Sending resumes

[i'mbatman]

Hi everybody,
Does it pay to send out resumes at all if you do not meet the minimums at an airline? I've heard that some airlines will rule you out in the future if you send one in without meeting the minimums. Thanks for your help!
B

 

[MYFpilot]

Send all you want, but it won't do you any good. I've got twice the fight time required by most of the regional 121 and 135 operators. I've sent, faxed, and emailed resumes to every single one with no calls back. So, my advice to you would be... don't waste the money on the stamps, put it toward multiengine time.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Twice the flight time?

You have twice the flight time required by 121/135 carriers?

Ok folks, for those of you who didnt live through the last downturn, its time for a wakeup call.

In the early to mid-90s there were no pilot jobs. Airlines like Allegheny, Piedmont, and American Eagle "required" a minimum of 2500-3000 hours total-time and over 1000 hours multi-engine.

So few jobs were available that Comair and Flightsafety started their controversial "pay-for-training" program and even after the privilege of paying $10,000 to play, they still had minimum requirements of 1500 hours total-time and 500 hours multi-engine.

Fast forward to September 2002. There are over 7000 furloughed ALPA pilots on the street. US Airways will furlough another 500 in the next 6 months. United has barely BEGUN to furlough and will likely put another 1000 pilots on the street in the next year. These are pilots who already made their way through the regionals and moved on -- many of them with over 10,000 hours total time, a handful of type-ratings, and some extremely valuable experience. The longer they are on furlough, the more likely they are to resign their seniority for those companies who require it.

Supply and demand allowed the extremely low-time pilots and the university-"bridge" pilots to find regional airline employment over the last few years. Supply and demand allowed pilots who were hired with 300-1000 hours to upgrade in a year or two at these regionals.

Supply and demand just raised the stakes. The competition for ANY flying job from flight instructor to F/O at Comair just got a lot tougher. The upgrade time at virtually ANY regional airline right now just exceeded 5...6...7... years (nobody is leaving from the top -- where would they go?)

For those of you who havent been through the downturn...hang on tight. It isnt going to be enjoyable...it isnt going to be fast...but eventually the cycle will reverse. In the meantime, you're going to have to share the wealth with relatively low-time guys like me.

Times have changed.

 

[AZaviator]

I agree with the above. It never hurts to shoot out a resume if you don't meet the mins, but the reality is, you'll probably never hear from any of the companies you applied with which you didn't meet their mins. You won't even receive the "thanks but no thanks" letter.

 

[Future SNA]

I agree, BBUUUTTT....

I agree, but all these(read the majority I know) of furloughed pilots from the majors have this thing called a "standard of living." You hear a lot lately about "this 5,000 hour guys can't find a job," I believe it's not the fact that there aren't any jobs, just that they have higher expectations, and won't necessarily take ANY job, whether they are out on the street or not. I know for a fact there are jobs out there, and many of them multi, and even MORE turbine, it just comes down to whether or not someone is willing to change/modify a lifestyle. Believe me, if I was where they were at, I wouldn't, but don't think there aren't jobs for the low-time pilot, I know there are.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Well dont hold back then!!!

Well dont hold back then!!! Tell us!

I see that you're a Caravan Captain -- know any companies that will hire somebody who has never even SEEN a Caravan before?

Just wondering because I'm furloughed from a major and (fortunately) working as a first officer on a turboprop for a regional. We took a big lifestyle hit for me to take this $18/hr job -- I'm doing it because I love flying and I have an understanding wife.

I would MUCH rather add to the turbine-PIC column than to the copilot column -- but my phone isnt exactly ringing off the hook (and not for lack of trying!).

I went to an interview with one of the few companies that was hiring street Captains and, with 9000+ hrs, I was the second lowest time pilot there.

If you're saying that there are jobs out there for low time pilots -- ok... I'll buy that. So I'll ask: "hey! You know of any jobs for not-so-low time pilots??"

We should start a thread for furloughed guys: "How to recover your career in 10 years or less". For the Delta, AA, NWA guys it is much easier than for the US Airways, UAL, Emery guys who may be furloughed indefinately.

 

[reepicheep]

A lot of us furloughed or soon-to-be-furloughed major airline pilots are finding out that all the 737/A320 f/o time they've been logging isn't really competetive with the RJ and turboprop captains who are competing for the same jobs. Here at US Airways with 13-14 year f/o's getting the axe the problem is magnified to the point of absurdity.

 

[bobbysamd]

Applying for jobs

In the early to mid-90s there were no pilot jobs. Airlines like Allegheny, Piedmont, and American Eagle "required" a minimum of 2500-3000 hours total-time and over 1000 hours multi-engine.

So few jobs were available that Comair and Flightsafety started their controversial "pay-for-training" program and even after the privilege of paying $10,000 to play, they still had minimum requirements of 1500 hours total-time and 500 hours multi-engine . . . . Supply and demand just raised the stakes . . . .

(emphasis added)
Indeed, a great wakeup call. Take it from someone else who was there, these statements are 100% accurate, in particular his comments about Comair and FlightSafety P-F-T. People who read the other side of the board should read these comments. I went through those times. P-F-T was one reason I "retired" from aviation. But, I digress . . .

I would say it never hurts to send in a resume. Based on my experiences, I cannot say definitively if you will be harmed in the future if you send in a resume before meeting a company's mins. I find it hard to believe that given the hundreds of pilot resumes companies receive that any company would devote the resources to create and maintain a blackball list of pilots who applied before meeting its mins.

Years ago, I sent in several resumes to Mesa when I was below its mins and always was shot back a polite "you don't meet our minimums" postcard. I finally met the mins and got an interview with Mesa. On the other hand, over the course of six years I sent in materials to Skywest beginning long before I reached its mins and for years after I met and exceeded them. I got rejection postcards stating I did not meet its requirements and rejection postcards stating "you will be called when a suitable position opens." Was I blackballed ab initio because I deigned to send in a resume with 900 total and 50 multi (requirements were 1000 total, 100 multi and 100 instrument)? I don't know.

I feel you have to keep trying and try to keep the frustration under control. It's hard; believe me, I know. Compare it to playing darts. You have to keep throwing the darts at the target. Eventually, you will hit the target and maybe hit a bull's eye.

Good luck with your job search.

 

[Future SNA]

I like driving the van....

WOOPS, sorry, forget to mention about any jobs I know of. As for the Caravan, I had never seen one(well...not up close....well....besides fueling them) before I got hired. If your interested, go to www.caravanpilots.com , they have a list of all(mostly all) the Caravan outfits around. Depending on where your at, there's a chance that Planemasters is looking for people to fill a Spencer, IA to Des Moines, IA run, and possibly a Scotts Bluff, NE to Denver, CO run.....WINK.....WINK. 1 year contract, could probably buy your way out of it, but do you really think the industry is going to sky rocket in a year? Don't answer that.