Low Time Pilot Seeking First Job (CFI or Other)

C

ClearedToTakeoff

Well-Known Member
Hello,

I have recently earned my CFI/CFII/MEI Ratings and am currently seeking my first job. I have applied numerous places and have yet to hear a call back. I am open to work practically anywhere in the country assuming cost of living is not too expensive (meaning, I can pay student loan bills, and afford to eat every other day would be nice). I currently live in AZ, and would love to find another state to start working in.

As of January 2009:
232 hours Total Time
135 hours Multi-Engine (Seminole)
67 hours Instrument Time
CFI multi-engine time (Piper Seminole 44-180)
CFI single-engine time (Cessna 172)

Current Class I Medical
FCC Radiotelephone Operators Permit

I have an extreme passion for flying, knowing exactly what I wanted to do for as long as I can remember. That passion translates greatly into an enthusiasm that will be contagious to students. I'm just looking for a foot in the door if any one is able to help out with finding a job.
 
You'll find something if you look enough. If you haven't paid a visit to the local places, do it soon. If they give you bad news and you want them to think of you when things change, tell them that.

Welcome to JC! :)
 
ClearedToTakeoff said:
Hello,

I have recently earned my CFI/CFII/MEI Ratings and am currently seeking my first job. I have applied numerous places and have yet to hear a call back. I am open to work practically anywhere in the country assuming cost of living is not too expensive (meaning, I can pay student loan bills, and afford to eat every other day would be nice). I currently live in AZ, and would love to find another state to start working in.

As of January 2009:
232 hours Total Time
135 hours Multi-Engine (Seminole)
67 hours Instrument Time
CFI multi-engine time (Piper Seminole 44-180)
CFI single-engine time (Cessna 172)

Current Class I Medical
FCC Radiotelephone Operators Permit

I have an extreme passion for flying, knowing exactly what I wanted to do for as long as I can remember. That passion translates greatly into an enthusiasm that will be contagious to students. I'm just looking for a foot in the door if any one is able to help out with finding a job.
Click to expand...

you went to ATP, didn't you?:)
 
falconvalley said:
You'll find something if you look enough. If you haven't paid a visit to the local places, do it soon. If they give you bad news and you want them to think of you when things change, tell them that.

Welcome to JC! :)
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Thank you :) Originally I was looking solely out of state since I've spent my whole life here and figured the start of my career would be a good time to have an adventure. But I've come to the conclusion that since it seems even instructor gigs are hard to come by right now, that might not be so feasible, so I just recently started applying locally.
mshunter said:
you went to ATP, didn't you?:)
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What gave it away, the hours? Lol. :D
 
ClearedToTakeoff said:
Sure is. At least when I finished up last month. He wasn't my instructor for anything, but he definitely helped me out alot. Truly a class act guy.
Click to expand...

I was lucky. I had him from my multi, instrument and commercial multi. I would have never made it with out his help. Class act is an understatement. You musy have just started when I was leaving. I finished in July of '08.

Back to what this thread was started with, I heard from a friend who works for them, Pan-Am is supposed to be hiring sometime the begining of this year. Have you tried a cold call? And there is also Wiseman in flagstaff that is looking for instructors. Get on that one quick. I saw the post a few days ago. www.flywise.com
 
Try Sierra Academy of Aeronautics or American Academy of Aeronautics, both in California and both seem to be hiring, if you want to stay west. If you want to come east, Orlando Flight Training, Florida Institute of Technology, Ormond Beach Aviation (all in Florida) and Falcon Aviation (Georgia) are worth turning in resumes to.

There's also Ballard Aviation in San Diego out west. Might still be hiring. Also in Virginia Beach there's Horizon Aviation. You might also want to try out Pan Am Academy in Scottsdale (I believe).


Those are the places I've had some success with in my job hunt. Several of those places have offered me interviews recently, so hopefully one will work out for you.



This might be the worst worded post in JC history, but its 5am and I don't want to edit it back into shape. Sorry :p
 
Your flexible attitude towards moving will be a big help getting that first job. I'd also recommend that you physically walk into the flight schools you're interested in and hand them your resume (dress nice, business casual). My old flight school is getting half a dozen resumes everyday, but not too many walk ins.

Do whatever you can to set yourself apart from the next guy/girl. Make sure you have a good resume. If this is your first one, you absolutely need to have somebody with experience help you develop it. When I was interviewing people at my office job, nothing turned me off quicker than a shoddy resume. Make sure it is setup for aviation rather than business as far as the layout goes.

If you're sending stuff out to places that are hard to visit, make follow up phone calls. With my current job, over 200 people sent in resumes the first day, and the next day the email server crashed. I was the only one to actually follow up with phone calls and email - I got the job, the others didn't. Good luck!
 
ClearedToTakeoff said:
I have applied numerous places and have yet to hear a call back.
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Well, theres your problem. Why would you just wait for someone to be like "OH MY GOD! I have this resume! I must call this person!" You send/drop off your resume, wait a day or two and then start calling back, pestering the person until they give in and give you the job or tell you to never call/come back. Thats how you get a job.
 
Good luck. There are plenty of more qualified candidates out there that are out of work. Your best bet is to start calling everyone you met at ATP to see if they have a job and see if they can get you in. It is a rough market out there.
 
Or just wait for the "Obama Plan" to kick in: one trades their employment status with another at the end of a designated time cycle.
 
EnnTea said:
There's also Ballard Aviation in San Diego out west.
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Is there a Ballards down there? The Ballards I know of is a Part 61 school and based at KPOC Brackett Field in Pomona.



This might be the worst worded post in JC history, but its 5am and I don't want to edit it back into shape. Sorry :p
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think you are incorrect. There have been worse posts...much worse.
 
mshunter said:
I was lucky. I had him from my multi, instrument and commercial multi. I would have never made it with out his help. Class act is an understatement. You musy have just started when I was leaving. I finished in July of '08.

Back to what this thread was started with, I heard from a friend who works for them, Pan-Am is supposed to be hiring sometime the begining of this year. Have you tried a cold call? And there is also Wiseman in flagstaff that is looking for instructors. Get on that one quick. I saw the post a few days ago. www.flywise.com
Click to expand...
Probably. I started on the PVT side in July. And thanks for the hint about Wiseman :)

EnnTea said:
Try Sierra Academy of Aeronautics or American Academy of Aeronautics, both in California and both seem to be hiring, if you want to stay west. If you want to come east, Orlando Flight Training, Florida Institute of Technology, Ormond Beach Aviation (all in Florida) and Falcon Aviation (Georgia) are worth turning in resumes to.

There's also Ballard Aviation in San Diego out west. Might still be hiring. Also in Virginia Beach there's Horizon Aviation. You might also want to try out Pan Am Academy in Scottsdale (I believe).


Those are the places I've had some success with in my job hunt. Several of those places have offered me interviews recently, so hopefully one will work out for you.



This might be the worst worded post in JC history, but its 5am and I don't want to edit it back into shape. Sorry :p
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot for those names, a number of them i've already emailed, and then emailed again and again. lol.

wrxpilot said:
Your flexible attitude towards moving will be a big help getting that first job. I'd also recommend that you physically walk into the flight schools you're interested in and hand them your resume (dress nice, business casual). My old flight school is getting half a dozen resumes everyday, but not too many walk ins.

Do whatever you can to set yourself apart from the next guy/girl. Make sure you have a good resume. If this is your first one, you absolutely need to have somebody with experience help you develop it. When I was interviewing people at my office job, nothing turned me off quicker than a shoddy resume. Make sure it is setup for aviation rather than business as far as the layout goes.

If you're sending stuff out to places that are hard to visit, make follow up phone calls. With my current job, over 200 people sent in resumes the first day, and the next day the email server crashed. I was the only one to actually follow up with phone calls and email - I got the job, the others didn't. Good luck!
Click to expand...
You know, I completely forgot about such a thing as a telephone :( ROFL, maybe this is why I have not had success, I just email and email. Well, looks like tomorrow I got to bust out the phone :)

mojo6911 said:
Good luck. There are plenty of more qualified candidates out there that are out of work. Your best bet is to start calling everyone you met at ATP to see if they have a job and see if they can get you in. It is a rough market out there.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I know that I'm no where near the same standing as others i'm competing against. but oh well, I'm not going to let that deter me because eventually I'll get my first paying flight job :)
 
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