Has anyone out there gotten a job?

[pilotswife]

Hi Everyone,

I have been away from the board for a few months now- but thought I would check in and see what's goin on

My dear hubby, has not yet given up the dream. He interviewed with Commutair a few months back, but was not offered the position because he is currently not a "full time CFI" (according to one of the interviewers he met outside while waiting for his cab back to the airport)

He has put this airline dream on the back burner, while we both figure out where the hell to go from here!!

He is starting his own automotive repair business and has a couple of private students on the weekends.

I just keep wondering if it will ever happen for him, it makes me sad to see someone give up a dream, but hopefully it is only temporary--

A lot of the single guys he went to school with have jobs with the regionals, but my guy put his family first...I hope he is not secretly resenting me or the kids.

On a more somber note, pray for peace in this messed world and say a prayer tonight for all of our young Americans fighting and dying in Iraq and for their families here at home

pilotswife (Nicole)

 

[siucavflight]

Tell him to hang in there. I just had a friend hired by mesa. It will happen.

 

[getonit]

I just got a job flying, as captain, in a King Air and Citation Part 135 about 2 months ago after looking for a year. The way I got this job was by showing up on the doorstep and making an appearance, unsolicited resumes are probably just about worthless. Don't know how that would help at the regionals but from what I have heard the way in there now is employee referrals.

 

[Birdstrike]

He'll Be Alright

I sure hope he lands a full-time job eventually...but if it doesn't work out, I believe he made the right decision to put the welfare of you and the kids first over taking any available flying job. Providing for your family's needs has to take precedence over everything. It sounds like your husband accepts that. Now more than ever, it seems that you really have to start early.

There's a lot of us on this board who came to the same decision. In my own case, I've already started from the bottom once with one of Uncle Sam's flying clubs. With three kids in tow, I didn't think it was fair to ask them to sacrifice again for me and lower our standard of living so I could make $22K a year "pursuing my dream" and saying no to a lot of things I knew we wouldn't be able to afford as a family. So I have a different job. But there are many ways to keep involved in flying and the dream I'm pursuing now is to stay married, be there for my kids, and hit the flying club once a week. Good luck to you!

 

[socalpilot]

He interviewed with Commutair a few months back, but was not offered the position because he is currently not a "full time CFI" (according to one of the interviewers he met outside while waiting for his cab back to the airport)

I don't think that not being a full time CFI has anything to do with getting hired. Being an employee of CommutAir I know they prefer CFI's but there are people here without the instructor certificates so I can't see that not being full time would be a factor. Was it an interviewer or interviewee that told him this? The key to getting hired is persistence and always striving for better things.

Good Luck

 

[cargoflyr69]

Tell him to hang in there and it will be just that much sweeter when it does happen for him. Believe me it will! All signs are that air travel is returning to pre 9/11 numbers and there are many more retirements to come in the next 5-8 years. That should open up some slots for your husband. Encourage him to keep updating and sending his resume out. Also, encourage him to be an airport bum. Just by being at the local field will keep him motivated and he just may chat some type of corporate gig in the meantime, even if its just working the radios. Remember that in this aviation biz who you know is almost as imprtant as what you know. His car business is a good thing too. It can be a good back-up plan for later on down the road. Hope this helps!

 

[wingnutt]

He interviewed with Commutair a few months back...

...i would say this is definately not the time to back down now. i dont exactly have my finger on the pulse of the regional biz, but if hes getting interviewed with all that competetion in the system, hes halfway there!

good luck!

 

[wil]

Hey Nicole- It is a tough time now but not impossible. Your hubby needs to keep sending out resumes' and be persistant!

Now, that said I would recommend that where ever he lands a job that you move there!! Commuting at this pay level sucks!! And, we are not moving on for a long time so hello reserve time! But, on the bright side it means more time with the family! If your still a F/A I know it might be tough for you though.

Although regional pay is low it very possible for your husband to make 50-60k first year Captain pay with only flying 30-40 hours per month. Quality of life should be pretty good living in domicile.

My wife and I are moving to Dallas and I can't wait to end the commute (and mine is easy 4 hour drive if need be)! I know our quality of life will drastically improve. Best of luck to you and your family-

 

[Q200_FO]

major??

Hope that repair business goes well because he can forget about getting on with a major.

And which major files a CE-500 again smart a$$?

 

[bobbysamd]

Commutair rejection

My dear hubby, has not yet given up the dream. He interviewed with Commutair a few months back, but was not offered the position because he is currently not a "full time CFI" (according to one of the interviewers he met outside while waiting for his cab back to the airport)

Sorry that your husband wasn't hired, but he was given a line of malarkey. Companies generally will not say why one was not hired for fear of legal exposure. I can only speak from my own experiences and I cannot speak for Commutair, but all I ever did was be a "full time CFI," building the instructing hours you see on the left. I was never hired.

Looking at it from another perspective, he may be better off for the time being. I have learned that a company's hiring process provides great insight into its culture. Therefore, he's better off not going to Commutair because (1) he was fed a line of bull, which means he would have been fed more bull as an employee, and (2) it would have been far more professional and considerate for the interviewer to have kept it buttoned and let the place send him a rejection letter.

In any event, maybe things are getting better. I heard that, e.g., Frontier is doing a lot of hiring, both for pilots and FAs.

Best wishes for your husband's career.

 

[socalpilot]

I have learned that a company's hiring process provides great insight into its culture. Therefore, he's better off not going to Commutair because (1) he was fed a line of bull, which means he would have been fed more bull as an employee, and (2) it would have been far more professional and considerate for the interviewer to have kept it buttoned and let the place send him a rejection letter.

You sir have no clue what you are talking about. The culture at CommutAir is very good and 9 out of 10 people that works here will tell you that. I'm still waiting for a response to my first question about who told her husband that he was not hired because of not being a full time CFI. In my past experience CommutAir has been more than fair with me, from interview, to training, to flying the line. You obviously have no idea of airline culture since no one ever hired you. Maybe it's a lack of skills in another area of your life that has kept you from getting a job. It's not about how much flight time you have. It's about becoming a well rounded person with good pilot skills and a good attitude.

 

[flywithastick]

Keep plugging away. The economy seems to be picking up steam rapidly. 126,000 jobs created in October, unemployment dropping to 6.0.

Just remember, hiring will be one of the last indicators to rise in a growing economy.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,102463,00.html

 

[WrightAvia]

Yes, the economy is rebounding. The Democrats hate it. Some regionals are hiring and I expect that pilot hiring will be slow, but it does appear that we are turning a corner in this economy.

Our freight levels are up and we are sending occasional ad hoc flights and even bumping freight once in a while.

 

[bobbysamd]

Attitude

You obviously have no idea of airline culture since no one ever hired you.

Watch whom you accuse of not knowing airline culture. I had four airline interviews and a cattle call. No, I never was hired to fly the line but I was hired at Mesa to instruct in its airline school. I have former students who fly the line for Mesa. I learned first-hand about its "culture." I instructed students for Alitalia Airlines. We had their training captains on-site, so I learned a lot about its culture.

As far as judging companies from their interview process, I've held a fair number of jobs in my life in three different businesses and have had my share of interviews and job offers. I have found that with few exceptions if the interview process was handled professionally the company operated professionally and people were treated fairly.

Telling an interviewee curbside why he will not be hired is neither professional or considerate. It is tacky. Not to mention the "reason" that was given, if it, indeed, was the reason. H.R. could determine from his resume that he was not a full-time CFI. So, why was he brought in for the interview, and have his time wasted, not to mention possible out-of-pocket travel and lodging expenses, when it was pre-ordained that he would not be hired because he was not a "full-time" CFI? That is pretty shabby treatment in my $0.02 opinion. And you don't need to be part of "airline culture" to make that determination.

Maybe it's a lack of skills in another area of your life that has kept you from getting a job. It's not about how much flight time you have. It's about becoming a well rounded person with good pilot skills and a good attitude.

I've written lots about the vast numbers of resumes and apps I sent and the few replies I received therefrom. You need the chance to present yourself and the chance must be given in good faith.

If you doubt in the least that I did not have a "good attitude," I would have jumped for joy just to have been placed in a pool, much less being invited to class.

I had colleagues who were interviewed and hired by many of the same commuters which completely ignored my materials for years. Proving once and for all that you can, indeed, judge a book only by its cover.