How do you get a corp. job in San Diego?

[qwerty]

My dream job is to fly corp. out of San Diego some where. Any tips on how to land one of these jobs would be nice.

You don't have to remind me of my lack of experience. I know that part well.

thanks!

 

[xrated]

I can relate to your dream. I grew up in San Diego and would love to be able to live and fly there. But somewhere along the line I realized chasing my dream to fly would take some sacrifices. Thats not to say your dream is impossible, but don't limit yourself to one part of the country. It's hard enough to find a corp job, little alone one in the city you want to live in. Concequently I've lived in Phoenix for the last 10 yrs, flying a Citation X for the last year and a half, pursuing my dream to fly corporate aircraft but I've had to settle on living in here in AZ. (yes I am a dreaded Zonnie).

You obviously know about gaining competitive experience but you also need to find out who opperates corporate aircraft in San Diego. I know a lot of Ramp guys who have had their ratings and were able to fill in every once and awhile as F/O's on different corp jets. It's all about who you know. I'd look into Jet Source up at CRQ. see if they need any ramp help and jet your foot in the door. Good luck!

 

[qwerty]

You must really love flying to live in Arizona. Kidding. I've already tried getting a ramp job at the Jet Source and at Jim's Air @ SAN.
It turns out working there would cut into my CFIn time. What to do. Would make more money being a ramp guy though.

 

[CL60]

Dream job

qwerty,

It was also my dream job to fly out of the San Diego area about 15 years ago. I grew up in SD and learned to fly there but had no luck starting a career there. I started as a line guy, then aircraft mechanic and worked my way up to flight instructor, charter pilot, etc... It was not the right time to get a good job there and timing is everything in this business. (Ask any airline pilot hired just prior to 911). For example, it took me 10 long years to finally get to a position where I was financially comfortable and felt secure in this business. I've run into young friends of mine on the road who, because they got in the business during better times, were flying corporate jobs within just a couple of years. After tremendous sacrifice and many moves, I'm now flying for a foutune company with assets all over the world.

A word of advice... don't wait too long for a job opp to present itself in SD. Get your career started ASAP and go wherever you have to in order to be successful. After starting my career in SD, I lived where I had to live including places like Los Angeles, CA., New Orleans, LA., Jacksonville, FL., and Louisville, KY., for good flying jobs... each one better than the last. A few of my buddies who lacked a love of aviation and had an unwillingness to move are still at home waiting for their turn.

After you assemble an impressive portfolio of experience and a willingness to do what you have to do, you will be much more palatable to any major fortune company. By then, you could land a job in San Diego but, because you exposed yourself to other areas and experiences, you may want to live elsewhere. By the way, Arizona is only one of many other terrific places to live outside of Southern California. As a matter of fact, after considering things like cost of living and traffic, I would not consider moving back to San Diego unless the compensation was up in the stratosphere. If you ask around, I think you'll see that most successful pilots have lived in many different places. A love of aviation and an adventureous spirit is what this business is all about.

Good luck and safe flying.