Being Considered for Part 135 "Aircraft Dispatcher" job

[newdispatcher23]

Hello all,

As the title says, I am a recently certified dispatcher on the west coast who has been applying and looking for jobs. I am being considered for a "Dispatcher" role at a Part 135 company. The pay is good, the location good, and overall the company seems good. A bit of background about me . . . I am new to the field of aviation. I have strong experience in my previous field and a strong resume. I have been applying to all Part 121 flight operation jobs (mostly regionals as recommended by these forums) I have seen the last few months but no success; not even an interview. I do not have the luxury of waiting around and hoping for a Part 121 to hire me. I understand that if I get the job I will not be doing the work a dispatcher at a Part 121 does (I've read other similar posts on this forum and the company was very clear in explaining what my responsibilities would be). Are there cons to working at a Part 135 as my first job and then continuing to apply with hopes of transferring to a 121 operation?

Finally, I'd like to thank ya'll as this forum has helped me discover dispatching.

 

[LastMinuteAirline]

When I first got into dispatch, I went through a complete career change as an adult and living off regional pay would have been difficult. I started my dispatch career w/ a small international 121 supplemental airline (similar to a 135) about a month after I got my ticket. I spent about a year there, learned a ton and got a lot of really good experience. That being said the work was really difficult and stressful. Dxing was probably 10% of the job. The rest was secretary, data entry, non-stop-emails, station manager, etc. With only 11 months aviation experience, I was then able to get on w/ a 121 ULCC. Pay increased and responsibility increased while stress decreased.

If its taken you a while to find the first job, I would recommend taking anything in aviation you can find. If you decide to go the supplemental route, I advise really doing your research on the company. A lot of those airlines are barely hanging on. Job security may not be high. Some of them are also very disorganized which can make a dispatcher wearing many hats very busy/stressed. Some of them are great airlines that have been around a long time. Either way it will be great experience that can help you move forward w/ your new career.

 

[MAK49]

I don’t think there’s cons to it, I think it actually makes you more capable of things when you move up. I started at a 135 a few months out of dispatch school, within 3 months I was working in flight ops at a 121 domestic carrier. While I didn’t do a whole lot of dispatching at the 135 or 121 flight ops job, I had a lot of roles that showed I could handle a lot of things and still taught me a lot about the dispatch job since I worked with dispatchers all day. After about 2 years I threw in my app at a 121 supplemental cargo carrier and even though I had no straight dispatch job previously, they gave me the offer the next day.

Basically what I’m trying to say, take any opportunity you can get!

 

[newdispatcher23]

Thank ya'll for the encouragement. I have done my research and the company has been very clear about what my responsibilities will be. This forum is great although I think one thing that is misrepresented by some is how hard it is to get into a 121 after getting the certificate. I am going to go ahead and accept the job and continue applying to 121 operations.

 

[manniax]

The first job is always the hardest one to get, but I did get hired by a 121 regional within a couple months of finishing school. Good luck with your new job!

 

[newdispatcher23]

The first job is always the hardest one to get, but I did get hired by a 121 regional within a couple months of finishing school. Good luck with your new job!

Did you have experience in aviation?

 

[manniax]

Did you have experience in aviation?

Not in operations - I had a degree in aviation from Embry-Riddle and a few years military experience fixing avionics. A lot of getting hired in dispatch is timing. Often it seems like hiring goes in waves, or you can not hear anything for quite a while and then suddenly get multiple calls for interviews. When job hunting, it doesn't hurt to have a pro look over your resume. I'm sure you will find the job hunt easier after you get a little bit of experience at the 135 operation. I know finding my second job was much less challenging than finding my first one.