Your corporate job

[Brett Hull]

I have a few questions for you guys with good corporate jobs. I recently began my first real corporate job after flying charter for 4 years. It is definitely better than charter, but I think there are better corporate jobs out there than the one I have, which is basically the bosses (and it's a family, so there are many)ride to Aspen - and occasionaly a little business. Here are the questions:

1. If you were to send out a resume today, with every one of your flying jobs on it, how many would there be? I'm not talking about keeping the resume to 1 page - just wondering on average how many previous jobs you've had before you found the one you like, and what was the shortest amount of time you spent at one job?

2. What percentage of your flying is taking the boss to his summer house in the islands, or the winter one in Aspen, compared to the normal business trips?

3. How many of you found jobs in the city you really wanted to live in?

4. If they're going to be late, do they have the decency to call you and let you know, or do they just show up 5 hours late like nothing ever happened? Ours just show up like nothing ever happened.

 

[Jack Schitt]

1. 5 jobs. 14 months shortest duration.

2. 1%

3. I did

4. When they stop showing up altogether, and sell the airplane out from under you............THEN you've got problems.

 

[banned username 2]

1. 3 jobs - 2 years, 9 months (CFI)

2. 1%, other 99% are business trips.

3. All 3 of my flying jobs (CFI, 135 Charter and Fortune 100 Corporate) have all been at the same airport, in my hometown.

4. Yes, we are contacted 99% of the time, the other 1% is they were in a very important meeting and couldn't get up and say "Excuse me while I call our pilots and tell them to hold the jet for us!"

Hope this helps...

Honestly, your job doesn't sound so much like a "Corporate" job as it does a "Personal Owner" job...

 

[501261]

1. Numerous, it’s too late to count them, but I came from a charter background.

2. 3-4 trips per year.

3. No, but I've enjoyed everyplace that I've lived and plan on staying here as long as possible. It’s “home” for me.

4. The principles always call, the problem is the "others" (customers, reps, etc.) that simply don't know any better.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

1. 3 jobs (so far!!) shortest was 5 months (gotta take the good ones when they come around..)

2. very little (1%) is VIPs on vacation, rest is business...which I prefer better...keep moving city to city, makes trips go quicker. Charter and Management comapnies do lots of sitting in Aspen, Palm Beach, etc.....I have sat these places for 1 week + at previous jobs....no thanks anymore...well, OK, 3-4 days in London is nice....

3. ALL jobs have been in home area.

4. 90% of time pax are pretty close or ON TIME. Ours are taught early that being on time is crucial Internationally....but whatever...if they are late you are kinda expected to work some magic...just part of the job....

 

[2000flyer]

1. 3 jobs in 15 years, shortest 3 years, longest...going on 7.

2. 1%

3. Each job is where I wanted to live. Got lucky maybe?

4. 99% of the time they call if their running late.

2000Flyer

 

[flywithruss]

Corporate vs. Personal Owner

I agree with Falcon Capt, it sounds like your flying is more of the "Personal Owner" variety than true corporate. But in response to your questions:

1. Three flying jobs, two as a CFI and my current corporate position. The first CFI job ended when the school shut down, the new school on the field hired me at job number two, but I left two months later to take my corporate job. They were very understanding. Been here a year now.

2. We have flown almost no "personal" trips. We do go to "vacation" spots (Bahamas, Hilton Head, etc.) but those trips aren't personal trips for our executives, they are entertaining customers.

3. Where I live now is far from my ideal place, but I'm paid well and have a job, which is more than a lot of guys can say right now. So, I deal with the location. In this business, you have to take the attitude that "home is where you get your uniforms dry-cleaned before you leave again".

4. Our passengers are VERY good about calling ... whether they're company people or customers. We provide our cell phone numbers to them when they leave the airport, as well as our hotel info if it's an overnight, and they'll always call if they're going to be early or late. That way, we're ready to go when they arrive.

Good luck!

R

 

[Counselair]

If you want a comparrison to the airlines, mine has been all civilian and airline.

One CFI job that went out of business.

Six airlines, looking for number seven.

Shortest airline job, one week, furloughed after indoc.

Three furloughs in thirteeen years.

One Chapter 13 and one and one half Chapter 11(AMR).


All the routes you take are tough, if you didn't love flying you wouldn't do it.

Good Luck,

Counselair

 

[Accent]

I don’t mean to be harsh or anything but I gotta agree with the others, sounds like you got a personal owner job over a true corporate op.

Those can really bite big time especially if you find one of the usual suspects to work for, those who treat you like a taxi cab driver, no respect, don’t call etc…

As for number of jobs, really I’ve lost count. I have two where I worked less than two months at which I just don’t include on my resume at all. One was for a VERY questionable operator who parker penned all maintance squawks as long as the plane would fly, he was an A&P. Had to buy my own pubs and was stuck in Orlando for 6 hours after our credit card was refused/rejected by the FBO to pay for a fuel purchase. Had to wait for the owner to fly up in a 172 to bring cash, they wouldn’t take his check, seems that he had a history of that sorta stuff.

If I had to send out a resume today I’d have around 8 jobs in 7 years if I included them all.

My first job was working in my hometown but I had to move on to find higher paying work.

It sucks to take a new job only to find you’ve been handed a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** sandwich I feel for you man just keep the faith, keep looking and good luck!

 

[Conquest Driver]

I have had Four flying Jobs in Seven years.

My shortest was an instucing job for about 3 months during summer break in college.

I live not real far from where I grew up so I like it.

My people call about 80% of the time when they are late but the are not late very often.

I fly a Cessna 441 for a lumber company, which is a small company as you might imagine. They pay me about 10k under industry average for a PIC in a Conquest II but I like where I live and I am single so it is ok. They are trying to have me do something in the business when I am not flying, they don't seem to understand that I am not 9 to 5 like there office employees. We will see how it turns out, hopefully I keep my job. The owner and GM here are pretty good micromanagers. However only about 5% of my flying is for pleasure.

CD