Cleared_ILS_RWY_9L
New Member
Last night I got into a real train wreck of a thread, it certainly wasn't my intention, anyway, I'd like to pass on what I have found to be true in my career.
Most of it comes down to luck. Being at the right place at the right time is crucial. But a person can really stack the deck in their favor. There was a Naval Flight Surgeon, named Jim, that went through an Japanese Indoc class with several years ago, Naval Academy, a real stand up guy. I almost wish I had another sister so that he could have married into the family. We talked alot during the 3 years we were at the same base, and he told me the most important thing I've ever heard.
Here goes, I had just answered an add to apply to become an A&P instructor, part time, at the Navy Campus. Within a week I was up to my elbows in creating an A&P program, in addition to running an engine overhaul crew. I was talking to Jim about this, while he was helping me with my new computer, I barely knew how to turn it on, by the end of the evening I was dawning into the MS Word age. Anyway, I was telling him about how I had been chosen to get this program up to speed, and that I already had double the students needed to break even, so the school was going to be happy. I told him that I was lucky to be the instructor, and how most of the people didn't want the job, or didn't even apply. Here is what he told me.........
"John, you make most of your own luck, good or bad"
That hit me like a ton of bricks....gold bricks......gold bricks delivered by dancing girls.......you get the idea. Opportunities do knock, but you have to be at the right place at the right time. There might be a million people more quallified than you, but if you are prepared, at the right time, you might get lucky, too. No, you WILL get lucky, too. Maybe on the first try, maybe on the 100th, it might take years, but it will happen.
In October of 2000, NASA was looking for a person to work their QA program for the Space Shuttle. I put my package together, and sent it to them, knowing full well that there are 1 million better qualified people than myself. BUT I WASN'T GOING TO LET THAT STOP ME FROM TRYING. I got as far as their Director of Personall at the Cape. He took 10 minutes of his day to talk with me. I didn't get the job. I still smile about that, and I'm still honored that they even considered me, if only for a few moments.
Speaking of NASA, it has just been discovered that the entire moon is made up of Pilot Resumes from guys with 1500 TT and 500 multi. I'm talking more than a Billion Kajillion Million of the things are foating around out there. The only reason I got hired, twice, by FAR 121 airlines, out of all of those Bajillion resumes, is that both I, and my resume, stood out.
I first came to Jet-Careers in late 2000, I think, and I read about Doug's cross-country delivering all of his resumes around California, The joy of KINKO'S at 4 in the morning.....and it's true, very, very true.
One of the best ways to get your resume to stand out from most of the others is to........here's a no brainer.....get more qualifications. How many of those pilots are also Dispatchers?(All it takes is 6 weeks worth of weekends, or 2 weeks block)
A&P?(That's a little tougher, but it opens A LOT of doors)
FE? (They're not all extinct, yet)
These qualifications make a person stand out, and I don't think that you count on being like a million other guys, and somehow that dream job will just find you. My dream job didn't find me, I went out hunting. I first met the Airline that I work for now a few days after I read about Dougs journey, and Doug, I owe you a beer, BIG TIME. Anyway, I talked to the Chief Pilot about how I could get my F.E. ticket, and what they wanted in an applicant. (2 years later, when they hired me, I STILL hadn't met all of their qualifications, but I was doing whatever I could, when I could do it).
I hope this helps. You've got to stand out, and we all make our own luck.
Most of it comes down to luck. Being at the right place at the right time is crucial. But a person can really stack the deck in their favor. There was a Naval Flight Surgeon, named Jim, that went through an Japanese Indoc class with several years ago, Naval Academy, a real stand up guy. I almost wish I had another sister so that he could have married into the family. We talked alot during the 3 years we were at the same base, and he told me the most important thing I've ever heard.
Here goes, I had just answered an add to apply to become an A&P instructor, part time, at the Navy Campus. Within a week I was up to my elbows in creating an A&P program, in addition to running an engine overhaul crew. I was talking to Jim about this, while he was helping me with my new computer, I barely knew how to turn it on, by the end of the evening I was dawning into the MS Word age. Anyway, I was telling him about how I had been chosen to get this program up to speed, and that I already had double the students needed to break even, so the school was going to be happy. I told him that I was lucky to be the instructor, and how most of the people didn't want the job, or didn't even apply. Here is what he told me.........
"John, you make most of your own luck, good or bad"
That hit me like a ton of bricks....gold bricks......gold bricks delivered by dancing girls.......you get the idea. Opportunities do knock, but you have to be at the right place at the right time. There might be a million people more quallified than you, but if you are prepared, at the right time, you might get lucky, too. No, you WILL get lucky, too. Maybe on the first try, maybe on the 100th, it might take years, but it will happen.
In October of 2000, NASA was looking for a person to work their QA program for the Space Shuttle. I put my package together, and sent it to them, knowing full well that there are 1 million better qualified people than myself. BUT I WASN'T GOING TO LET THAT STOP ME FROM TRYING. I got as far as their Director of Personall at the Cape. He took 10 minutes of his day to talk with me. I didn't get the job. I still smile about that, and I'm still honored that they even considered me, if only for a few moments.
Speaking of NASA, it has just been discovered that the entire moon is made up of Pilot Resumes from guys with 1500 TT and 500 multi. I'm talking more than a Billion Kajillion Million of the things are foating around out there. The only reason I got hired, twice, by FAR 121 airlines, out of all of those Bajillion resumes, is that both I, and my resume, stood out.
I first came to Jet-Careers in late 2000, I think, and I read about Doug's cross-country delivering all of his resumes around California, The joy of KINKO'S at 4 in the morning.....and it's true, very, very true.
One of the best ways to get your resume to stand out from most of the others is to........here's a no brainer.....get more qualifications. How many of those pilots are also Dispatchers?(All it takes is 6 weeks worth of weekends, or 2 weeks block)
A&P?(That's a little tougher, but it opens A LOT of doors)
FE? (They're not all extinct, yet)
These qualifications make a person stand out, and I don't think that you count on being like a million other guys, and somehow that dream job will just find you. My dream job didn't find me, I went out hunting. I first met the Airline that I work for now a few days after I read about Dougs journey, and Doug, I owe you a beer, BIG TIME. Anyway, I talked to the Chief Pilot about how I could get my F.E. ticket, and what they wanted in an applicant. (2 years later, when they hired me, I STILL hadn't met all of their qualifications, but I was doing whatever I could, when I could do it).
I hope this helps. You've got to stand out, and we all make our own luck.
