Is it about who you know?

[tataki]

Just a simple question.
How important is who you know in aviation career?

 

[banned username 2]

It really all depends...

If you are worried because at this point in your career you don't know anyone yet besides your own instructor, don't sweat it, neither did I when I was at your point.

Good Luck!

 

[tataki]

I am not worried.
Thank you Falcon

 

[Timebuilder]

How important is who you know in aviation career?

In a word?

VERY.

I got my first job after instructing because my old instructor had gone to work for that charter comapany and recommended me.

I didn't even know that my last company existed until I met someone who gave me the name and number of the chief pilot.


On top of this, consider the hiring process at most places: three resume piles. The largest is from the general pilot population, not known by anyone at the company. The next pile, less than 1/10th the size of the former, is people the pilots know. The smallest pile is the couple of resumes that the chief pilot himself knows. Generally, the interviews start with the smallest pile, and move up to a portion of the largest pile, which someone has already gone through looking for mimimum requirements

You always want to be in those smaller piles.

 

[tataki]

Thanks for your answer timeb.

 

[kabz]

Yeah, from what I can see locally, best thing to do is spend plenty of time hanging out at the fbo, get to know the people, treat the planes well and fly safe. Then once you get near your CFI, you'll be a trusted face and maybe get lucky...

Here's where training at somewhere you'd be happy to work starts to come into play. Maybe with a multi or too ...

Good luck.

 

[Flyingtoohigh]

On the three piles thing...

A friend of mine is assistant chief instructor at local flight school and handles all the resumes and decides who gets interviews with himself and the chief pilot.

I walked into his office last week and low-and-behold there were three baskets. One for friends of him and the chief pilot, resumes recommended to him by other employees and friends, and a huge stack of unsolicited resumes that met the minimum requirements. There was a fourth basket -- the waste basket. Resumes addressed to "To Whom It May Concern", those with spelling errors and those that did not meet the minimum requirements when in there.

The three basket rule is indeed true.

 

[tataki]

thanks a lot for your answers
tataki

 

[Publishers]

l;ook

Look at it this way, ,,,,, you have a brilliant idea but no one will listen to it.
What are the chances of it reaching fruition. The skill of meeting people and dealing with people is the most important of them all.

 

[tataki]

like in a lot of jobs

 

[ShinerBocknabtl]

Like everyone else says....AND my thoughts.

There are three important things you need to get a job.... Not necessarily in this order.

1) Flight experience
2) A positive attitude
3) Get along with others

Your resume will spell out the first one but the second two are unknown if you fire out a resume blindly into that big black hole that we all know so well. If you meet the company's criteria of flight experience AND AND AND somebody within the company gives you credit for the other two then you probably good to go...see what I'm trying to say?

best of luck

 

[Flying Illini]

Very! As long as you don't burn any bridges you will be fine. You can't be in this industry and not meet people who may be in a position to help you later (and vise versa).

 

[flywithastick]

second most of above...

It took me a lot of valuable time (college, early career) to realize this one simple fact with most of the things that matter in life - it's not what you know but who you know.

Save yourself some pain and extra effort. Without becoming a spineless facade of a person, make many contacts, get to know people, "schmooze" them a little, but don't BS or blow smoke! Stay in touch occasionally. It's not an easy thing for me. I'm not very outgoing naturally. But it helps in many ways.

I got my current day job by knowing someone. I got ALL of my flying business by knowing people. I've got some tremendous airplane technical help and very good deals on equipment by knowing people. Got to fly some really neat, old airplanes and a killer hanger deal by knowing someone. and so on...

I think you get my point.

 

[ShinerBocknabtl]

In addition, building a reputation as one hell of a good guy might pay off for the next generation in your family if they choose your career path, or maybe even two generations as is my case and has gotten me 2 different jobs.

If you into hanging around the airport meeting people, keep a little pocket notebook handy, take notes and impress the folks next time you see them by remembering their name, where they from and who they fly for. : )

 

[flywithastick]

In addition, building a reputation as one hell of a good guy might pay off for the next generation in your family if they choose your career path,

Excellent point!! Don't know how many times I've heard about how someone is a bonehead or similar and that same cloud hung over their kid(s)... would work the other way too.