Anywhere but MSP?

I just came back to MSP after spending 15 years in PHX. It's a little bit of a shock to the system,but at least there isn't a constant brown cloud hanging over MSP


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This is a big downside to the mergers, bankruptcies and consolidation in the industry. The options for where to work are fewer than it used to be and its likely to continue to shrink with further consolidation. You cant be that picky in this business because there are so few options now. If/when the regionals start to consolidate more due to the pilot shortage, the options for cities will be even fewer.
 
ChasenSFO said:
So MSP isn't for him. Don't get all rabid. While I respect anyone who can endure whatever suck they must with a smile on their face to advance their careers, we're not all that person. Everyone needs to accept the fact that not every job is the right start for every person. I don't know about you, but I don't want miserable coworkers who don't want to be there.

To the OP, if you don't want to work in MSP, don't work in MSP. Find a job to tide you over that you enjoy, live your life, and apply to every opportunity you actually want. Life isn't a race, homies.
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I hear what you are saying, but if you are TOO particular about where you want to live...dispatch really isn't the best career field for you. There are a lot of good things about dispatching, but getting to pick where you want to live and then finding a job isn't one of them. Sometimes you have to move, to advance your career. Say you're working at Air Wisconsin, love Wisconsin, but then get an offer from Delta. Would you turn it down because their office is in Atlanta? Likewise the first job is often the hardest one to get. If you turn down offers based on them not being where you want to live, you could be looking for work for a very long time.

Now absolutely, if there is a city that you totally despise then you should probably cross that airline off your list if that's where their dispatch office is. (For me that would probably be Lubbock, Texas, not that any airlines are based there.) But if you do that too many times...you're just shooting yourself in your foot with regards to career advancement. And if you do get that dream job at DL or wherever, commuting is always possible. (I don't recommend it, but many dispatchers, including some members of this board, do make it work.)
 
I lived in MSP a long time ago (in sin with a girlfriend at the time), and I absolutely loved it, always something cool to do. I'd move back, but I hate winter.

When we were starting to look there, we got the Star Tribune (this was before the internet) and started looking for apts. Ad after ad said, blah blah plug-ins blah blah.

It took us moving there to figure out what they meant - plug ins for a car oil pan heater. Doh!
 
manniax said:
I hear what you are saying, but if you are TOO particular about where you want to live...dispatch really isn't the best career field for you. There are a lot of good things about dispatching, but getting to pick where you want to live and then finding a job isn't one of them. Sometimes you have to move, to advance your career. Say you're working at Air Wisconsin, love Wisconsin, but then get an offer from Delta. Would you turn it down because their office is in Atlanta? Likewise the first job is often the hardest one to get. If you turn down offers based on them not being where you want to live, you could be looking for work for a very long time.

Now absolutely, if there is a city that you totally despise then you should probably cross that airline off your list if that's where their dispatch office is. (For me that would probably be Lubbock, Texas, not that any airlines are based there.) But if you do that too many times...you're just shooting yourself in your foot with regards to career advancement. And if you do get that dream job at DL or wherever, commuting is always possible. (I don't recommend it, but many dispatchers, including some members of this board, do make it work.)
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Agreed. These are choices one has to make for themselves, however. I understand MSP is a retaliative hot spot for dispatch, but there are still plenty of other options. Now if one were to decide, "I don't want to live in snow period", well that would decrease their chances of a job tenfold. But if one were have peace of mind while rolling the dice in the manner of putting the local weather ahead of career progression, then that is their choice. Which is really a good thing, as it not only keeps them happy but leaves more opportunities for the rest of you who will readily take whatever forward progression you can get. However, if a person is thinking along the lines of, "I won't leave the state of California but I'm putting all my eggs in the dispatch basket", then maybe it is time for a reality check.

I really feel for you guys with all these mergers. I agree there are just too many regionals out here flying the same jets for the same airlines. Consolidation is imminent, and those who will not adapt are going to find themselves in hard situations.
 
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My first job was in the Midwest were some of the winter felt like -50 with the wind chill. Let's face it that's aweful. I HATED everyone moment of it plus I also didn't care 1%for the Midwest and wanted out fast. I was lucky enough to find a shop in the south. I didn't want to stick around for that forecast every year.
 
ChasenSFO said:
They're bad enough to dictate the way you live, when and where you can travel by road, the cold overcast blocks the sun for days at a time which affects your psych, and there is a relatively astronomical amount of accidents during the commute hours when any significant ice or snowfall is occurring.

Yes, I love Minnesota, it is my second home. But only a few months out of the year, in which it is perfect. Winter is not one of those times. Don't BS this guy and try to tell give him MN winters are "no big deal" to someone from a sunshine state like Florida, California. We don't live in a place where months of the year you more or less have to plan most of your waking hours for getting to/from work due to the conditions and can't go out and do anything. It is a huge lifestyle change, and not one that would make most people happier. A job is a job. I don't care what you're doing, you have to be happy. People put way too much damn emphasis on what they do for a living and not what they DO. Who they are. A job is a position someone opens because they need a task preformed to make them money, is it not? Does that define who you are anywhere but on a payroll? Why on earth should someone put up with 16 hours of a crappy miserable QOL where they can't live the way their happiness dictates just so 8 hours per day they can say "Well at least this is a step in my career...for however long...I'm here...".

So MSP isn't for him. Don't get all rabid. While I respect anyone who can endure whatever suck they must with a smile on their face to advance their careers, we're not all that person. Everyone needs to accept the fact that not every job is the right start for every person. I don't know about you, but I don't want miserable coworkers who don't want to be there.

To the OP, if you don't want to work in MSP, don't work in MSP. Find a job to tide you over that you enjoy, live your life, and apply to every opportunity you actually want. Life isn't a race, homies.
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I try to just lurk around here and not say too much, but to add to this, I strongly suggest doing whatever you think will make you happy. I just started with an airline in MSP about a month ago and I don't know how much longer this is going to last. I love the company, I love the job, but I'm running into issue after issue, problem after problem, trying to get established in MSP. That hasn't worked so now I am trying to commute between my home out west and MSP, which requires a connection in SLC. It's obvious this isn't sustainable for me and the stress of it all is making this rather miserable. So while I do proudly work for a top notch company, I'm not happy, and I don't wish this sort of thing on anybody.

If you don't think you'll be happy in MSP, don't come here. If you think you can make it work, then do it. It's your life, and it is your call.
 
flynryan692 said:
I try to just lurk around here and not say too much, but to add to this, I strongly suggest doing whatever you think will make you happy. I just started with an airline in MSP about a month ago and I don't know how much longer this is going to last. I love the company, I love the job, but I'm running into issue after issue, problem after problem, trying to get established in MSP. That hasn't worked so now I am trying to commute between my home out west and MSP, which requires a connection in SLC. It's obvious this isn't sustainable for me and the stress of it all is making this rather miserable. So while I do proudly work for a top notch company, I'm not happy, and I don't wish this sort of thing on anybody. If you don't think you'll be happy in MSP, don't come here. If you think you can make it work, then do it. It's your life, and it is your call.
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Can you say what the multiple issues have been getting established in MSP that has required you to commute from the west? Some specific info might help those who are trying to decide if MSP would be a feasible place to start out or not.
 
womanpilot73 said:
Can you say what the multiple issues have been getting established in MSP that has required you to commute from the west? Some specific info might help those who are trying to decide if MSP would be a feasible place to start out or not.
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I don't want to put too much out there about my situation, but I will say this, if you're moving a long distance for a job then preplan your move as much as possible and ask as many questions as you need to about financial stuff. I've always thought it was sort of rude, or out of place, to get into compensation stuff with HR when most of it is based on union contract anyway. They had me under the impression I go paid every two two weeks, starting on my first day, meaning we would get paid two weeks later. I made my plans based on that. Little did I know, we get paid bi-weekly, according to a pay schedule, and when we did get paid it was half of a check. That has basically thrown me into a wild situation. The only pay the new guys have gotten this month was a half check and we aren't due to get paid again until March. Hotels are expensive.

I also do not suggest trying to buy a vehicle in a state you don't yet live in, unless you are able to drive it back to the state you did/ are still temporarily living in. I stupidly thought I could save some time and money buy ditching the vehicle I had at home and buying a new one in MSP. Wrong.

It's not so much an MSP problem as it is a personal planning, and moving problem, so this is all something that can be applied anywhere. I will say though, I've lived in the cold, and MSP gets to me. When it's cold and snowy, it's fine, but when it's cold and windy, that's a different story. I know a dispatcher up here from Florida, he's getting by, but he doesn't like it.
 
flynryan692 said:
I don't want to put too much out there about my situation, but I will say this, if you're moving a long distance for a job then preplan your move as much as possible and ask as many questions as you need to about financial stuff. I've always thought it was sort of rude, or out of place, to get into compensation stuff with HR when most of it is based on union contract anyway. They had me under the impression I go paid every two two weeks, starting on my first day, meaning we would get paid two weeks later. I made my plans based on that. Little did I know, we get paid bi-weekly, according to a pay schedule, and when we did get paid it was half of a check. That has basically thrown me into a wild situation. The only pay the new guys have gotten this month was a half check and we aren't due to get paid again until March. Hotels are expensive.

I also do not suggest trying to buy a vehicle in a state you don't yet live in, unless you are able to drive it back to the state you did/ are still temporarily living in. I stupidly thought I could save some time and money buy ditching the vehicle I had at home and buying a new one in MSP. Wrong.

It's not so much an MSP problem as it is a personal planning, and moving problem, so this is all something that can be applied anywhere. I will say though, I've lived in the cold, and MSP gets to me. When it's cold and snowy, it's fine, but when it's cold and windy, that's a different story. I know a dispatcher up here from Florida, he's getting by, but he doesn't like it.
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Thank you for clarifying! I can definitely relate to these concerns.. Especially the living out of a hotel part.. I will certainly have to plan any move that may come up carefully.
 
Not a Dispatcher. I will however confirm you can do a lot worse than MSP, and I'm a Southern California boy.
 
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Russ25 said:
Hey all,

Taking my practical tomorrow, wish me luck.. But starting to send out applications.
Anyone know when Expressjet will be hiring again? Or Spirit?
I see that Compass is hiring in MSP, but being a Florida boy, I hate the thought of a Minnesota winter. Anyone have suggestions?
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The hype about Minnesota winters is seriously overdone. I've spent most of my life in the upper Midwest and it's a couple of months of hard core winter, and a couple transition months. The beauty of airplanes is they fly to warm places, even during the winter months. I'm MSP-based but spent the last few days flying up and down the west cost of California. It's all good.
 
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flynryan692 said:
I don't want to put too much out there about my situation, but I will say this, if you're moving a long distance for a job then preplan your move as much as possible and ask as many questions as you need to about financial stuff. I've always thought it was sort of rude, or out of place, to get into compensation stuff with HR when most of it is based on union contract anyway. They had me under the impression I go paid every two two weeks, starting on my first day, meaning we would get paid two weeks later. I made my plans based on that. Little did I know, we get paid bi-weekly, according to a pay schedule, and when we did get paid it was half of a check. That has basically thrown me into a wild situation. The only pay the new guys have gotten this month was a half check and we aren't due to get paid again until March. Hotels are expensive.

I also do not suggest trying to buy a vehicle in a state you don't yet live in, unless you are able to drive it back to the state you did/ are still temporarily living in. I stupidly thought I could save some time and money buy ditching the vehicle I had at home and buying a new one in MSP. Wrong.

It's not so much an MSP problem as it is a personal planning, and moving problem, so this is all something that can be applied anywhere. I will say though, I've lived in the cold, and MSP gets to me. When it's cold and snowy, it's fine, but when it's cold and windy, that's a different story. I know a dispatcher up here from Florida, he's getting by, but he doesn't like it.
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Not to sound rude but it seems like the problem was more failure to plan properly than living in the city itself.
 
I moved to MSP from TPA in October and though the winter was different than what you would see in Florida it was not that bad. We had 2 or 3 bad snowstorms and the airlines will get hotel rooms when those happen so you don't have to worry about the drive if you live far from the OCC. A couple of days it got below zero which was crazy coming from Florida but It doesn't keep me stuck inside when I have stuff to do. As far as regionals go I think you could end up at a lot of worse places than 9E, I have enjoyed my experience here so far. You also will have flight benefits and the ability to jump seat so when you need to thaw out for a couple of days you can catch a flight to some warm weather. As other have said, this isn't the best job to be picky about where you are going to work especially when you are trying to get your first job as a dispatcher. That is my 2 cents on the subject, you can inbox me if you have any questions.

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself. " --Mark Caine
 
I lived in MSP from 91 to 93. I got there just shy of the Halloween 91 snowstorm from hell. We got 32 inches of snow even MSP was not prepared for that. But during my time there is snowed more but never got bitter cold like below zero. Have to say I found it strange when I first got there. I was from North Jersey and found the people in MSP rude and standoffish. But found once I lived there I made friends pretty quick. There is a lot to do in the summer a lot of lakes and if winter is your thing a lot have snowmobiles and ice fish. There are worse places to live I can tell you that. Costs a little more to live there the taxes are high but you can see the taxes are put to good use. Schools are awesome and roads are pretty darn good.
 
flynryan692 said:
I try to just lurk around here and not say too much, but to add to this, I strongly suggest doing whatever you think will make you happy. I just started with an airline in MSP about a month ago and I don't know how much longer this is going to last. I love the company, I love the job, but I'm running into issue after issue, problem after problem, trying to get established in MSP. That hasn't worked so now I am trying to commute between my home out west and MSP, which requires a connection in SLC. It's obvious this isn't sustainable for me and the stress of it all is making this rather miserable. So while I do proudly work for a top notch company, I'm not happy, and I don't wish this sort of thing on anybody.

If you don't think you'll be happy in MSP, don't come here. If you think you can make it work, then do it. It's your life, and it is your call.
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Plenty of us on here live in MSP. shoot me a PM if you ever need help with anything!
 
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