How Long did you have to wait for your first CFI job

jnape

jnape

New Member
Im a soon to be CFI and i was just curious how long it took people to get their first CFI job? Im sure it depends on the area ofcourse but just an avg timetable. Im in Ind
 
bretthullrampage said:
I was offered one before I even started my training! I imagine that is super rare though.
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Same here. I got a second part-time job instructing 4 months later, and have had many offers since. This is around the Chicago area where there are a whole lot of flight schools.
 
I signed a contract to teach with the college the day after my ride. This was 2007 though when everyone was hiring like crazy.
 
I was hired at a company about 5 days after I had my ticket in my hand.. I've heard of quite a few universities hiring before they even have their CFI ticket.
 
bretthullrampage said:
I was offered one before I even started my training! I imagine that is super rare though.
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Pretty much this. I was really lucky though. The school I was at offered me a job, and two of the schools in my home town were calling me weekly asking when I was finishing. I took my ride on Thursday and started work Friday morning back home.
 
I did my CFI in March of 2010 and all I heard then was "nobody is hiring right now, especially not single-engine, VFR Only CFI's"

So I did my Double-I last July, and my MEI last December, because "that's what you'll need to be marketable"

Now, "nobody is hiring unless you have a couple hundred hours of dual given".

So unless you're willing and able to relocate, or have the resorces to be an independent CFI, plan on paying just as much as before to keep yourself current & proficient while you work at Home Depot or Dominoes
 
jnape said:
Im a soon to be CFI and i was just curious how long it took people to get their first CFI job? Im sure it depends on the area ofcourse but just an avg timetable. Im in Ind
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It took me about four months.

Two caveats, it was the early 1990's and I was out seven days a week, walking in resumes to flight schools, wearing shoes out.

There is a lot of opportunity in crappy job markets, IF you do the work to find the job. All of my shoes had holes from walking on pavement and my socks were like Swiss cheese but I got it done.
 
2 months for me. A flight school opened up at just the right time for the flying season in Ohio. finding a CFI gig can be faster if you are willing to go anywhere for the job. You can get far in aviation with that mentality. If you have to stay local you could be in a world of hurt when looking for jobs.
 
Mike H said:
I did my CFI in March of 2010 and all I heard then was "nobody is hiring right now, especially not single-engine, VFR Only CFI's"

So I did my Double-I last July, and my MEI last December, because "that's what you'll need to be marketable"

Now, "nobody is hiring unless you have a couple hundred hours of dual given".

So unless you're willing and able to relocate, or have the resorces to be an independent CFI, plan on paying just as much as before to keep yourself current & proficient while you work at Home Depot or Dominoes
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Wow, it must be a lot different in your neck of the woods. Down in Florida almost every school is hiring flight instructors and some will hire you with just a CFI.
 
Back in 2007 after I finished my CFI/II, I was immediatly hired into the company and started instructing about 3 weeks later. Things were pretty good then.
 
If you do not have a job as an instructor I would recommend doing the "shot gun" blast to flight schools. Start with those close by, then work your way out.
The flight school where I normally teach is currently short CFIs. We had one move last week. I'm not taking on new students as I leave middle of July for Rochester, NY. There are several part time CFIs, but no real full time CFIs. I am the last MEI qualified to teach here (you need 25 hours 310 time for insurance). You set your own rate and keep everything you charge (current pay rate here for a new CFI is $40/hour).
 
Your thread is titled incorrectly. Instead of "How long did you wait for a CFI job," a better title would be "How long did you pound the pavement before you found a CFI job?"
 
I got offered a job before I had my cfi, quit a few days after I got my cfi...
 
I think it mostly depends upon 1) the local economy and 2) your willingness/ability to move. I got my first CFI job this month by hanging around the airport where I wanted to work for about 5 days talking to everyone there. I wanted to work at the university I was going to school with this past semester, but they had way too many instructors as it was and weren't able to hire me, and, even if they did, I still wouldn't have been working. It was a small town, so there was pretty much no hope of finding another CFI job around while I finished off my degrees. I got my CFIi in September, 2010 and started working at a school in the Memphis area this month (because I moved back "home" with the parents after I graduated). Basically, I got it because it's a bigger town with more jobs available, and I showed a willingness to be around whenever I was needed.
Anywho, good luck to ya. :)
 
The flight school where I did my CFI training offered me a job contingent upon my successful completion of the checkride. I showed my instructor my temporary certificate, and he showed me my office keys and airport access card. I just left my CFI job for a regional gig. Perhaps they have an opening.
 
About a month after I got my CFI, but I had to relocate for the job as my current flight school had entered a slump. This was back in Jan of 08.
 
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