Blah Blah Mumbo Jumbo

[Vne247]

Well, I'm a recent CFI graduate who decided not to stick around and sit in the CFI pool. After visiting all the local airports and damn near being laughed at, I'm starting to question my decision to not stick around Vero. Monday morning I'm hitting the Sunday paper with a vengance, to find any job that will have me!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone have any ideas? Doug, I'm in the Valley, so if you have any leads please speak!!!!!! I just discussed it with a cactus and he told me to get some sleep, I'm gonna listen to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Visceral]

That's an interesting decision you made of not wanting to be in the CFI pool, especially these days. Heck, almost all the hiring by airlines these days puts you in a pool to await classes. At least it means you're closer to the job than everyone else. Good luck with the search

 

[Starsky]

To get hired by a regional you need somewhere between 1200 to 1500 hours (best case). So if you get your CFI and get on the list, then find a job instructing anywhere, you could get needed hours while waiting to be called back. The contract term at FSI is for 800 hours Dual Given. Add that to your roughly 250 coming out of CIME and you still need 200 to 500 more hours to be marketable.
So yes the waiting list is inconvenient, if you plan right, it shouldn't effect the time it takes you to get your hours by that much - assuming you don't go work at Walmart while waiting on the list.
Good luck looking for a job. I'm assuming you're a CFI and looking for an instructor position. They are out there, you just have to keep hammering away.

 

[Acadia]

I made the same call. Finished my CFI last month and got out of Vero ASAP. I never even considered interviewing. Im doing a little better up here in Maine. I should be starting to get some hours soon at my local FBO teaching. It will be pretty slow for the winter, but the summer more than makes up for it. Good luck. There are other CFI jobs in the Northeast, but for you thats probably no better than Vero.

 

[Baronman]

Hey I agree I didn't exactly love Vero but don't we all have to sacrafice a little? I still think Flight Safety would be the best place to instruct in, and you know what, I'm happy at least I have the option to go back and instruct. I spent a couple days interviewing etc to give myself a back up...

 

[chunk75]

What's the CFI hire rate? I've heard a few different #'s...

 

[Starsky]

The long term statistic is roughly 75% get hired on the first interview and if you try again, the percentage is closer to 85-90%. But those stats really don't tell the whole story. In the last group of people to interview, I heard 8 out of 9 we hired. The line I've been told is that "if the quality of candidates is high, they'll hire them all, and if they suck - they'll pass on them all". Professionalism and a positive prescence is key. I'm about to interview so I'll let you know how it went at the end of the month.

 

[Baronman]

In my group about 80% got hired, in the group before mine about 50%....I think it's in the 50%-60% range. The key to the interview process is be yourself. Don't worry so much. The people who were freaking out about it ended up getting cut..

 

[chunk75]

Ya gotta figure at least a 15% knucklehead factor....

Chunk

 

[Baronman]

15% knucklehead, and maybe 5% get cold feet, don't want to get their super-pilot ego shattered. Trust me, the interview isn't about how good you are, it's all about general knowledge, familiarity with one maneuver and good communication skills. If you've done a good job throughout and can communicate effectively you should have no problem.

 

[ThreeGreen123]

And don't forget the political factor. If you know the people on in the presentation room, your % goes up a lot. Many of the people in the room you run into one time or another, and if you leave a good impression it sticks. There is no reason not to know Beekman over in grd school, or not take a lesson with Lawler during your CFI lessons (he will do lessons with you to critique you). They are usually in your hiring board. Also you should know the center manager and vice manager from course clearances and stuff.

Another factor is how hard you work. If you are lazy, cancel lessons as a student a lot, take 12 months to do a 8 month program....thats doesn't bode well. Your rep sticks with you, and lets face it, all of us know who the slackers and the idiots are before too long, its not that big of a school.

 

[ThreeGreen123]

oh, and by the way, I don't mean to suggest that anyone become an as*...eh....butt-kiss to these people. Prove yourself thru your work, not your mouth. As Baronman said, a lot of it is your communication and how you come off in your interviews personality wise, but this stuff is also a factor.

 

[derg]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Anyone have any ideas? Doug, I'm in the Valley, so if you have any leads please speak!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Heck, I'm still trying to find employment for about three furloughed friends now, get in line!

 

[Baronman]

I don't think kissing but will get you very far...Personally I never flew with any of the guys who chose to hire me. There was one 4-striper (J.L.) with whom I would speak if I had a question but never did I feel obliged to kiss butt. In fact I know of one student who was quite a kiss-ass, was employed and worked with one of the 4-stripers, flew with them frequently throughout the CFI course and got a thumbs down...Be more worried about knowing your stuff than shmoozing with the right people.