New Dispatcher FAQ

METARd said:
Having no luck on the dispatch front so far, I've begun applying for Ramp Service Agent and Line Service Technician jobs. I will look into scheduling and Ops assistant.
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also when you do your Job search , look for flight follower / flight controller , a lot of places are not 121 so the title is not officially "dispatcher" but its basically the same work
 
When I do actually get a response (3 or so for about the 2 dozen dispatcher jobs I've applied to) it's usually along these lines "Thank you for your interest in the Aviation Dispatcher position. While your resume and background are impressive, we are moving forward with other candidates that are a better fit at this time. Thank you for your interest". Getting quite dejected but pressing on. I also find it quite amazing seeing job postings that pay $12.00/HR and want 3 years of dispatch experience. I get the impression there are a lot more dispatchers than there are jobs available these days.
 
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METARd said:
When I do actually get a response (3 or so for about the 2 dozen dispatcher jobs I've applied to) it's usually along these lines "Thank you for your interest in the Aviation Dispatcher position. While your resume and background are impressive, we are moving forward with other candidates that are a better fit at this time. Thank you for your interest". Getting quite dejected but pressing on. I also find it quite amazing seeing job postings that pay $12.00/HR and want 3 years of dispatch experience. I get the impression there are a lot more dispatchers than there are jobs available these days.
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Who's paying $12/hr and wants 3 years?!?!
 
METARd said:
Having no luck on the dispatch front so far, I've begun applying for Ramp Service Agent and Line Service Technician jobs. I will look into scheduling and Ops assistant.
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Try Trans States Airlines, GoJet, and Compass. It seems like one of the 3 is always hiring. Trans States will probably be hiring in about 2 or 3 months (or sooner) depending on how the next Great Dispatcher Migration goes. Alaska is hiring right now, but they want a year of 121 experience. Udelhoven Corp is hiring if you want to move to Anchorage and work part time. You can also use Wiki's list of regionals and go through them all: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regional_airlines

Crew Scheduling sucks, but it's a foot in the door. Some airlines require a year as a scheduler before they'll let you transfer to Dispatch, but at least you've got a job!

Best of luck to you!
 
pcstan said:
Try Trans States Airlines, GoJet, and Compass. It seems like one of the 3 is always hiring. Trans States will probably be hiring in about 2 or 3 months (or sooner) depending on how the next Great Dispatcher Migration goes. Alaska is hiring right now, but they want a year of 121 experience. Udelhoven Corp is hiring if you want to move to Anchorage and work part time. You can also use Wiki's list of regionals and go through them all: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regional_airlines

Crew Scheduling sucks, but it's a foot in the door. Some airlines require a year as a scheduler before they'll let you transfer to Dispatch, but at least you've got a job!

Best of luck to you!
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Thanks I appreciate it. I have a phone interview with a Part 135 Charter tomorrow. I'm hoping it goes better than the first phone interview I had. I feel I'm much more prepared this time for the trickier HR questions. I find it much easier to answer questions about weather than HR questions
 
METARd said:
Thanks I appreciate it. I have a phone interview with a Part 135 Charter tomorrow. I'm hoping it goes better than the first phone interview I had. I feel I'm much more prepared this time for the trickier HR questions. I find it much easier to answer questions about weather than HR questions
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In my experience, you can usually expect a much more HR based interview when applying for a 135.
 
Luigi said:
In my experience, you can usually expect a much more HR based interview when applying for a 135.
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True! A 135 dispatcher is often called a Flight Follower (a pathetic understatement) and the position is much more Customer Service oriented and sometimes deals with the clients/pax directly. The Dispatcher can be/is typically also a Crew Scheduler and often responsible for making hotel reservations, ground transportation accommodations, verifying crew legalities and more. On top of all that, he's still required to safely plan and follow the flight. You're a "One Stop Shop" for trip planning. All this with "No Dispatcher License Required." It's a lot of work for $12 an hour, but it's not typically non-stop like a part 121 airline.

Best of luck METARd!
 
pcstan said:
True! A 135 dispatcher is often called a Flight Follower (a pathetic understatement) and the position is much more Customer Service oriented and sometimes deals with the clients/pax directly. The Dispatcher can be/is typically also a Crew Scheduler and often responsible for making hotel reservations, ground transportation accommodations, verifying crew legalities and more. On top of all that, he's still required to safely plan and follow the flight. You're a "One Stop Shop" for trip planning. All this with "No Dispatcher License Required." It's a lot of work for $12 an hour, but it's not typically non-stop like a part 121 airline.

Best of luck METARd!
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Thanks, she said I'll be hearing back in the next two weeks. I felt it went better than my first one, I was better prepared this time. I did get hung a little bit when she said "tell me everything you know about Part 91 operations". We did not spend a lot of time on that at Sheffield. Told her everything I know about Part 135, though. Now I get to sweat and wait.
 
METARd said:
Thanks, she said I'll be hearing back in the next two weeks. I felt it went better than my first one, I was better prepared this time. I did get hung a little bit when she said "tell me everything you know about Part 91 operations". We did not spend a lot of time on that at Sheffield. Told her everything I know about Part 135, though. Now I get to sweat and wait.
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Here's a "down & dirty" on the difference:
http://blog.privatefly.com/us/part-91-vs-part-135

Short story: Part 91 is waaaaaaaay less restrictive.
 
METARd said:
Another stupid question: Should I follow up an interview with a thank you email?
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I've always done this.Results have been 50/50 for getting the job but it's never a bad idea IMHO. It's the lost art of courtesy and it shows interest and follow-through. Your mileage may vary.

And it's not a stupid question. But I MAY give you a stupid answer!
 
METARd said:
Another stupid question: Should I follow up an interview with a thank you email?
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Absolutely...if someone hands you their business card especially, that is a requirement. They are giving you their contact information, not to be harassed, but to be thanked. At the end of the day, these people see a lot of different individuals, and a note of thanks goes a long way at getting you recognized, or even a mentor if you weren't a great fit at the time. Every interaction should be looked at as building a relationship.
 
Metard...dude dont sell yourself too short....give it some more time...135 can really suck depending on the operator. And I mean SUCK. There is so much paperwork that has nothing to do with flight planning that you have to do and nobody wants to do it...so guess who gets to sit in front of the 1995 FAX machine begging it to work for 4 hours!!? YOU! And just soz ya know...the PIC will do all the actual fun stuff regarding flight planning. You will never tell them whats what. You have zero authour-ITAAY!
There are plenty of 121 intro shops. They all take a ton of time to get back to you. Sometimes its quick and dirty but most of the time is takes a month or so. And like every industry these days, some never get back to you. Its a big big world out there.
Talk to pilot recruiters at the various regionals. They are easy to find and contact. Those folks will talk to you and they can pass your resume off to the main person...it worked for me.
Just to be clear Im not saying dont ever go 135, its better than changing tires at Les Schwab, but if you have the money to just hang in there a few more months, id say keep shopping.
 
I posted a separate thread regarding Fedex but didn't get any hits, so I'll ask a brief part of it here. Does anyone know what the typical schedule is like for a dispatcher? And even if not Fedex specifically, what about most of the majors? Does the schedule rotate or is it based on seniority in regards to shifts as well as days off and holidays? Thanks!
 
I did not know where to put this message since it doesn't warrant a thread. I received my Aircraft Dispatcher certificate today after my oral/practical exams. I had a great experience at IFOD with achieving the goal of getting my ticket.

I want to thank all of the valuable members of this forum who responded to my posts and private messages as I investigated this career before making the leap. I recently left my previous career as an attoney and have not looked back. Now that I have this license to learn I really look forward to the journey. Thanks again to all and I hope I can assist others in their journey down the road.
 
Hi guys. Not attempting to thread jack, and willing to move elsewhere if the mods prefer. I'm looking for some advice. I have worked at AA for 15 years as a gate agent. I am looking to change careers. Despite having two recent undergrad degrees I have struggled to find a career with a better compensation package than I currently have. Due to this, I am starting the dispatcher course in January to pursue a license. Because of seniority for vacation and retirement purposes my long term career options are tied to AA currently. My question is, upon graduation and before future vacancies are announced, what would be best way to prepare myself as a possible candidate? Should I consider moonlighting as a dispatcher elsewhere to build experience? Because of airport operations, and my current full time employment, this would be a difficult path. Or, as an internal candidate would I be better served to look for openings closer to dispatch such as crew scheduling? Any advise is appreciated.
 
MT said:
I'm very excited to see so many new faces around the forum. Those of you that are a touch scared to post, don't worry. We don't bite, I promise!

Most of you getting into this field have a ton of questions, many of them similar so allow me to point you to some posts that will answer some of your most asked questions!

1. Where should I go to school?

This is a highly personal question and the answer is whatever school works best for you. There is a great discussion tucked here in the forums. Take a look at this posting.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/where-to-go-to-dispatcher-school.176244/

2. Where can I get a job?

There are not as many airlines in as many locations as their used to be, however there is at least one within each region of the country and many more flight departments. Take a look here.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/where-exactly-can-a-dispatcher-work.192199/

3. Can I commute?

Can you? Yes. Should you tell an employer in an interview you plan to? Probably not. Is commuting a awesome lifestyle? Your Decision. Good points each way found here.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/commuting-as-a-dispatcher.174201/

4. Where can I find job postings?

Go straight to the airlines website for the best source. However there are some good search engines out there. A ton of great information in this post.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/where-to-look.180281/

5. How long will it take to get that first job? When will I get to a major?

The first job is the hardest to get. Expect an average of 3-5 years experience to get to a major airline Check this awesome post.
http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/interested-in-dispatch.192697/

I hope this gets you all started down the path to dispatching. If you have any questions about anything feel free to ask! We have a lot of knowledgeable people here from major airlines, regionals, supplemental airlines, corporate flight following, you name it. Welcome to the boards!
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MT,

Though you've been thanked already, I'd like to thank you again. This was a GREAT post! It's been most helpful to me. I literally spent MONTHS reading this and the posts you linked to in order to learn about dispatching. It's 'one-stop shopping' for newbies, which is great! Thanks again for this most HELPFUL of posts...
 
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