Career Path Question

Flying Saluki said:
Forget about what it takes to get to the majors, and think about what it takes to grow as a professional. Don't go into a job with your eye on the door. Go into the job with the attitude that your are going to retire there, and make the most of it. You should be always seeking new challenges and new opportunities to learn. Grow in your job. If you're offered an opportunity to do something amazing (besides simply releasing flights), TAKE IT. Be an instructor, Be a check airman, or supervisor, Volunteer for extra projects around the office that will improve how the airline improves it's dispatch work. Join the professional associations. Work within them to improve the profession and your skills within in.

Doing these things will be the best way to improve your chances at getting hired with a major.
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I think a lot of these points should go without saying. Of course you should want to excel at your job, wherever you are, and whatever your goals are. I think it's somewhat foolish, however, to forget about being at a major if that is where you would like to be one day. Just because that may be the goal, it's hardly going into a job "looking at the door". If I was happy making 50K a year, at a company I liked working at, in a location I liked living in, I'd make a career of it there. However, I think one would be selling themselves short if they simply thought about what's best for "here and now".

The original question was IF your goal was to be at a major, what's best: a regional for a few years, or a regional + supplemental international experience.
 
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For everyone looking at making a career at a regional...remember at a regional you're tied to a major airline contract, usually. A stable or growing regional today can be a dying one a few years down the road (e.g. Comair.) This is not to say that major airlines are always healthy, but I think for making a career of it, they're more likely to be around for the long haul. There are of course some good regionals that people spend their careers at, but I am happy to no longer be working in that segment of the industry. It is very good experience though.
 
thegriffinpages said:
Still respectable in my book for sure.

Majors seem to start around 55k or so. I'd guess when 50k - 60k rolls in that would be decision making time for a move to the majors depending on who becomes available.
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Majors start a bit more than that. More like 70-80K a year. You can make around 120K a year after about 4 years without OT at majors. With OT, you can make 180-200K after 4 years.

Nobody should be worrying about taking a paycut to join a major. With overtime, you can make well over 100K in your first year at a major. Even the most dedicated topped out overtime wh0res at a regional struggle to get to the 100K mark. Most management jobs at the regionals dont even offer OT.

The only thing that should keep anyone from applying to the majors is the schedule. If you really cant stomach working midnights for a few years or if you have the days off you want then that would be the only reason to not apply.
 
thegriffinpages said:
Have any idea what the top of the payscale looks like at the regionals (let's use Envoy as an example) assuming you get promoted and take on other responsibilities in the SOC?

I've been told that top out for regular dispatchers is about 50k or so...
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I can't comment on Envoy or any other regionals but can tell you that the 15 year top out at Mesa is $23 per hour (regular dispatchers; non management).
 
Flagship_dxer said:
Majors start a bit more than that. More like 70-80K a year. You can make around 120K a year after about 4 years without OT at majors. With OT, you can make 180-200K after 4 years.

Nobody should be worrying about taking a paycut to join a major. With overtime, you can make well over 100K in your first year at a major. Even the most dedicated topped out overtime wh0res at a regional struggle to get to the 100K mark. Most management jobs at the regionals dont even offer OT.

The only thing that should keep anyone from applying to the majors is the schedule. If you really cant stomach working midnights for a few years or if you have the days off you want then that would be the only reason to not apply.
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Well in that case, if it wouldn't be a pay cut after all and I get to work midnights (which I personally like!), there's no reason not to move to a major after gaining experience at a regional!
 
manniax said:
I think that's pretty low compared to most regional top-outs...however, having worked at Mesa many years ago, it doesn't surprise me a bit.
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Regional raises have been pretty flat the last 5-10 years. Hell, ExpressJet ratified a joint contract earlier this year that made the top out from the 2004 legacy XJT contract the top out pay for dispatchers. Meanwhile the majors are giving out raises like candy. No brainer to try to move onto a major or mid-major, if you will.
 
MT said:
Some very good points here, but be careful with this line of thinking. Promotability, experience with other parts of the SOC environment, and management experience are all great things and something that could give you a leg up at a major airline.

But going in with the attitude that you’re gonna retire from your regional may be slightly misguided. If you want to get on at a major, the worst thing you can do is get comfortable at a regional. With the turnover at regionals it’s easy to find yourself promoted and making more money, not a bad thing, but it does make it harder when you might be looking at a $10-$15,000 pay cut to start over again at a major at the bottom of the scale. Regional managers aren’t stupid and they know that they’re a stepping stone for 90% of dispatchers on the way to majors. It’s ok to have those aspirations, just don’t throw them in your mangers face every day.
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My point was to encourage the OP to bloom where they're planted. To not treat the job as someplace to go between days off. To make a name for themselves by doing good work. Be the person whose name the flight crews are happy to see on their release. Be the person that everyone looks forward to working with. Accept every opportunity that your boss offers you and exceed their expectations.
 
Well, thank you for the encouragement, Saluki.
Flying Saluki said:
My point was to encourage the OP to bloom where they're planted. To not treat the job as someplace to go between days off. To make a name for themselves by doing good work. Be the person whose name the flight crews are happy to see on their release. Be the person that everyone looks forward to working with. Accept every opportunity that your boss offers you and exceed their expectations.
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Thank you. If it wasn't for this post I was just going to be a weed, not make a name for myself, do bad work, go somewhere on my days off, and have crews vomit at seeing my name. But, glad we addressed the whole regional/121 supplemental thing.
 
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