Interested in Dispatch

Suit yourself, but before you do ask some of those that have seen Sheffield grads in the workplace.

Their grads back up their reputation.
 
I can appreciate that. Measured outcomes are, indeed, important. But as for IFOD and Jepp grads, would you say that they're not equally represented in gainful employment?

My goal wasn't to offend you or anyone else really. I probably should've kept my opinion to myself, but I didn't. Your avatar, however, got me strangely nostalgic for Northwest.
 
Of say they actually are not. Sheffield probably has market share as far as employed grads go. They tend to be stronger dispatchers coming out of the gate than their IFOD and Jeppesen counterparts.

Not saying there are not good ones coming from all schools, but speaking in huge industry wide generalities.
 
MT said:
Of say they actually are not. Sheffield probably has market share as far as employed grads go. They tend to be stronger dispatchers coming out of the gate than their IFOD and Jeppesen counterparts.

Not saying there are not good ones coming from all schools, but speaking in huge industry wide generalities.
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This definitely depends largely on where you work.
 
MT said:
Of say they actually are not. Sheffield probably has market share as far as employed grads go. They tend to be stronger dispatchers coming out of the gate than their IFOD and Jeppesen counterparts. Not saying there are not good ones coming from all schools, but speaking in huge industry wide generalities.
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I'd say it really is dependent on the individual person... I think I'm doing ok. ;-) My coworker just got licensed at Sheffield and I can see he struggles with the exact same stuff I did coming right out of school. Being book smart (fresh with all the regs, etc) is one thing. Learning to actually dispatch is another thing entirely. One thing we have in common is that we are both eager to learn and try hard. Me from Jepp, him from Sheffield - we both have our weaknesses as new dispatchers.
 
Quite honestly, from my experience both as a hiring manager as well as having been indirectly involved in the hiring process, there is MUCH less weight given to where you graduated from then what is alluded to in here. If the FAA determined you had the knowledge required to obtain a dispatchers license I really don't question the quality of that knowledge, especially in light of the fact that we are going to completely reprogram you during initial. What I very much care about is how you present yourself, your enthusiasm and how you're going to fit in with the rest of the work group. I know a fresh graduate isn't going to know how my airline does business, and I don't expect you to. Much more important is someone who can think on their feet, be flexible and exhibit the leadership characteristics that ensures to me that you'll be able to think tactically when things go non-standard.
 
bskTPA said:
Harvard?! According to whom? Did U.S. News and World Report compile some sort of ranking that I missed? Not to be utterly offensive, but I have serious reservations about their reputation and supposed testimonials, which seem to be part of what I assume is a highly-orchestrated and carefully coordinated publicity and marketing campaign engineered by "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," their CEO (who just sent me a snark-laden, sarcastic PM the other day when I mentioned another school's modern-looking campus). Frankly, if I read one more phony-looking review or testimonial about that school, I'm going to stick a pencil in my eye and welcome the distraction. The Harvard of the Everglades, perhaps, but let's be serious.

And no, I'm not an IFOD grad; I'm actually a prospective student looking to choose the best program that aligns with my new career direction. I was very, very close to following the hype (and fear mongering) and heading off to Ft. Lauderdale, but the more I read, the more suspicious and cynical I became with respect to this allegedly prestigious and reputable training program.
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Just to add to this, when I was considering ADX schools, Sheffield, Jepp, Higher Power, and IFOD were all under consideration. The more I looked into Sheffield, the more disappointed I became because I think it is extremely unprofessional that the face of the organization was online bashing folks who shared an opinion about the school It seemed as though it was his mission to have the final word on just about everything. Sure, when prospective students are deciding on what school would be good for them to attend, they want the best school they can find. However, much of the decision boils down to time, money, and what works best for them. I recently went through IFOD. I have a friend who is online here that is attending Jepp. For comparison we have traded notes on how the information is imparted to students at each of the schools. Though each is different, and the materials used are different, they both have one goal. That goal is to teach you the material to pass the exam/oral to get your license. I would not agree that Sheffield is the Harvard of ADX schools. Until US News or some other organization decides to rank the courses using a preferred method that is fair, I will take my IFOD course to the bank any day.
 
Macr3ady said:
Just to add to this, when I was considering ADX schools, Sheffield, Jepp, Higher Power, and IFOD were all under consideration. The more I looked into Sheffield, the more disappointed I became because I think it is extremely unprofessional that the face of the organization was online bashing folks who shared an opinion about the school It seemed as though it was his mission to have the final word on just about everything. Sure, when prospective students are deciding on what school would be good for them to attend, they want the best school they can find. However, much of the decision boils down to time, money, and what works best for them. I recently went through IFOD. I have a friend who is online here that is attending Jepp. For comparison we have traded notes on how the information is imparted to students at each of the schools. Though each is different, and the materials used are different, they both have one goal. That goal is to teach you the material to pass the exam/oral to get your license. I would not agree that Sheffield is the Harvard of ADX schools. Until US News or some other organization decides to rank the courses using a preferred method that is fair, I will take my IFOD course to the bank any day.
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Exactly. This is precisely what happened in my experience as well. I was nearly sold on Sheffield, especially since I live 4 hours from Ft. Lauderdale, but I absolutely couldn't tolerate the lack of professionalism I've witnessed from their team, both on this forum and elsewhere on the internet. The threats, the harassment, the intimidation -- all of which are uncalled for -- reveal quite a bit about their reputation and the character of their employees. The point I made in another post was asking whether Harvard employs this same tactic in online forums, defaming dissenters or critics. Of course they don't, and frankly, if you really are "the best," then you would just let the results speak for themselves and not resort to this sort of abusive and disreputable tactic.

Sheffield lost me as a customer as a result, they lost you as well it seems, and another gentleman I spoke with by PM echoed the same sentiment. They're really hurting their profit margins with this kind of foul behavior.

Now I need to decide between Jeppesen and IFOD. What did you think about IFOD?
 
Does school REALLY matter? Someone who wants to be a good dispatcher will become a good dispatcher from working hard and putting in the required study time.
Just because you went to certain school dosent automatically make you the best or the worst dispatcher out there.
IMO school choice provides a good "base", but the real learning comes AFTER you're licensed, and at that point its up to the individual to keep learning and become the best out there..
 
bskTPA said:
Now I need to decide between Jeppesen and IFOD. What did you think about IFOD?
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I can say that IFOD was my second choice and have heard great things about them. The main reason that I didn't go there is that I'm not a fan of Texas. Did my AIT there back in '94 and that was enough! ;-). Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either of your choices.
 
Keola said:
Does school REALLY matter? Someone who wants to be a good dispatcher will become a good dispatcher from working hard and putting in the required study time. Just because you went to certain school dosent automatically make you the best or the worst dispatcher out there. IMO school choice provides a good "base", but the real learning comes AFTER you're licensed, and at that point its up to the individual to keep learning and become the best out there..
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I can see why it becomes an issue to potential dispatchers though... It's the unknown and we are conditioned in this society to want to attend the best. I know it was a point for me to gather as much info as I could and make an informed decision. I asked the same questions in my early posts on this forum.

After all is said and done, I personally don't think it matters all that much where you go. Some say Sheffield is the best - that hiring managers prefer Sheffield grads. Maybe that is true, but not in my experience. Perhaps that is true among the regionals? Not sure...

What I can personally say is that I chose the school I wanted to go to, not based on negative or positive reviews but because it was right for my situation. And even though I'm not a Sheffield grad, I still had an interview set up before I finished Jepp and started work within 2 weeks of passing my O&P.

So does it really matter where you go? I don't believe so. What matters is that you get licensed and be prepared to learn on the job. Be motivated, try hard, and don't get complacent. Continue learning. Your future as a dispatcher is in YOUR hands...you get out of something what you put into it.
 
pljenkins said:
Quite honestly, from my experience both as a hiring manager as well as having been indirectly involved in the hiring process, there is MUCH less weight given to where you graduated from then what is alluded to in here. If the FAA determined you had the knowledge required to obtain a dispatchers license I really don't question the quality of that knowledge, especially in light of the fact that we are going to completely reprogram you during initial. What I very much care about is how you present yourself, your enthusiasm and how you're going to fit in with the rest of the work group. I know a fresh graduate isn't going to know how my airline does business, and I don't expect you to. Much more important is someone who can think on their feet, be flexible and exhibit the leadership characteristics that ensures to me that you'll be able to think tactically when things go non-standard.
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This should be posted at the top, as it's excellent career advice for anyone in aviation.

I went to IFOD and was pleased with the instruction and I was coming in with a decent amount of aviation experience.

Here's a quick analogy: The purpose of a dispatch school is to teach you how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and learn a few basic mathematical principles of aviation. Your first company will introduce you to algebra and geometry and they will have their own method for doing those calculations that they want you to use. No matter who you get for algebra or geometry, they expect you to be able to have the fundamentals and basic concepts down.

Attitude, friendliness, a sense of humor, and a sense of urgency are what will set you apart when you go look for that first job.
 
bskTPA said:
Exactly. This is precisely what happened in my experience as well. I was nearly sold on Sheffield, especially since I live 4 hours from Ft. Lauderdale, but I absolutely couldn't tolerate the lack of professionalism I've witnessed from their team, both on this forum and elsewhere on the internet. The threats, the harassment, the intimidation -- all of which are uncalled for -- reveal quite a bit about their reputation and the character of their employees. The point I made in another post was asking whether Harvard employs this same tactic in online forums, defaming dissenters or critics. Of course they don't, and frankly, if you really are "the best," then you would just let the results speak for themselves and not resort to this sort of abusive and disreputable tactic.

Sheffield lost me as a customer as a result, they lost you as well it seems, and another gentleman I spoke with by PM echoed the same sentiment. They're really hurting their profit margins with this kind of foul behavior.

Now I need to decide between Jeppesen and IFOD. What did you think about IFOD?
Click to expand...

IFOD was a damn good school, but then again it was the only one I went to so my opinion is biased. In comparison to other schools I have heard of, IFOD went through the instruction step by step with everything in W&B and performance. They took the time to instruct privately if you had problems and offered weekend class to help out. From what I know about all of the schools, their main goal is to teach you the basics to get through the exam process. They impart enough information to you in order to land a job and take that knowledge one step further with your new airline to understand and apply it towards their OPSPECs. ADX school is the basics, your first few months at your new job is an extension of ADX school, with their spin on the material.

Do I recommend IFOD? Absolutely! The instructors were top notch and they really prepare you well for your exams and assist with your resume. Additionally they dish out resumes to airlines that are looking to hire. Then again, IFOD was in my home state, it was affordable and it suited me well due to a lot of preferences. Jepp could be the same way for other folks. I do know that when deciding on a school, it should not be because of a perceived "Harvard" reputation so much but rather the way the material is taught. When researching schools, I would definitely ask how classes are taught and what, if any, aids they use. I have heard that Jepp uses a lot of PowerPoint. IFOD does not, its a lot of lecturing Q&A. Jepp does the slides during the day and at night its up to you to cram in the chapters covered in your Gleim book. IFOD lectures and you follow along in your ASA book and are required to know the knowledge for the next day because you are quizzed on it - daily. Jepp, I think, does testing every so often but not daily. IFOD even did flight plans, sometimes twice a day, for almost two weeks. It got a little old but we sure knew what we were doing by the tenth and final one on our practical. Anyway, like I said to me its teaching style and personal preferences for what works for you. After all, once you get your license, does it matter so much where you went to training so long as you are qualified to dispatch?
 
Yeah even though myself and some others may joke about it, the idea that where you get your license from matters is misinformed. Your training (or lack thereof) matters but you get that from experience on the line and the training requirements of other airlines (or your individual professional background and skill set).

That being said the only other thing that MAY matter regarding where you get your license from is the priority set of that training program insofar as how it influences the training programs of the airlines where its graduates do training and comp checks.

Also, something I haven't seen mentioned much (and the factor I personally consider most important regarding where you get your license from) is the networking that various schools facilitate. Jepp grads share a common ground with other with Jepp grads (Sheffield and IFOD, too). You might sit down for an interview with a hiring manager who also went to your school and you both may have had (likely probably had) the same instructor. It's marginal but for my first Dispatch job it made all the difference (alongside location). One guy who works at my airline pretty much got a one-on-one Dispatch training program (student and instructor only) and his only real disadvantage other than not having a background in Aviation was not having anyone to network with once he got the ticket.

At the end of the day our licenses are all the same colors and never expire (unless you're disqualled) so what you do with it is completely on you and no other individual or group.
 
Macr3ady said:
IFOD was a damn good school, but then again it was the only one I went to so my opinion is biased. In comparison to other schools I have heard of, IFOD went through the instruction step by step with everything in W&B and performance. They took the time to instruct privately if you had problems and offered weekend class to help out. From what I know about all of the schools, their main goal is to teach you the basics to get through the exam process. They impart enough information to you in order to land a job and take that knowledge one step further with your new airline to understand and apply it towards their OPSPECs. ADX school is the basics, your first few months at your new job is an extension of ADX school, with their spin on the material. Do I recommend IFOD? Absolutely! The instructors were top notch and they really prepare you well for your exams and assist with your resume. Additionally they dish out resumes to airlines that are looking to hire. Then again, IFOD was in my home state, it was affordable and it suited me well due to a lot of preferences. Jepp could be the same way for other folks. I do know that when deciding on a school, it should not be because of a perceived "Harvard" reputation so much but rather the way the material is taught. When researching schools, I would definitely ask how classes are taught and what, if any, aids they use. I have heard that Jepp uses a lot of PowerPoint. IFOD does not, its a lot of lecturing Q&A. Jepp does the slides during the day and at night its up to you to cram in the chapters covered in your Gleim book. IFOD lectures and you follow along in your ASA book and are required to know the knowledge for the next day because you are quizzed on it - daily. Jepp, I think, does testing every so often but not daily. IFOD even did flight plans, sometimes twice a day, for almost two weeks. It got a little old but we sure knew what we were doing by the tenth and final one on our practical. Anyway, like I said to me its teaching style and personal preferences for what works for you. After all, once you get your license, does it matter so much where you went to training so long as you are qualified to dispatch?
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Just to clarify, there was a lot of PowerPoint on some days at Jepp, but it was in conjunction WITH lecture and as I said before, 2-3 tests weekly to measure your progress and comprehension. The PowerPoint follows our books, so we could read them, take notes in them and see them on the screen in front of us, all while the instructors taught. Also, the program is designed such that it follows the info needed in the Gleim simultaneously, while teaching everything else. I can't imagine there isn't a program out there that doesn't require the student to employ self and/or group study in the evenings. Unless of course the student happens to have an eidetic memory, which I do not. I had to study every night. And we did MULTIPLE flights plans, w&b, etc... as well. They won't sign you off until you complete everything within the allotted time, and do it correctly.
 
Fwiw, back on the previous topic as I am late to the party. I took a chance with Higher Power and came in with zero aviation experience, just a decent interest in weather, and they prepared me well enough to dispatch 121 ops in some of the toughest environments in the country, Alaska.
 
@DispatcherSam, are you up here in Alaska now? Just curious, always cool to meet more people up here. Born and raised here myself, just started at a 121 op recently, though as an assistant dispatcher since I'm still working on testing.
 
A common thread in these discussions is the sad fact that after Dispatch school you need to be reprogrammed. I other words, there is a huge disconnect between what is necessary to pass the ADX/Oral and the skills needed to hit the ground running as a real life dispatcher -- what a shame. I've heard some schools, especially some college based programs, run training like a mock airline. Some version of that may be an interesting way of making the training more relevant.
 
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