If you're short on total time, you need to try and get a right seat on anything(prefferably turboprop) and build time that way. Instructing time is gonna get you instructing jobs.
Ever notice how one 135 job is paying real money and the planes are well maintained and the other 135 job pays squat and their pilots actually live in the plane. It's because some people have the resume, to be able to negotiate better jobs.
You cannot negotiate a better job, with SIC time.
I worked a good paying blue collar job, monday thru friday, flew jumpers on wednesdays and weekends, free lance flight instructed, organized myself on pilot services trips and bought a twin cessna with partners to build multi time.
I was able to call my shots, because I took the bull by the horns during a bad economy and worked a job where I was trained in skills other than flying and then used the money to provide stability, while working on aviation goals. I eventually worked into a situation where I could get re embursed 200.00 bucks an hour for the use of my twin, plus get paid wages to fly it.
When the market opened a bit, I had three 135 job offers. They all had their best points, but I picked the one that let me live where I wanted to live and PAID the most.
One 135 job interview was in NILES MI...didn't like the town, so I cancelled the interview. Biggest thing they had there was a navajo, anyway.
The other 135 job interview was in OWENSBORO, KY. Got a job offer there, through a friend. They had three diamond jets, three king airs. A senica and navajo. They also got two Jetsream 32's, after I turned down the interview. But, they paid squat and the best part about the whole thing was, you get to live in OWENSBORO!
The third job was in Wisconsin, an hour and a half's drive from where I was living. I took this job and I flew 6 place piston twins on 135, starting at 32,000 a year. This was my first 135 JOB and I PICKED IT...not IT picking me. I eventually was put on the 135 certificate for pic in 6 different piston twins and 135 FO in the citation.
Later, I switched jobs (16,000 a year 121 fo) and that didn't work out. But I had no worries, because with 1,700 multi pic and 4,500 total time, I was able to pick between 3 135 jobs again. In fact I wasn't in a hurry, since I wasn't desparate.
I turned down a part 91/135 job in a construction company's citation, to fly turbo props as pic at a freight operation.
This citation job paid 25,000 a year, required an ATP and the aircraft was on lease back to executive jet management, which meant pagers and moving to freaking illinois. Plus, it really weirded me out, that the chief pilot started talking religion on the phone, during the initial phone interview. I cancelled the personal interview the morning of and never looked back.
The 2nd interview offer, would have lead to my hiring as an off the street captain, for Air Cargo Carriers. I turned down this interview, when I got the call for the caravan job.
The job I took, started at 32,750. It was only caravans, but the schedule was only 10 days ON a month. No RON's! Home every night, weekends off, holidays off, perdiem.
Then next thing you know, it's september 11th, 2001 and I am sitting in my little caravan and hear the news on the ADF. It wasn't long after that, that I realized I was in a good spot.
I should be starting my first classes at University Of Phoenix online in less than 10 days...taking advantage of the time off my 135 job provides, to pursue a Bachelors degree. I figure by the time I'm done, the more upscale operations should be starting to hire again.
I know that's a long winded post, but if you have nothing but SIC time in your log book, you won't meet 135 mins to get in the PIC seat of a piston twin. Without PIC time, you cannot negotiate a good paying job in 135. Your situation in life will be determined by the low end crap outfits that make you pay to build time or let you ride in the plane for free, to log time.
Even looking back on it, I would have rather worked my blue collar wrench turning job, than sit right seat in some junky check hauling plane, begging for a few hours of stick time.
I don't know what to do anymore, because even 135 ops are either overstaffed or asking for 300 ME for insurance!
