I need some encouragement

[Gutenberg]

My CFI candidate went to the FSDO for a seminar for prospective CFI's, the first thing the Fed made the guys do was teach the class how to tie a shoe. So,as MsKittyKat's fiancee knows,and this very experienced Fed was trying to relay to these guys, teaching skills are paramount. (and in many cases, independent of flying skills).

 

[Goose Egg]

There's a lot of good advice in this thread, but Dan makes some exceptionally good points...

First off, I'm amazed that anyone could think their worth so great that with ~350 hours that any flying job would be theirs other than as a CFI.

I'm not sure what "scrilla" means, but even with a couple hundred more hours than that, the same applies to me.

$5000, that sounds like a rip off to me though.

Amen!

Make a name for youself by not worrying about the next step. Trust me, the next step can easily be a letdown. Make yourself happy instructing, and frankly, the next step will step on your toes and be a bit of an inconvenience...You don't need encouragement. You need to stop thinking of flight instructing as boring, crappy, or whatever you are thinking it is. There are parts of it that can suck, but that comes with nearly every job...It doesn't necessarily get better, but it gets different.

Agree 100%, and may I submit further that if you aren't happy as a CFI, you probably won't be happy in other flying jobs. That's not necessarily true in all cases, but every flying job you have will require you to perform certain duties, i.e. actually work for a living. The days of joy riding and having an instructor focused on your progress (that is if your instructors were any good) are rapidly coming to an end. Every job will suck a little, and if you have the ability to enjoy it anyway, that speaks volumes about you. Ironically, one of the few sucky things about my instructing job is all the complaining that some of the other instructors do! Now out of the nest with ye!

-Goose

 

[EDUC8-or]

I get along with people very well, and I have great customer service skills, and I want to have happy students that know what they are doing. I'm tasked with doing training at the FBO, and I think I do a good job with that. I'm just a bit nervous that I won't be a good CFI, and it will just be another $5k down the tubes.

Don't get nervous until you log your first dual given. If you're worried about being a bad instructor you should study like crazy and practice teaching in your free time. I know one guy who set up two chairs side by side in his dining room and put his dog next to him to practice teaching. Sounds weird, but the guy was an excellent CFI. Think about all of the good and bad instructors you had through the course of your flight training. Combine the traits of the good and think to yourself how you won't be like the bad. But don't be worried about not being a good CFI, if you study hard and truly learn how to teach that shouldn't happen.

 

[navigator72]

My .02 cents worth
There are other ways to build flight time. I got my first job flying jumpers with 300 hours and logged 350 hours flying meat bombs. Was it a dream flying job? Heck no..... but it was a blast....
Go to dropzone.com and check the classifieds listings for the skydiving jobs.
You could always tow banners along the beach..... I've never done it but it looks kind of fun flying low and slow along a beach watching the sharks attack the kiddies.

How about flying fire patrols?
Get a list from the Dept of Conservation of who has the fire patrol contract in your state..... I flew 3 years worth of fire patrols and logged a ton of cross country time this way.

You could always fly scenic tours..... It's kind of late in the season to be looking for scenic tour jobs but it's an amazing way to network (you would be amazed at the amount of pilots who take scenic flights).

I agree with the other posters who have said get out of Florida (too many pilots down there).
Be willing to pack your bags and move at a moments notice. Realize that you aren't going to become wealthy flying these jobs.

Goodluck

 

[Groundpounder]

I want to get the heck out of Floiduh, it stinks down here. I'm from NH, and I'd love to get back up there, but I didn't think there were any jobs up there. But, I guess I could be wrong.......