Key Lime Air
- Thread starter Douglas
- Start date
Number1atNumber2
Tries to keep it fun.
Lets not get too personal here. He's got his opinions on what kind of employees he'll look at, and one's he won't. My myspace profile is similar, so I don't see an issue there, but I digress.
I may not agree 100% with the way he evaluates, but that's not my call. All one can do is explain the counter point. We are all here to benefit from each other and try to enjoy the ride as we do so.
Now to further my statement...
I'd like to add, sometimes a pilot has less options available. Part of what made me get on with Key Lime, besides giving them the benefit of the doubt, was that I was living in Denver and had no desire to leave. I still hate that I left, but that's a story for another time. I was lucky to be as flexable as I was, as I am single and don't own a house. If that wasn't the case, it would have made leaving much more difficult.
Key Lime makes their pilots sign insane contracts that are brutal to break, and when you couple that with crappy pay, leaving all of the sudden gets even more difficult.
And, your next employer may not pay all that great either. We don't all get to go to the best companies. Its easy to feel trapped when you work at a craphole, and quitting isn't a decision you can make lightly, nor should you.
My point is, I'd interview a pilot after working there and try to feel them out. You won't know if they are a cowboy or not. So it would be in your best interest to grill em on that. So I would recommend having a look first. I imagine a guy that ends up working at a few dumps, will be less likely to moan about his working conditions when he finally gets to a good job.
And the freight dog will have plenty of real world experience with flying in bad weather with bad equipment, so I doubt he'd flip out at the first time of trouble. Again though, you want to make sure they are not cowboys that laugh in the face of a Level 5 t-storm.
I may not agree 100% with the way he evaluates, but that's not my call. All one can do is explain the counter point. We are all here to benefit from each other and try to enjoy the ride as we do so.
Now to further my statement...
I'd like to add, sometimes a pilot has less options available. Part of what made me get on with Key Lime, besides giving them the benefit of the doubt, was that I was living in Denver and had no desire to leave. I still hate that I left, but that's a story for another time. I was lucky to be as flexable as I was, as I am single and don't own a house. If that wasn't the case, it would have made leaving much more difficult. Key Lime makes their pilots sign insane contracts that are brutal to break, and when you couple that with crappy pay, leaving all of the sudden gets even more difficult.
And, your next employer may not pay all that great either. We don't all get to go to the best companies. Its easy to feel trapped when you work at a craphole, and quitting isn't a decision you can make lightly, nor should you.
My point is, I'd interview a pilot after working there and try to feel them out. You won't know if they are a cowboy or not. So it would be in your best interest to grill em on that. So I would recommend having a look first. I imagine a guy that ends up working at a few dumps, will be less likely to moan about his working conditions when he finally gets to a good job.
And the freight dog will have plenty of real world experience with flying in bad weather with bad equipment, so I doubt he'd flip out at the first time of trouble. Again though, you want to make sure they are not cowboys that laugh in the face of a Level 5 t-storm.
staplegun
Well-Known Member
TexasFlyer
Living the Dream (well at least trying to)
Hmmm... I'm not embarrassed about my personal life. I stay connected with a few life long friends on Myspace since my career keeps me moving a lot. Not to mention, it also is my social network for my love of the arts and electric music.
Funny, the execs at the $90 Billion company that know of that account seem to have no problem with my life or my work performance. Nor does the large investment company that holds 30+ business aviation operations around the United States. Wow, did you even look at it deep enough to find three other executives actually linked to me on Myspace? Imagine that.
It's a shame that some take offense to what I wrote. I am just listing out real life observations. These observations and my typical search requirements that companies dictate to me are painful to some professionals (the ones who think they qualify for something but do not fit the search criteria I been tasked to locate). Don't worry, when I tell people they are not qualified when they call me I get much of the same reaction I read here. Yet, I still try to explain to them how in the future they could qualify. But that will normally take a good 10 to 15 years of work on building thier experience through key moves at key times. Anyway, it's not the first time I been told I was a jerk when being very direct on what people hire me to find, and not to find.
Anyway, I have nothing to hide. Do you? I feel it's a shame that when people grow up, they forget how to soften up and enjoy life. I still enjoy my ice cream and cake, and even eating it with my fingers sometimes just for fun. But I'm not here to debate that or have a conversation about my personal life with those who don't know me on a personal or professional level. I'm here to help by sharing my real life experience from a unique perspective most will never see (after all, I hear things that may blow your mind in the executive world you may never see... and some of it is stuff I wish not to hear again!).
To educate back on the topic of this thread....
In the professional world, I simply do as my clients request. Just so happens many companies request the same criteria from me. Although they know nothing of what their competitor is requesting from me since I work confidentially on most searches. So I see a theme across companies when looking for a FBO General Managers, Director of Maintenances, Chief Pilots, Flight Department Managers, A&Ps, Corporate Pilots, etc. From years of doing this, I compiled the theme in the industry to know what makes someone the top 10% in the President of these companies eyes. It's a combination of career path and responsibility on the resume along with the person's personality, communication skills, leadership ability, and ambition. If any one thing is missing, they are not top 10%. Is this a bad thing? No. It just means I can't help them. Would you not like what you could do to be the top 10%?
Keep in mind. I do not know what makes top 10% in the airline world. I am no expert there. But I am an expert in the business aviation world. And quite frankly, the bad part of it is this. I am the top 10% in my current industry based on my experience, background, etc. But I am a career changer. And I know for a fact the odds are very low that I fit my own hiring criteria for the top 10% as a pilot in business aviation.
Why? My resume will not be "ideal" due to me getting a very late start on my flying career; I'm about 10 years too late to excel up to a point early enough in my career to be the top 10% in my prime. And that is a fact of life I will face on the corporate aviation side of things. My own firm will not be able to "place me" in ten years most likely. Sad, isn't it? No, I know there are other places to go and possibly with the connections I have, luck will be on my side. After all, networking and who you know over the years is more than half the battle in the corporate aviation world.
So don't be bitter toward me. I will face my own song and dance in 10 years. Oh, and no apology needed. We're all friends here on Jet Careers. Some threads just get a little heated
Funny, the execs at the $90 Billion company that know of that account seem to have no problem with my life or my work performance. Nor does the large investment company that holds 30+ business aviation operations around the United States. Wow, did you even look at it deep enough to find three other executives actually linked to me on Myspace? Imagine that.
It's a shame that some take offense to what I wrote. I am just listing out real life observations. These observations and my typical search requirements that companies dictate to me are painful to some professionals (the ones who think they qualify for something but do not fit the search criteria I been tasked to locate). Don't worry, when I tell people they are not qualified when they call me I get much of the same reaction I read here. Yet, I still try to explain to them how in the future they could qualify. But that will normally take a good 10 to 15 years of work on building thier experience through key moves at key times. Anyway, it's not the first time I been told I was a jerk when being very direct on what people hire me to find, and not to find.
Anyway, I have nothing to hide. Do you? I feel it's a shame that when people grow up, they forget how to soften up and enjoy life. I still enjoy my ice cream and cake, and even eating it with my fingers sometimes just for fun. But I'm not here to debate that or have a conversation about my personal life with those who don't know me on a personal or professional level. I'm here to help by sharing my real life experience from a unique perspective most will never see (after all, I hear things that may blow your mind in the executive world you may never see... and some of it is stuff I wish not to hear again!).
To educate back on the topic of this thread....
In the professional world, I simply do as my clients request. Just so happens many companies request the same criteria from me. Although they know nothing of what their competitor is requesting from me since I work confidentially on most searches. So I see a theme across companies when looking for a FBO General Managers, Director of Maintenances, Chief Pilots, Flight Department Managers, A&Ps, Corporate Pilots, etc. From years of doing this, I compiled the theme in the industry to know what makes someone the top 10% in the President of these companies eyes. It's a combination of career path and responsibility on the resume along with the person's personality, communication skills, leadership ability, and ambition. If any one thing is missing, they are not top 10%. Is this a bad thing? No. It just means I can't help them. Would you not like what you could do to be the top 10%?
Keep in mind. I do not know what makes top 10% in the airline world. I am no expert there. But I am an expert in the business aviation world. And quite frankly, the bad part of it is this. I am the top 10% in my current industry based on my experience, background, etc. But I am a career changer. And I know for a fact the odds are very low that I fit my own hiring criteria for the top 10% as a pilot in business aviation.
Why? My resume will not be "ideal" due to me getting a very late start on my flying career; I'm about 10 years too late to excel up to a point early enough in my career to be the top 10% in my prime. And that is a fact of life I will face on the corporate aviation side of things. My own firm will not be able to "place me" in ten years most likely. Sad, isn't it? No, I know there are other places to go and possibly with the connections I have, luck will be on my side. After all, networking and who you know over the years is more than half the battle in the corporate aviation world.
So don't be bitter toward me. I will face my own song and dance in 10 years. Oh, and no apology needed. We're all friends here on Jet Careers. Some threads just get a little heated
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
number1atnumber2 said:
eh? Why? If they're still alive... (and yes, I try real hard to avoid level 5s. And 6s. And 4s.)
As to your opinions of freight dogs, TexasFlyer, you're welcome to them. The lovely thing about the invisible hand is it's a two way street. You might not want me working for you and I wouldn't want to work at a place that thinks I'm a "cowboy" because of where I've worked (and no, I haven't worked for key lime...but because of their insane contracts and reportedly poor QOL...not because I'm afraid the engines will explode or the wings fall off. From what I've read of Key Lime's accident history, most of the accidents are from pilots doing things they oughtn't be doing.) That's not meant to sound hostile, it's just the reality of "different strokes for different folks". Vive la difference!
PS. I don't see the problem with the dude's myspace page...?
towhook
New Member
TexasFlyer, I am glad you like your job.
Anybody who flies a Metro single pilot around the Rockies for a winter has my greatest respect. I am not saying anything about the company as a whole (I have had no first hand experience) but if a pilot survives their time there then they are most certainly well within the 'top 10%' of pilots.
Anybody who flies a Metro single pilot around the Rockies for a winter has my greatest respect. I am not saying anything about the company as a whole (I have had no first hand experience) but if a pilot survives their time there then they are most certainly well within the 'top 10%' of pilots.
TexasFlyer
Living the Dream (well at least trying to)
I agree with that statement for sure.
I just rather see them flying Metro's for a better company who shows their employees the respect they really deserve. The good news though is that most pilots do get to move on from there and end up with very rewarding careers. And in my book, any pilot who ends each day with a smile on their face because they love their job, the type of flying they do, and the respect their company gives them... that's "home".
jwp_145
GhostRider in the Sky
At first I must say I thought you were being a bit unfair in your HR practices, then you mentioned what TYPE of recruiting you were doing, and it is very appropriate.
But be it a pilot who asks advice from someone, then gripes and argues with the answer.