Race in the cockpit

There are "outreach" programs, but don't confuse that with preferential consideration. Those programs are largely opportunities to network but they're not necessarily "exclusive". Lots of blonde hair and blue eyes at OBAP events and there are certainly a large number of dudes at a WIA event.

Get your name out there, keep talking about your goals because you never know who is listening.

Speaking of that, a couple years ago I'm drinking some coffee with a manager of pilot selection and another pilot was bitching a few tables away about the hiring process, how he deserved certain things because of his time a his present company and just coming off as a petulant kindergartener. Both look over, see the ID and laugh thinking about how if he was having a different conversation, he could have met the person that could absolutely "make it happen" but had MK-84'ed a bridge he didn't even realize existed.

Take any and every chance to make positive connections and network and you will have great career success. Best advice I could give to you is realize that it's a continuous process and that if you take the impression that "OK, I have a job, therefore I get to be an ass to my fellow trade-members", you may find yourself being a "lifer" at a level you didn't think your career would apex.

I see it everyday on the back channels.


Sent from my TRS-80
 
Affirmative action is helpful to us white guys in positions of hiring in any industry. Meaning, you encounter more people not to hire because of it than people you are forced to hire because of it (in 17 years I've "had to hire" exactly zero minorities. I have, but I haven't "had" to). Anyway, the way it helps is that you can hear in peoples conversation sometimes how affirmative action screws them...or it would be easier to get a job if they were a minority (think Aloft here), etc. This is helpful to me as those people self-identify as people on the "never hire" list, because nobody wants a whiner on staff. Big boobies, yes. Whiners, no. That's my hiring philosophy.
 
I don't work for a regional or major airline, but I talked with the Chief Pilot for a large corporation a couple of years ago about what I need to do to eventually fly with them and he told me that I've got no chance, at least not for the next several years. They've been given direction from higher that they need to focus on hiring females and minorities. He said they would rather hire a female or minority that was close to minimums and pay for their type rating and/or any flight time they needed to meet minimums than hire a white male who is already typed and above minimums. He didn't agree with that policy, but that's what "corporate" told him to do.
In that case, there is definitely an advantage to being a female or minority. This was for a corporate flight department, not an airline though.
 
There are no true barriers to face that I've seen. It's all about networking. Most people are willing to help you out if you're likeable, have a good personality, and can fly your way out of a wet paper bag.
 
I've heard arguments both ways for the hiring of minorities and women-folk. From talking with people higher on the totem-pole than myself the following seems to be more important:

Get to know people (from my own experience this is the best way to help yourself) and make sure you don't burn bridges. Get a college degree, any degree. Always pay it forward. Stay humble, stay positive, take care of those you work with no matter which seat you're in. Be confident but admit when you're wrong and always strive to learn or improve yourself. If you're competent and people can spend 4+ days in a small enclosed space with you and not make the the other guy want to jump into a running engine, you'll be in good shape. Aviation is a surprisingly small world and that can be good or bad depending on how you approach it. Best of luck dude.


See you up there!
 
I would say it definitely won't hurt. From the guys that I know (minority), they know they're in a good position, so just do a good job, keep your nose clean and you'll advance just fine.
 
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