm not saying it's all negative. I truly love what I do for a living, even if I and most of us are not or no longer paid anything remotely what we are worth. (Of course an economist would say that what we are worth is the market rate of supply and demand now, and our profession, unlike many others, has never kept supply tightly under control the way the oil industry does by controlling production, or doctors and lawyers do by controlling barriers to entry.)

I see many who hate their job even on the job. I hate that I am not home anything as close to what I'd like to be; I hate commuting and archaic policies that make commuting difficult; and I hate being paid chickenfeed wages (first year FO pay at a regional after being furloughed at twice that pay), but I love the flying part, and certainly 90% of the crews are terrific to work with.
 
I suppose it may depend at where you are at in the industry as well. Personally I am still enjoying life at my job (a small regional caliber 121 op out of Vegas) and having upgraded made it even better. Unfortunately I HATE Las Vegas and want desperately to move back to the midwest but have been unsucessful finding a job except for regionals...and I really think I would like to avoid that market. Ive been trying to find something corporate, but you know how that barrier is to break.

I probably think about jumping into another industry once a week. Not because I dont like flying...but I too have felt the pressure of wanting to be home every night...having every weekend off...having holidays off....and making good money right away. I dont not want to be one of those pilots who looks back and thinks "Man I sacrificed way too much to get where I am."

I want to spend my life living it...buying a house...having kids...ect. I dont want to have to spend another 10 years of my life getting to a position where I can do that. The downside is that there isnt anything that I know of that excites me like flying airplanes

Its frustrating though...Im 3 years out of college and most of my good friends are already making 6 figures in a job that will last them a lifetime. They have the houses, the toys, all live in the same area, and every week its a new adventure for them. Now granted...the material stuff isnt all that important to me...but it would be nice to have the new house, a new boat and truck to pull it with, etc. These guys may not love their job like I do mine, but they are getting so much out of life every week because they have a stable good paying job. They meet up most nights and go out and then on the weekends they hit the lake and party like rockstars....all the while I am working 12 hours a day 5-6 days a week just trying to clear the bar with the bills and stuff.

And yes....every time I go home I get that "Wow you are a pilot huh...you must make tons of money and hardly ever work!"

Sigh.
 
C425Driver said:
I left after 5 years at the airlines. I work for a friend now who has a growing business. I make more money, I'm home every night, and I'm much happier with my lifestyle now. I don't regret my career decisions. I had a lifelong dream to be an airline pilot and I achieved my goal. I'm proud of my accomplishments but it was time to move on. I still fly on the side and I'll never quit flying, but it will be a hobby for me as opposed to a career.C425Driver

Looking at your profile, it seems you never made it beyond the regionals . . . . no wonder you were so unhappy. Wonder if you would have been more happy if you were making $130-$180K with 16-18 days off per month? Maybe not, but I'm not sure your experience was really enough to base a career decision on.

PS, I used to fly corporate, for a very successful law firm and I can tell you that even highly successful lawyers are not necessarily any happier than the pilot dumping their honey-bucket . . . . . copy, copy?
 

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