Back when I was a kid and I had an issue with anyone telling me what was good for me or not I held my ground on, of all things, homework. Wouldn't do it. And the more you told me to, the less likely I was to comply. As a father now, I can understand how frustrating that is because God has seen fit to carbon copy my butt and make him MY son. Karma is a b!tch. Anyway, my father finally got so frustrated with me that he effectively "gave up" on me (he didn't, but the impression he did motivated me). He said, "the world owes you precisely d!ck, and it has zero issues leaving you behind for those that actually take care of business. Besides, the world needs ditch diggers." Sage advice, especially considering the man spent his adult life in the pilot seat, including 32 years at United. I think I can understand now where his philosophy comes from because the more aviation changes, the more it stays the same. Airline workers (well, pilots, dispatchers, mechanics, and flight attendants) live and die by reputation. According to the FAA, in 2016 there were an estimated 158,000 active ATP rated pilots out there, 279,500 mechanics, 212,600 flight attendants, and a mere 19,800 dispatchers. To say that the dispatch profession is a small world is grossly understated, so it's real easy to gain a reputation that follows you as your career progresses, be it good or bad. Statistically speaking, in a 40 year career you are almost guaranteed to run into someone you've worked with or encountered before in the course of your profession. These people have stories. These stories are sometimes regaled to other dispatchers, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends.... You get the point. One day you walk into the recruiting office of a major airline only to find that the friggin RECRUITER knows of you!
Why am I bloviating about this? Because the sooner you realize, young dispatcher, that your reputation IS your resume, the better your opportunity to better that reputation and by extension better your ability to move freely among your vocation. My path to the majors was circuitous, and even included stints doing work not related to airplanes. I see you guys at their first regional gig and I remember what it was like. It was worse really, because I got in right after 9/11. Prior to that, you literally COULD put in your 2 years at a regional and have a reasonable chance of getting a call-up to the majors. That chit ended after 9/11. The concept of the "involuntary regional career" was inconceivable up until then, but I resolved to make the best of every opportunity I got, work hard, keep a good attitude, shake hands with people, and it worked out. Complaining about how no one is giving you a shot is a great way to ensure you'll never get a shot. I've seen enough in this industry to know that there are a enough dispatchers out there that bitch and moan about how they can't catch a break to make it relatively easy for those that bust their asses and network to get a shot.
This ain't high school. There are kids that are left behind here. You can complain about the heat, the rain, that your legs hurt, that you're thirsty, that it's still miles to the finish line, or you can keep marching. We honestly do not care which one you choose, but you better believe we will remember the ones that kept their mouths shut and their legs moving.
