Captain Kila's State of the (Aviation) Union Address

(Originally posted on LinkedIn as an aritcle, today)

I am utterly dismayed at the state of my chosen profession's inherent, yet unnecessary, flaws and issues concerning gainful employment of pilots by companies needing them. I have been unemployed now for a month, after 7 months of actively searching and applying to 68 posted available positions ranging from Director of Operations down to a Second in Command (SIC) position, all of which I was qualified for, and in most cases, over qualified. Those don't include the hundreds of jobs I should have been able to apply for but was unable to because of one thing: I lacked the required type rating, usually with required X number of hours as Pilot in Command (PIC).

ETC
Just some advice..................the first thing I would do, is to remove this rant from your linkedin profile. It's not going to help you get an interview let alone a new job and will most likely have the opposite effect. Nor will it aid you in attracting any decent contacts once it's read. It screams 'stay away, I have issues'. Also, if you relate any of it or this kind of attitude in a face to face interview or even over the phone, you have just shot yourself in the foot.

Slamming HR in general, making a lot of assumptions, whining and being bitter isn't the way to go. You might want to change your attitude, stop making excuses that are outside of yourself, take a serious look at how you are coming across to others, look at your resume and cover letter and try to figure out the real reasons as to why you are having so much difficulty in changing positions/getting hired at another company and making valuable contacts in the industry. Its not all because of insurance requirements or a type rating either.

Your "article" as you like to call it, isn't going to "fix" anything, it's just going to alienate you even further. When you retire, you can write anything you want to and sap it up on the net, but while you are still seeking a job in aviation? Not a brilliant idea.
 
Last edited:
You also need to loose the Captain title. And the callsign. Nothing screams omfg, this is going to be a day from hell like a prior military guy introducing himself as his prior rank.

When I clicked on the thread, I thought it was going to be some kind of joke given the title.
 
Last edited:
Holy smokes!!!

I thought this thread was started by someone else as a "Don't be this guy" lesson. I certainly wasn't expecting the author to share this as a "oh poor pitiful me" lesson. I sense a HUGE ego and ere of entitlement with your letter and most likely wouldn't hire you because of this.

You're rant is just that; a rant. You should take @A Life Aloft 's advice and try to scrub this before a potential employer finds it. I do find it interesting that you squawk about job requirements. EVERY job you want, has some requirement(s)....either you're qualified or you're not qualified! Doesn't seem to be difficult to understand.

If the job REQUIRES a First Class medical, your stance seems to be that your Second Class should be good enough for them because you have "X" number of hours and call yourself "Captain". For the love of all that is holy, GO GET FOUR MORE HOURS!!! I wouldn't hire you in this position for the simple fact that you could be qualified if you put forth a little effort to GET qualified!

From the pilot side of this job, I hate employment contracts. From the business side, I understand them.

You also need to loose the Captain title. And the callsign. Nothing screams omfg, this is going to be a day from hell like a prior military guy introducing himself as his prior rank.

When I clicked on the thread, I thought it was going to be some kind of joke given the title.
THIS! Come on, Man!!!
 
This is integrity and if you don't have it, you have nothing and your life is worthless.

images
 
So... You're either not getting offers, or you've been offered 5 jobs and turned them down... Which is it?

My mom worked at a career center that, among other things, specialized in getting homeless people jobs with a good amount of success.

She had a rule:

15 resumes to one interview, 5 interviews to one offer and 3 offers to one job.

So if you've "applied to 68 jobs" and gotten 5 offers you're ahead of the game, and if you're turning them down.... Well. That's your problem.
 
As someone else already said, lose the "Captain" and "Kila" nickname introduction if you ever enter the 121 world.

Some of the worst guys that made for a long trip introduced themselves by either: "Captain" or "XXXX" where XXXX is not their first, middle, or last name. Even worse were Capt. XXXX which is double dipping this category and sounds like what you are doing.
 
You're doing it all wrong. Just apply to be the CEO of these companies. Include the rant in your app.
 
I'm sensing the real problem with this individual getting an interview or hired lies more within themselves than "insurance" requirements.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
He makes it awfully personal, true. This is counterproductive to his message. But if you can get past the rant, he does make some excellent points.
Too much "Captain's swagger"?
 
What did he say? I forwarded to the responses

Pilot wants job. Pilot applies for job. Pilot doesn't get job because he lacks one or more previously enumerated requirements which he thinks are arbitrary or unfair. Instead of seeking out how to meet said requirement(s), pilot instead goes on long internet tirade about unfairness of pilot hiring schemes.
 
Back
Top