Advice for a big change

ClayPigeon

ClayPigeon

Well-Known Member
Seeking advice from others. I'm finally getting an opportunity for an interview at a small regional. The dilemma I face is the pay differential. I'm currently living with my parents with a $21 per hr wage and the dispatch position offers only $15 per hr. This position is hours away from my parents so I would have to be on top of my finances and allocate funds only where needed, would also have to pick up a second job in order to pay for other bills. At this time, I have been taking advantage of being home and padding my savings big time. This definitely won't be the case with the regional as my wage would be decreased by over 25%.

Overall, this job is what i'm interested in and my main goal would be to get into a flight dispatch role at a major. I think i'm answering my own question here but is grinding out a few years with low wage the best route to land a job at a larger airline? Looking forward to everyone's insight.
 
If dispatch is something you really enjoy, I would say go for it. I was in a similar position when I was thinking about getting my dispatch ticket, I left a very good job in IT and took a 65% pay cut when I got my first dispatch job. It sucked for a couple of years as far as money goes but I found dispatch to be far more engaging and rewarding than my previous job in IT.

Use the time at a regional to suck up as much knowledge that you can, volunteer for opportunities and make a name for yourself. Aviation is a very small community, knowing the right people can help out with career progression. Just don't forget why you made the change, the path to a major will be slower than it typically is due to COVID but you'll get there eventually.
 
Before you take a second job, you need to ask your manager what the OT situation is and how lean they run the operation. If you can work 1.5 or 2.0 OT on your days off that might get you more money than a second job.

Also would ask how fast they try to upgrade new dispatchers to coordinator positions. That could be a fairly quick way to get to a straight time rate that meets or exceeds your current 21/hr. Plus those positions also usually have a lot of 1.5 or 2.0 OT.
 
If dispatch is what you want to do, you will have to pay your dues at a regional for a bit to gain enough experience to be looked at by a major. I lived on bare minimum back then. Thrift store clothes, cheap rice and beans meals, multiple roommates. It sucked but it was all doable.

Unless you know someone high up at a major who can get you "in," or want to work for low pay for a few years in crew scheduling at a major and hire on internally, you will have to go this route.
 
WiskatoPilot said:
Seeking advice from others. I'm finally getting an opportunity for an interview at a small regional. The dilemma I face is the pay differential. I'm currently living with my parents with a $21 per hr wage and the dispatch position offers only $15 per hr. This position is hours away from my parents so I would have to be on top of my finances and allocate funds only where needed, would also have to pick up a second job in order to pay for other bills. At this time, I have been taking advantage of being home and padding my savings big time. This definitely won't be the case with the regional as my wage would be decreased by over 25%.

Overall, this job is what i'm interested in and my main goal would be to get into a flight dispatch role at a major. I think i'm answering my own question here but is grinding out a few years with low wage the best route to land a job at a larger airline? Looking forward to everyone's insight.
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At my first dispatch job I worked an average of 4 days a month OT for the first several months to make what I needed. A regional is a step in the right direction but the pay is low. Many reasons for that but for someone looking to advance, it is a give and get a return later (hopefully) type situation.
 
A part time job is always an option. Of course it depends on your schedule and if your part time employer can work with that. You may have to wait until you become a line holder.

Overtime might be the better option if it is readily available.

I know when I started in this career, annual assistant pay was 18K (25 years ago). everyone worked a 4-4 schedule, so it was fairly easy to get a part time job and I did. I think that first year I probably worked 300 days out of 365 between the two jobs. Yeah it was rough.
There was time I even listed a spare bedroom as crash pad. Had 2 dispatchers and 1 flight attendant over a 2 year time span.

Getting a roommate is also an option.

There are ways to make it work if you want to. Only you can decide if that is what you want.
 
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Update: I took the jump and decided on pursuing the flight dispatch position. New hire classes start in a week and a half. Once classes are over and I'm settled into the job/area, I definitely will be picking up a second job to help offset the low wage. The advice given was taken into my decision along with many hours of deliberation, but I think this will be a great starting step in my hopeful career in the field. Cheers to all.
 
WiskatoPilot said:
Update: I took the jump and decided on pursuing the flight dispatch position. New hire classes start in a week and a half. Once classes are over and I'm settled into the job/area, I definitely will be picking up a second job to help offset the low wage. The advice given was taken into my decision along with many hours of deliberation, but I think this will be a great starting step in my hopeful career in the field. Cheers to all.
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'Grats on getting the job! Might I suggest you try to do something super flexible like Uber/Lyft as a second income source for the interim. Your dispatch schedule may not be as set in stone as it seems, and you want to take up opportunities for overtime whenever possible. The first dispatch job is always tough...I was eating rice & beans and beans & rice, working the 0330 morning shift during a terrible winter. It sucked ass, but after a while I moved on to greener pastures and I'm at a place I can definitely stay at for the rest of my career. You can do this!
 
WiskatoPilot said:
Update: I took the jump and decided on pursuing the flight dispatch position. New hire classes start in a week and a half. Once classes are over and I'm settled into the job/area, I definitely will be picking up a second job to help offset the low wage. The advice given was taken into my decision along with many hours of deliberation, but I think this will be a great starting step in my hopeful career in the field. Cheers to all.
Click to expand...
I think you are better off picking up overtime shifts than trying to work a second job. Overtime is typically paid at time and a half, which puts you at $22-$23 an hour. What part time job is going to pay you that?

But more importantly, you're on probation right now. Whether it's official or not, your performance on the job is going to be scrutinized for the next 6 to 12 months. You need to be in top form. This means showing up early, staying late if needed, and saying "Yes" to every opportunity.

Moreover, you have a professional, regulatory, and ethical responsibility to report to work rested and ready to give your best performance. Imagine coming in for your shift after having gotten minimal rest, or after already working several hours at your second job, to find that the day is an IROP mess. How do you think that day is going to go?

You have a dozen or more crews relying on you to get it right. You owe them your best work.

In the immortal words of Ron Swanson; "Never half-ass two things. Whole ass one thing. Commit yourself 100%
 
OT is great if it is available, but the thing about OT is 1. it won't always be available and 2. it costs the company more money so they'll try to do what they can to cover with people not making OT, refer back to 1. I'm no financial expert but relying on OT to keep a roof over your head, the lights on, and some form of "food" available probably isn't wise advice. Take it when you can (and more importantly, want to, don't burn yourself out), but don't depend on it.
 
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