Where the difference is.
It started to get touched on. The big difference is that the military guys are like frat brothers. They've spent a lot of time together. On the out side world we have very separate lives away from flying and when we fly, we fly. very little interaction with people that are not a part of the flight.
What we can do.
Looking sideways: My best contact was a flight school buddy. I called him up asking for some advice. I found out he went regional while I was still trying to find a CFI job. He referred me to his last school and made all the calls, faxes and e-mails. Needless to say I got the job.
Looking Back: I keep an eye on my students that want to go professional. I keep in touch and let them know of any leads
Looking Forward: I keep in touch with my flight instructors to keep them posted on what I'm doing. Any CFI is excited to hear about their students' success. I take time to talk about them as well. When something come up, they let me know.
Reaching Out: On a regular basis I come in contact with other pilots. I'm sure they think my friendship is fake, but that's OK. I really enjoy just talking to them and getting further insight. Who knows, I may impress the right guy at the right time.l